Tractations IV

Things are what they are.
They appear to be what they are.
It is thought that makes them possible, i.e., objective.
As objects, things present us with chances.
The object occupies a space of possibilities.
The image is what can be seen without strain.

The image is easy.

The image is what can be done without effort.
The subject occupies a time of necessities.
As subjects, people present us with needs.
It is feeling that makes them necessary, i.e., subjective.
They surface to become who they will.
People become who they are.

Best Answer, Chosen by Asker

If I want to be a lion, I asked, can I be a lion?
You can be, someone said, anything you want.
And I thought that was the best answer.
(Yay, I said, I am a lion!) But there were others.
One said, No, you cannot be a lion. Another said,
You can join a Lions Club. And one said,
Sure, why not? Be a lion. And then there was
this one girl, Regina. She said, Yes you can.
Go to a costume store and buy a lion costume.
Everyone will laugh at you but that's okay
because you are now a lion and you can eat them.
Three people, seriously, rated that answer as good.

(Source: Yahoo! Answers.)

Tractations III: Ostension

This is the World.

That's how it is.

This is the case.

These are my views.

These are my eyes.

[This is my body.]

This is my mind.

This is the image.

This is my heart.

[This is my body.]

These are my hands.

These are my deeds.

This is the story.

That's what happened.

This is History.

Tractations II

Everything is the case.

The world is the totality of facts, not things.

Science represents the facts (not things).

Philosophy presents concepts, not thoughts.

Art renders the image.*

Poetry presents emotions, not feelings.

Politics represents the acts (not people).

History is the totality of acts, not people.

Everyone is on my case.

_______
*Added March 24, 2012.

Tractations I

The world is everything that is the case, the totality of facts.

Science is the attempt to construct true propositions about the facts (assertions).

Politics is the attempt to construct just propositions about the acts (injunctions).

History is everyone that is on my case, the totality of acts.