henry bugbee turns to the question of what is essential in a person’s life. In his entry just two days ago,1 he mentioned this in his discussion of faith. He mentioned there that the realization of what is essential to us comes unexpectedly in the middle of our normal routines.
Bugbee extends his discussion of this concept by saying that we cannot determine what its most essential to our lives without facing a few other problems. The most important of these problems is universality. Bugbee makes the case that what is essential for one human being may not be what is essential to another.
Bugbee recognizes that every individual can attain insight on what could be essential to them. This ability, however, opens up the possibility of sympathy. Since we can have access to what is essential to us, we could appreciate another person who has a similar essential.
However, Bugbee points out that we can sympathize with a person without standing by them. That said, the more that which is essential to another person is “focalized” in our experience, the more we commit to stand by them. This focalization becomes possible by concentrating on our communion with others.
All of these can only happen if we find a real reason for communing with others. Bugbee raises the issue that the basis for communing with others should be universal.
Bugbee then turns his attention to Imannuel Kant, whose ethical theory he criticizes as not grasping the connection of individuality with universality. In responding to Kant, Bugbee claims that the relevance of universality to action can only be determined through a clear understanding of individuality. For him, “we are only truly individual in so far as we are able to acknowledge and act upon a universal significance in our lives.” We understand such universal significance in our individual way. This makes us irreplaceable. The universal may bind all of us, but our expression of it is what makes us unique.
This reminds me of scott barry kaufman and transcend kaufman. maslow heirarchy of needs has a claim to universality. Transcendence happens anywhere. Self-actualization happens everywhere. But each of us self-actualize and transcend in our own unique ways.
After discussing this, Bugbee returns yet again to the subject of faith.2 He says, “the believing conditional to basic understanding is a matter of response to the intimations we receive of an absolute stake in life.” I currently have a difficulty understanding what he means here.