6 ETYMOLOGY AS THE HISTORY OF CONSCIOUSNESS: RELIGIO AND RATIO Descarte began in absol te !o bt "s ##ose!l$% an! en!e!

in t&e certaint$ o' an Absol te "con(enientl$%) Fe* o' s begin *&ere Rene !i! b t +ost o' s stri(e 'or at least so+e o' t&at certain Absol te *&ic& in &is ti+e Descarte *as bo n! to &a(e 'o n!) ,o n! is t&e a##ro#riate *or!) For bin!ing is *&at Religio is abo t as t&e et$+olog$ o' religion e-#resses in its ligare root +eaning to bin! as in ligat re) An! t&e bin!ing is 'orce!. en'orce! an! rein'orce! b$ t&e c lt ral no+os: it co+es *it& t&e territor$ o' t&e sel') It co+es 'ro+ t&e rote learning an! rit al r le acti(it$ as s ggeste! b$ t&e *or!/s ot&er relate! base. relegere. +eaning to rea! again an! again as in to learn b$ &eart "not b$ &ea! notice%) T&e bin!ing Religio + st beco+e as a to+atic an! nnotice! as t&e &eartbeat an! 0 st as (ital an! necessar$) T&e !i(ine ro#es + st be +a!e in(isible) T&ese ties t&at bin! are abo(e all 'eeling ones11t&e e+otions t&at +oti(ate an! +o(e t&e in!i(i! als to obe$ t&e collecti(e r les) 2&at is interesting at t&is #oint is to e-a+ine t&ose t*o see+ingl$ nconnecte! #oles o' e-#erience *&ic& Descarte starte! 'ro+ an! en!e! # at in &is reasoning #rocess) I re'er to &is initial !o bt an! &is concl !ing certaint$) Et$+olog$ once again *ill enlig&tene! s an! s&o* t&e +eaning' l relations&i#s in t&e (ario s conce#ts i+#lie! in t&e *or!s !o bt an! certaint$ an! &o* t&ese are connecte! to Ratio itsel') A +ain t&e+e I *ill # rs e in o##osition to t&e bin!ing o' Religio is t&at o' t&e s#litting. !i(isi(e. se#arati(e acti(it$ o' Cns *&ic& I i!enti'$ as Ratio) In!ee!. !i(ision is t&e essence o' Cns itsel') Descarte s&o*e! t&is in arri(ing at &is ! alit$ o' +in! an! +atter. o' s#irit an! nat re) , t t&ere is a !ee#er signi'icance e(en t&an t&at set o' o##ositional ! alities &e anno nce! in &is #&iloso#&$ an! *&ic& e-#resse! t&e stage o' e(ol tion o' Ratio in t&e 2est at t&at ti+e) Consi!er 'irst t&e *or! !o bt) It co+es 'ro+ t&e Latin dubitare . +eaning to be ncertain in o#inion. an! !eri(e! 'ro+ duo. t*o) Dubitare originall$ +eant to &a(e to c&oose bet*een t*o t&ings) T&e *or! ! bio s co+es 'ro+ dubitare *&ic& is !eri(e! 'ro+ dubius. 3(acillating. !o bt' l3 *&ic& is 'ro+ t&e IE base du-bhw-iyos +eaning literall$. being !o ble. or o' a !o ble nat re) Duo. t*o. is relate! to t&e Gree4 *or!. a #re'i-. di-, also +eaning t*o. !o ble. t*ice) Also relate! to duo are t&e Gree4 #re'i-es: dia1. +eaning t&ro g&5 t&oro g&l$. entirel$. tterl$ as *ell as

8 +eaning t*ice) Dia- originall$ +eant !i(i!e! in t&e +i!!le5 an! is relate! to dis-, +eaning a#art. as n!er. se#aratel$ as *ell as re+o(al an! negation. !e#ri(ation. n!oing. re(ersal)

T&is ! alit$ t&e+e is contin e! in t&e *or!. !i(i!e. 'ro+ t&e Latin. dividere . +eaning to 'orce a#art. se#arate. !i(i!e) Dividere itsel' is +a!e # o' t&e abo(e di- an! videre . +eaning to see "o' (ision%) Videre is also t&o g&t to co+e 'ro+ anot&er In!o1E ro#ean *or! base. widh- +eaning to se#arate 'ro+ *&ic& co+es t&e Latin. viduus. +eaning bere't. (oi!. *i!o*e! 'ro+ *&ic& t&e *or! *i!o* co+es) T&e et$+olog$ o' t&e *or! !i(i!e a##lie! to Cns "Cns o' Cns I re'er to &ere an! not ani+al a*areness% s&o*s clearl$ +$ t&esis) Conce#t all$. Cns is !i(isi(e an! !i(i!e! at its root: it s#lits t&e nitar$ (ision an! contin + into t*o: Cns an! its All Else) T&e clea(age. s#lit. $a*n11t&e ab$ss o' c&aos t&at se#arates Cns 'ro+ All Else is !eat&. t&e recognition or 4no*le!ge o' it) 2&ere Cns arises so too !oes All Else along *it& !eat& as t&e #en!ing ga# bet*een) Grie' co+es *it& Cns. t&e loss a to+aticall$ co+es *it& t&e gain: &ence t&e bere'tness. t&e negati(it$ associate! *it& Cns/ o*n 'or+ an! t&e i++e+orial a(oi!ance o' e-a+ining or e(en o' a!+itting it) F rt&er. Cns is !i(isi(e all t&e *a$ # t&ro g& its +ani'estations) T&e #olar o##ositions Cns is traine! to create b$ its collecti(e Cns7c lt re11t&e sel' an! its Ot&er11+irror t&e original s#lit an! generate a &ost o' ot&ers !e#en!ing on t&e c lt re. e)g). +in!7+atter5 s#irit7bo!$5 contin +7!iscrete5 sacre!7#ro'ane5 collecti(e7in!i(i! al5 etc) It is bet*een t&e i!ios$ncratic. nat ral sel' an! its r ling Ot&er7c lt re t&at t&e !ra+a an! contest o' Cns n'ol!s an! #la$s itsel' o t) So t&e !i(isionar$ #rocess o' t&e !e(elo#+ent o' Cns. bot& ontogeniticall$ an! #&$logeniticall$. is: First. t&e n!i''erentiate! *&ole *&ic& religio +a4es se o' an! o t o' *&ic& t&e in!i(i! al Cns is born or e+erges an! to *&ic& it *ill contin el$ long to belong to e(en *&en !i(i!e! 'ro+ it "o'ten t&e +ore !i(i!e! 'ro+ it t&e +ore t&e longing to be re nite! *it& it%) Secon!. t&e initial !i''erentiation in *&ic& t&e nascent Cns begins to orient itsel' an! Cns o' itsel')

; T&ir!. t&e s&oc4 o' being !i''erent t&an t&e generati(e *&ole. t&e All Else o' T&e Lie in its totalit$11t&e int iti(e recognition o' t&e 'or+ o' Cns itsel') Fo rt&. t&e recoil an! re' sal to acce#t an! e-ist as t&is 4no*le!ge *&ic& incl !es +ortalit$ an! ( lnerabilit$ along *it& t&e #otential a tono+$5 an! t&e s bse9 ent s rren!er to Ot&er7All Else o' t&e (al e o' Cns/ o*n in!e#en!ent 'or+ an! t&e #lacing o' itsel' once again *it&in t&e #rotectorate o' t&e 2&ole to t&e e-tent it is able "able to 'orget. a(oi!. belittle or !estro$ its int ition o' being an in!e#en!ent Cns%) Fi't&. t&e !ra+a o' e(er$ li'e as Cns o'ten si+ ltaneo sl$ atte+#ts to &i!e 'ro+ its int ition o' in!e#en!ence *&ile n4no*ingl$ asserting it) S c& a contest al+ost al*a$s res lts in t&e Ot&er7c lt ral collecti(e *inning o(er t&e sel' o' t&e in!i(i! al Cns not to +ention t&e 'or+ o' t&at Cns itsel') Note t&at t&e sel' itsel' is onl$ an! al*a$s a creation o' its Ot&er an! t&e *ar bet*een t&e+ is in +an$ res#ects a rit alistic. +oc4 co+bat11'or t&o g& t&e sel' +a$ *in +an$ battles in t&e contest. t&e Ot&er7collecti(e *ill *in t&e *ar "in a s ici!e t&e collecti(e si+#l$ #ro(es its #oint :ED%) Si-t&. *&ile t&ese in!i(i! al !ra+as &a(e gone on *it&in t&e collecti(e !ra+a +a!e # o' t&e+ *it& eac& an! all tie! in toget&er in a + t al 'ee!bac4 s$ste+ t&at acts as an o(erall go(ernor. Ratio &as increasingl$ arisen to !o+inate as t&e #re'erre! +et&o! o' relating to t&e *orl! bot& in!i(i! all$ an! collecti(el$) T&at is. Ratio &as been increasingl$ resorte! to an! relie! on in t&e 2est an! no* ra#i!l$ in t&e rest o' t&e *orl! 'or t&e res lts it can ac&ie(e) 2&ere i+#ortant li'e an! !eat& iss es are concerne! s c& as &ealt&. *or4 an! *el'are. Ratio is c&osen) Se(ent&. t&e ascen!enc$ o' Ratio &as been acco+#anie! b$ an increase in t&e loss o' +eaning an! o' t&e collecti(e/s bin!ing #o*er) Religio &as been 'ailing to s ##l$ t&e ta4en 'or grante! ties t&at bin! *it& t&e res lt t&at Ratio is increasingl$ begr !ge! its e''icac$) T&e s#irit al resent+ent &as set in an! t&e 2&ole7Lie is reasserting itsel' an! atte+#ting to o(ert&ro* t&is i+#ostor Ratio)