Synopsis of My Book: Philosophy of Life Instinct
Get this philosophy and answer all your big questions
The Philosophy of Life Instinct is the search to locate the seat of life and human nature, and use it to construct a practical guide for living well as individuals, together, and with the planet. It's the first time the instinct that manifests as life, and makes us what we are, has been viewed and applied in this way.
My quest began many years ago, in my early twenties. As I emerged from the innocence of childhood and insouciance of youth, observation of the situations of family, friends, society, and human behaviour turned into a deep interest. The sources and reasons became an insistent problem to solve.
At some point, I realised that it all keeps coming back to one thing — that we are a particular form of matter that we call Life that is driven by powerful forces, yet accompanied by severe limitations in its ability to grasp reality and control itself.
As far as I could see, here was the ultimate source of our form and character. It is a deceptively simple reality that informs myriad dimensions. I have regularly questioned my view in forty years of thinking, waiting for the idea to change, to prove false or inadequate. But it hasn't. This ultimate source is what I call — The Life Instinct.
I elaborate on the fundamental nature of The Life Instinct in Chapter 4. In subsequent chapters, we consider the essential features of life from its perspective. We try to understand each feature's roots in the Life Instinct, the implications, and how best to work with it.
In my journey through the many puzzles, I found they belong to one of two categories: metaphysical and philosophical-humanistic enquiries. We will shine the light of the Philosophy of Life Instinct on both.
Book Structure
Part I — A Rational Foundation
In Part I of the book, we explore the fundamental questions that set the context for this philosophy. We investigate all existence, life, how we can understand humanity, whether we are free to choose, and the nature of the Life Instinct.
Chapter 1 The Metaphysical Context — Why we need to first consider the universal questions
Chapter 2 What if it all Just Is? — Let's understand existence, knowledge, and causation
Chapter 3 The Nature of Time — What time is and how it is intrinsic to everything
Chapter 4 Life and The Life Instinct — Defining the Life Instinct and its laws
Chapter 5 Thought, Language and Intelligence — Their validity for understanding
Chapter 6 Free Will — Is it real? How? What can we do with it?
Chapter 7 Science and The Life Instinct — Is Life Instinct a fundamental force of nature?
Part II — Practical Application to the Humanities
In Part II, we apply the Life Instinct and Free Will perspectives to a range of human concerns to understand them and improve ourselves.
Chapter 8 The Study of Humanity — An approach to studying ourself
Chapter 9 The Power of Our Intellect — Where we've reached
Chapter 10 God — Origins and dimensions
Chapter 11 Religion — A necessary phase
Chapter 12 Spirituality — Meaning and connection
Chapter 13 Emotions — A matter of survival
Chapter 14 Love and Friendship — Bedrock of cooperation
Chapter 15 Marriage and Family — Institutions for continuity
Chapter 16 Learning and Education — The saving grace
Chapter 17 Work and Ambition — Essentials to be managed
Chapter 18 Sports and Games — So many benefits
Chapter 19 Migration — We are all migrants, and it's been good
Chapter 20 Government — Self-management by the species
Chapter 21 Art — What is it?
Chapter 22 Quality — Nebulous but real
Chapter 23 Morality — Personal positions
Chapter 24 Ethics — Social necessity
Chapter 25 Happiness — An unattached examination
Part III — Wider Explorations
In Part III, we consider the limitations of the philosophy, how our understanding and answers will stand the test of time, and the distillation of this philosophy as a daily guide to living the most wholesome lives we can.
Chapter 26 Imperfections of the Life Instinct — Acceptance and responsibility
Chapter 27 Future Evolution — Where are we headed?
Chapter 28 How to Live — The existential question
Chapter 29 Summation — Your philosophical portmanteau
Chapter 30 Epilogue — Au revoir
How to Use the Book
Despite the above broad structure, as long as you have read Chapter 4 — 'The Nature of Life and The Life Instinct', you can read the other chapters independently. They are beads on the single string of the philosophy that holds them all up. Chapter 4 sets up that underlying, unifying theme.
Take Away
This book does not cover every aspect of life, but you can apply it to answer any other question once you understand and accept its philosophy. If we consider both metaphysics and humanities in the light of the Life Instinct, the mental paradigm is a powerful tool for any seeker of knowledge, insight, and wisdom.
Get it Here
Available on Amazon globally in softcover, hardback, and Kindle editions.
Amazon India Hardcover
Amazon US Paperback
