Edward N. Haas, Introspective Cosmology II Reviews

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Edward N. Haas, Introspective Cosmology (II) - I can honestly say that, in all my years of studying philosophical literature, I have never encountered anything quite like Edward Haas' opus Introspective Cosmology. It is a truly exceptional work -- so extraordinary that I find it difficult to evaluate and even describe in terms that will do it justice. The best that I can hope to do here is to introduce you to some of its salient features and to encourage you to experience the work for yourself. The scope, but at the same time the depth of the work, is truly amazing. The book is incredibly wide-ranging, and yet the author never simply waves his hand at an issue. The book portrays a broad landscape, yet there are no broad brush strokes. I have never seen such a multifaceted and eclectic work that nevertheless gives a deep and intensive treatment of every subject/issue mentioned. The author deals with topics from many different fields of study, but he manages to deal with all of these topics in the same informed and articulate manner. This is all the more astounding when one learns that the author has no formal education beyond the high-school level.
As a child, I was wont to describe some relatively unusual animal by portraying it as an amalgam of more familiar creatures. For example, a wolverine might be characterized as a cross between a bear and a badger. In this vein, one might characterize Mr. Haas' Introspective Cosmology as a cross between Aquinas' Summa Theologiae and Newton's Principia Mathematica. Indeed, this text might just as well have been titled The Mathematical Principles of Metaphysics. It is the only work in metaphysics that I have ever encountered which reads like a physics textbook. The author's use of mathematics to express metaphysical principles is one of the things that make this book unique. The author's employment of mathematics is rather extensive, and this can be somewhat bewildering at times. However, the level of complexity of the mathematics employed is not bewildering. The math does not go beyond simple arithmetic, geometry, and algebra; thus, the book should remain perfectly accessible to the typical scholar or student of the humanities. The author has been criticized for his reliance on mathematical models to communicate his metaphysical ideas, and the author laments this criticism in a prefatory letter. The author's use of mathematics in this text is highly unusual, but this in itself can be no basis for substantive criticism. In my opinion, the math is employed effectively and even aesthetically.
My rather whimsical characterization of Mr. Haas' book, unfortunately, does not capture all of its methodology. The book most definitely incorporates an "objective" and "scientific" approach to metaphysical issues, yet it also involves use of introspective method and even something like phenomenological analysis. The author maintains that we can learn about the structure of the universe from an examination of the internal structure of consciousness. "By focusing his power of attention inward upon the necessary structure of every act of consciousness, he has found therein a principle which soon leads to the conclusion that something called 'potential being' admits of six different kinds which can be actualized in two different ways. With that conclusion, the mathematical flood gates are thrown wide-open to ontology (a.k.a. general metaphysics), and a radically new kind of ontology is born..." [from About the Book]
The goal of the Haasian project is just as astounding as the scope and depth of his work. To say that the author's goal is a unified theory feels like a gross understatement. Mr. Haas is not out simply to bridge the gap between general metaphysics (i.e., ontology) and special metaphysics (i.e., philosophical cosmology), but he is also aiming at bridging the gap between science (basically, physics) and philosophy (basically, metaphysics). The ambitious goal of the author is a coherent theory of everything. One of the truly remarkable and admirable traits of the author is how he is just as at home discussing the nature of gravity and electromagnetism as he is discussing the nature of mind and God. This cannot help but add to the cogency of his system.
In addition to a prefatory letter and an epilogue, the book is divided into three parts. In the first part, entitled "Groundwork," which consists of Chapters 1-9, the author lays the foundation for his system by thoroughly defining his terms of art. In the second part, entitled "The Mathematical Theory," which encompasses Chapters 10-35, the author mathematically expresses and weaves together the details of his system. In the third part, entitled "Collateral Issues," which includes Chapters 36-43, the author defends his system by means of a dialectic with such figures as Leibniz, Russell, Aristotle, Kant, and Galileo. The overall structure of the work appears to be an homage to Aquinas: the general format of the work, with its three parts and second divided further into two parts, is reminiscent of Aquinas' Summa Theologiae. The influence of St. Thomas on the author is made clear in the epilogue of the book. Here the author expresses his indebtedness to St. Thomas. Ironically, the author does not think much of St. Thomas as a philosopher, and there are some obvious and significant differences between St. Thomas' and the author's philosophies. Nevertheless, Mr. Haas has great admiration for St. Thomas on a personal/psychological level.
To me, one of the most interesting parts of the book is its prefatory letter, in which the author answers criticisms of a previous version of the book and anticipates further criticism. Here there is a fascinating discussion of Zeno's paradoxes in relation to the basic terminology of the Haasian system. In reading this letter, I was somewhat dumbfounded by the nature of the critical responses to Haas' work. The extent to which Mr. Haas has been misunderstood or ignored by the professional philosophical community is reprehensible. Introspective Cosmology is the result of forty-two years of effort on the part of its author -- I think it shows. Whether or not the Haasian system is on the mark, it is a well-thought-out and beautiful system.
I must say that I did have difficulty following the author's reasoning in parts of the book. But this may be due simply to the fact that I did not give certain sections of the book their due concentration. This is an intensive work that should be digested slowly and in a piecemeal fashion. My impression is that the work is meant to be read a chapter at a time: one should not try to trudge or wade through it. I think that the ideal way to approach the book would be to read a chapter a day -- giving each chapter one's undivided attention, reading it slowly and meticulously. No cursory reading of this text will reveal its treasures. I believe that perusal of this text will only bear fruit for the reader if it is done bit by bit and with great care. The author of this text is neither a mainstream philosopher nor a professional academic, yet I have no doubt that his work is deserving of this kind of attention.