The Human Being: A Rough Outline

1.1 A human being is a singular complex of passions.
   1.1.1 A passion is an existential given.
      1.1.1.1 A given is a fact of the moment.
      1.1.1.2 The existential givens are time-space, psychic-bodily, circumstantial and relational.
         1.1.1.2.1 Time-space passion is our situation in history and geography
         1.1.1.2.2 Psychic-bodily passion is the complex of our genetic makeup, biology, and psychology.
         1.1.1.2.3 Circumstantial passion is our cultural, economic, and technological situation.
         1.1.1.2.4 Relational passion is our network of communal relationships: parents, siblings, friends, local and national community.
   1.1.2 A complex is the interrelation of passions.
   1.1.3 One is singular in that one is at no time identical to any other complex.
   1.1.4 One is subject to the dictates of one’s complex of passions.
1.2 The complex of passions is historical and therefore dynamic from conception to death.
   1.2.1 The dynamic complex is organically cumulative and therefore persistently singular.
1.3 The totality of the human being is the life totality of the complex of passions
   1.3.1 The life totality if the complex of passions is ahistorical and fixed.
   1.3.2 Awareness of the life totality of the complex of passions necessitates an ahistorical situation.

2.1 A human being can attain dispassion.
   2.1.1 Dispassion is passion-transcendence
      2.1.1.1 Passion-transcendence is possible through passion awareness.
         2.1.1.1.1 Passion awareness is possible through compassion.
            2.1.1.1.1.1 Compassion is the ability to identify—partially or totally—with the passion complex of the other.
               2.1.1.1.1.1.1 The other is one whose passion complex demonstrates points of difference from one’s own passion complex.
               2.1.1.1.1.1.2 To identify with the other is to articulate points of identity between one’s own passion complex and the passion complex of the other.
               2.1.1.1.1.1.3 Inasmuch no points are identical, the other is totally other.
               2.1.1.1.1.1.4 Inasmuch as all points are identical, identification is total.
            2.1.1.1.1.2 Compassion is always partial inasmuch as otherness and identification are not both total.
      2.1.1.2 Passion awareness is only partial inasmuch as compassion is partial.
   2.1.2 To the extent that one attains dispassion, one is free to act other than the dictates of one’s passion complex.
   2.1.3 Freedom to transcend passions is partial inasmuch as the attainment of dispassion is partial.

3.1 The totality of the human being can only be seen through total dispassion.
   3.1.1 Total dispassion is awareness of the life totality of the complex of passions.
   3.1.2 Total dispassion is possible only through the ahistorical compassion of one who is totally other and total in identification.