21 levels of Self-Deception: THIRD EDITION by Tom Wallace - HTML preview

T W E N T Y - O N E L E V E L S

we make for ourselves. Some boundaries are forced upon us. Some boundaries are present but are not acknowledged or are misunderstood or denied. Only in the broadest context of Chapter 2, All is One, is there no boundary by definition. All other discussions are made therefore in opposition (but not in conflict) to this stance. As such, and as a matter of practical common-sense as much as anything else, it is worthwhile to define a boundary when there is a claim to be making a definite statement about the world. That way, there can be a provisional truth, such as science, morality or law, and so on, but always there is an acknowledgement that there is a wider world where our truth claims may be a lot less reliable. Parochial truth and know-how is more than sufficient for everyday lives. So too is that reticence about claiming universal relevance or transcendence for our beliefs.

In like manner, some chapters speak of ‘economies’ and I use this word to define a bounded set of transactions, such as the ‘economy of grace’. Where such terms are employed it is again to try to sharpen our understanding of what is at stake when we use language and make assumptions unconsciously. Looking at the world in terms of distinct economies often serves as a useful tool to highlight points of contention or agreement that otherwise may be overlooked.

Ascendancy and descendancy are terms that will be considered in some detail within the work. The ‘ascendant’ aspects of life, I contend, have very much taken precedence over the descendant aspects, and this I consider to be an

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