Ciao, Mephisto
by
Ralph Moore
Smashwords Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Ralph Moore
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CHAPTER 1
It seems that in one's life one always gets to the place where one asks oneself the questions: "What's the point? Is there even a purpose to it all? Why keep at it?"
José Fulano was in that quandary many times. José was a graduate student of philosophy. He had an M.A. and was in the Ph.D. program. He hadn't presented a dissertation proposal nor taken his preliminary examination, so he was not yet at the time of our story a candidate for the degree. It appeared he never intended to get his degree.
What he really wanted was to be a writer. He said that studying philosophy gave him a solid and clear view of reality and if he was to seek in his writing to hold a mirror up to life, his knowledge of philosophy would help him by providing an honest image of it. But he also said that with a philosophic understanding he could write about it not as it necessarily appeared but as it could be in any of its many possible disarrangements.
José was important to this story because of his prodding his friend Giorgio into examining his own life from time to time.
* * *
It must be said first that Professor Doctor Giorgio Fortunati was not the most intelligent of men, though he was intelligent. He at least had some respected academic degrees and a classical and European education. Having all that, and partly because of some successful publications of books as well as journal articles in his field, he held an enviable position at a good university.
[I should state here that Professor Doctor Giorgio Fortunati was also known on campus as Professor Fortunati, or Doctor Fortunati, or to his really close friends (who were few) as simply Giorgio. We shall use Giorgio henceforth in this narrative, unless the more formal citation is more proper.]
Giorgio was a son of Italian immigrants to the U.S., raised in a poor neighborhood in New York City—back when they had real ethnic neighborhoods. Most of those growing up in his neighborhood during those years (in the 1920s and 30s) acquired careers with the police, law, politicians, or gangs. But there was also the Church, education, and (the biggest attraction of all) business. The Italians were good at business. From the small restaurant, the bakery, the grocer's, to the retail trader there were more than enough openings in the big city. Our hero chose education and now he was a professor of philosophy in a quite large enough university. Such an achievement might be considered a success.
And so Giorgio came to be a successful man, sitting in his own private office, at his own gigantic desk, thinking about success.
Success: the American dream. Everyone tried to achieve it. Or look like they had. Life was keeping up with the Joneses. And those that had the trappings were seen as paragons. To be emulated.
Who were the great achievers? U.S. Presidents, CEO's of giant corporations, heads of huge (and very well endowed) universities, Generals (not Admirals), and artists, especially performing artists—and of these, the greatest and richest were the TV and movie stars, and now the "rock" stars. But authors and music composers were sometimes the creators of the best and longest lasting products, though scientists may also be counted with them (even those who didn't write up their discoveries).
Failures? These were also largely from the same classes. Bad U.S. Presidents (and there were many), thieving CEO's, cruel and/or stupid Generals, and failed and forgotten artists, writers, and scientists who got it wrong—couldn't sell their products, or were simply never heard. Opportunity and luck played a big part in almost any success or failure.
Be that as it may, Giorgio thought of success . . . and failure. He was getting along in years, nearing the inevitable end of his stay on Earth, and he wondered if he had achieved what really mattered, or had he altogether missed it?
* * *
From his philosophy studies, especially from Aristotle, Giorgio had learned much about the good life. The important thing was that the good life is lived, and appreciated, and the latter required knowledge. But didn’t everything?
Knowledge is a valuable thing, and the best is not always easy to acquire. Giorgio always strove to obtain the best knowledge he could get, mostly gained from the best (knowledgeable or not) people. But regardless of the source, Giorgio knew from his own experience that knowledge was gained through one's own efforts. And it had to become part of his own thinking and understanding. He did not accept any old thing, and he could not easily be tricked into believing just anything, thus protecting himself as best he could from deceptions or delusions. His method was integration.
Giorgio was in agreement with Michael Polanyi, that knowledge is "personal knowledge," and is self-obtained. And with Polanyi and others he could see that there was knowledge of how to do something (skills) and knowledge of real things (in the form of concepts or ideas).
The ideas of the real could be made explicit through symbols, and that made possible not only communication and the sharing of ideas but also making descriptions of reality, which grew as collected scientific knowledge.
He knew, to be precise, that knowledge was either tacit or explicit. If it was tacit, it was either related to skills and how to operate the body, or conceptual (in the form of ideas), or aesthetic (dealing with feeling or emotions). If it was explicit, it spoke of reality in the form of concepts (science), or it presented some thing as art to be perceived (and to evoke feeling and emotion).
And there was a special kind of aesthetic knowledge obtained directly from personal experience and comprised of feelings and emotions, a knowledge which was intuitive in form, a knowledge of the relation of something to oneself, to one's state of security relative to that something which excited or evoked the feelings or emotions. Women appeared to excel in acquiring that kind of knowledge.
Scientific knowledge as ideas of reality could be proved true by testing them against other knowledge. This is done by comparing an expressed scientific description of that knowledge with reality itself.
Other knowledge, social and aesthetic, depended on what worked with people and their way of doing things; and the truth, the utility, of that was found if it survived the pragmatic test. You needed to know the real thing and you needed to be street wise to survive the jungle out there.
Purely aesthetic knowledge came from firsthand experience as a perception or appreciation of the values associated with the subject, and those coupled with the values one had for one's own person. It was all about what was good for oneself. If something looked pleasing, and you felt nice about it, it must be okay—unless you've been tricked. If that happens and you discover the trick, you'll get a batch of strong opposite feelings.
He thought of Aristotle, very formal and systematic. Things could be scientifically so described, but things are not done so methodically.
In summation, Giorgio thought he had it clear in his own understanding. Knowledge is from inference, as Hermann Von Helmholtz said: a mental construction. Inference is created by comparison of two things, sensations with items, and one's mind seeing a relation between the two.
Seeing such is an illumination. It is based on awareness, and brought into being by what is like a "spark." What Helmholtz called a Schluss, or closing. This was a mental enlightenment.
The enlightenment is the creation of a concept, which is a relation of two items which has a meaning to a third. The new concept is an idea, to be kept in memory. The "third" is the mind, and the concept becomes a part of its memory and thereby of its knowledge.
Modern cognitive psychology, especially since William James, could describe thought and ideas in a different way from the Greeks. And physiology, in combination with micro-electrochemical anatomy, could explain the material operations of mental states and body actions. But nothing explains the "spark" which mental ideas and body movements require.
In all of this, the important element is the "spark": enlightenment. What is it, and what makes it happen?
* * *
But was knowledge what Giorgio really sought? What outstanding utility did it have? In the end, what did it really matter? He should probably rather consider the important questions of life and existence. There must be something there which makes knowledge worthwhile.
First: Why was I born? The question itself calls for a purpose as an answer. Well, a purpose is fulfilled in action. An entity has purpose (function) either to maintain itself or to accomplish something. The first is of no matter; the second brings up the questions, "Accomplish what?" and "For whom (or for what)?”
The fictional detectives say, "Follow the money." So, who profits? Who or what benefits from the action? What benefit does the action produce? Is the entity (the human who is born) a total system, or is it an element (a contributing part) in a larger system? What larger system? Who benefits from that larger system's action? What are the larger system's purposes or goals? How far does it go? Does the chain of construction ever end?
Then (a question frequently asked): What does life mean (does it have significance or value)? What does the question itself mean? And how does this relate to the former question of being born? If life does have meaning, who is communicating or doing what to or for whom—and what is he, or it, or they saying or doing?
Since I am born, are there values in my life? Do we not have some overall guide to a good life? The Greeks, of course, have given us many—and so far they were probably the best. Is morality or social mores the measure and the standard?
We think there are things one can do in life and things one should not do, called generally virtues and vices. According to various religions, the bad things are "sins" (from an archery term meaning "fallen short of the mark").
With the Christians there were the seven deadly (or capital) sins: pride, envy, anger, sloth, greed, gluttony, and lust. These were to be punished for eternity in Hell. But what is so bad about these? It would appear that only actions that could result from such states or attitudes might be bad (to someone else?). Perhaps one would understand things better if one were to remove the "capital" label. These failings would and should merit no punishment. Their presence could only bring about what would naturally result from these flaws in behavior or attitude. These flaws were well known to the Greeks more than 650 years before Christ, and they were known simply as human character flaws.
But the Christians also had seven contrary virtues (antidotes to the seven deadly sins): humility, kindness, abstinence, chastity, patience, liberality, and diligence. These are attitudes or activities which are naturally contrary to the aforementioned "sins."
So, what are the values of vices and virtues, and where do they come from? Who dictates? Why aren't they natural, and naturally known? Do vices and virtues serve for anything other than principles of living well and getting along with your fellow man?
Giorgio wanted to know what, deeply, it was all about, and how could he get the best out of it. And wasn't that what everyone wanted?
But Giorgio's basic problem was not just to gain knowledge. For himself: he questioned how could life best be lived. What should a person have as resources and abilities to succeed in living a good life? In his position as a teacher he wanted to know on what he should focus his teaching. What could he give to his students which was at least worth their while? But, underneath it all, while he might be trying to increase his own knowledge, and to build the knowledge of his students, he was, more importantly, trying to build the knowledge of mankind, and this to be more than merely more.
* * *
Now he had to get ready for his fall "seminar." He considered this form of instruction as the most efficient tool in any quest for real knowledge. The seminar had three things going for it. It would be composed of qualified participants; these participants would have open minds; and the system was based on communicative exchange [dialectic]. This would satisfy Socrates, Aristotle, and even Marx and Lenin.
Because of his stature and position in the university, his seminar was given special treatment. It was called publicly, though it had no official name, the "Fortunati Seminar." More particularly, it was called either the "Fall Fortunati Seminar" or the "Spring Fortunati Seminar" because those were the times they were given each year, and they were the only courses that Professor Doctor Giorgio Fortunati now gave. As for enrollment in his seminar, he only needed the number of students he would accept, and these he habitually kept to six (he said it was a good number for a poker game, so it was good enough for him). The subject of the seminar was also of his selection, and the grading of results was of his judgment. Though the seminar is a course at a doctoral level, Giorgio could accept students who are bachelor, master, or doctoral students to participate. [Getting a class with Giorgio had always been a great achievement for a student who really wanted to learn, and carried with it a huge prestige.]
For the coming fall seminar, Giorgio had already accepted six candidates. Now, what questions would they examine?
First: physics and metaphysics, the being and structure of everything, including the real. Of course he knew that physics and chemistry serve well to describe matter, but even matter has a role in life and reality.
Then: death (really, life and death—and after).
And: to expand the scope, extra-reality, which will cover extra-sensory perception and magic. And how about using other entities as contacts or guides, or perhaps as spirits to do our bidding—maybe because of a pact or deal, such as in return for some act, or for the sale of one's own soul? And how effective was prayer?
These topics, Giorgio thought, were good for summarizing all that was important for a good life. Both he and his students should be able to profit from an investigation and discussion of them. And they covered everything from the most simple knowledge to that knowledge most complicated, difficult, elusive, and maybe even unknowable. They will probably raise more questions than they will ever come close to answering.
He particularly liked the inclusion of, first, real things and real knowledge; then, the apparently unknowable question of death and what happens after; and finally, the unreal reality of oneirica and the possibility of an extra-reality of any other kind existing along with ours, as well as the existence of other kinds of beings in that other reality, including some who could intervene in our own reality. The whole gamut of possibilities promised opportunities for the students to contribute new and strange ideas, or new and revolutionary arguments, to reshape our current or presently emerging ideas of the universe and our position within it.
The whole scheme of this fall's seminar was almost too expansive for even his ambitious mind. And it might also be too loose for him to control. Maybe he should be thinking of restricting it a bit, less it all fall to pieces. He could not afford that, considering his current status and record. Better to play it safe. Otherwise, people might say he was losing it in his old age. But it might even now be with appropriate limits and he should probably keep it at that.
* * *
Enough for the day! Giorgio put away his papers and gathered some reading matter, mostly older journals, and started for home. There, a nice supper was awaiting him, prepared perfectly, as always, by his house-keeper (his wife had died more than seven years before). After supper he read a bit before the fire in his side parlor and then put everything aside and went to his bedroom to rest for another day.
But, before he crawled into his bed, he reflected on a problem that bothered him. Does magic and such really work? He thinks it stupid to believe in such things. But he also thinks he ought to try it, give it a fair chance in a scientific test. In the end, he said to himself, I think I will try to summon Mephistopheles.
And so he did. He merely said, "Hey, Mephistopheles! I should like to ask you to come to me so that we can talk together about matters, some of which are very important to me. Anytime soon will do. At your convenience, of course." And, relieved at having done so, he got into bed and lay on his back, waiting, until he fell asleep.
CHAPTER 2
Prof. Dr. Giorgio Fortunati had called for Mephistopheles the night before, but nothing had happened. He started the day in a subdued mood. He had a light continental breakfast, hurriedly set up by his house-keeper, which he hurriedly ate.
He walked to the campus (at least that was a pleasure to his day), saying Hellos or Good Mornings to people he met on the way, and entered his office—his sanctuary. He sat down at his huge desk and proceeded to review his notes and other readings he would use in his fall seminar. In that, he passed the morning.
A quick lunch in the school's cafeteria, and back he went to his office—his salt mine.
About the middle of the afternoon someone knocked on the door and Giorgio reluctantly invited whoever it was to enter. The door silently opened, and just as silently a man entered, turned, and silently closed the door again. He was dressed not like a student but like a young professor. Navy blue blazer (double vents, he noticed), a red striped shirt (with broad crimson stripes and very narrow white and black stripes), grey slacks, and shiny black shoes. He wore no tie, his collar unbuttoned, giving him a look of casual finery.
"Ciao, Giorgio!" the man greeted him.
"Do I know you?" Giorgio responded cautiously.
"You do now." the man stated. "You sent for me . . . Mephistopheles. I'm really flattered, and I am happy to meet you, to make your acquaintance. . . . What was it you wanted of me?"
"Mephistopheles?"
"Yes. You know, last night. Well, here I am. You'll have to forgive the delay, but I have many things . . . projects . . . I'm involved in . . . and you must know there are many demands made on my time. But don't worry about all that. Let's get down to business."
"Excuse me," began Giorgio, laboredly, "but do you have any identification? Are you a student? . . . If not, where are you from, . . . or do you represent someone, . . . or some organization?"
"Documentation? Represent?" the man said, scornfully, "Hey, you're talking to Number One. You asked to see me. Well, I'm here. Now you owe me. . . . Okay. Talk to me."
"I'm sorry about that," said Giorgio. "A lot students play all sorts of pranks. I should welcome you if you really are Mephistopheles. But, could I ask you to perform a small trick to prove you are who you say you are." That should get him, he thought.
"Trick?" he almost shouted. "You mean a supernatural 'work?' A ‘miracle?' Hey, don't believe in miracles.
"You know, there's a story. . . . A guy called Christ dealt with certain people who didn't understand or agree with what he said. He responded to them, saying something like, 'If you can't believe my words, believe my works.'
"Don't believe in his 'works,' or in anybody's 'works.' And definitely don't believe in anybody's 'miracles.'
"Can you examine now such 'works?' Can you examine 'Christ?' (If he ever was, he's long dead now.) Can you examine those who reported his 'miracles?' Those who wrote such reports into your 'Bible?' Have you ever examined a living preacher or interpreter or reader of this 'Bible?' What does a religious preacher know of such 'works' and such 'miracles?' Only what he has read. Anyone can write down a lie, and it remains untrue; but it can be printed, and reprinted, and translated, and preached, and it will be believed by the masses.
"Don't believe any works. Magicians' tricks, false tales, a hawker's spiel. Read or hear the words, which represent ideas, but make sure you understand them and that what they say makes sense.
"We all think. We all have ideas. We all can reason. We all have a mental view of reality and how it works. Ideas and understandings and visions of reality are what we have, and what have value. Ideas can belong to any of us, can become our own possessions. They alone may have, for anyone, value and utility. Seek the idea, the good and useful idea. Beware the deceits put forth by illusionary 'works.'
"But let’s get some method into this.
"Look, let me make you an offer. I have many things I can do with you or for you, some of which I am sure you cannot refuse. I can give you some really fantastic experiences. Exotic pleasures of the cosmos. Exposure to infinite realities. Sensations never before felt, dreamed of, or even thought possible. I can make you a God."
Giorgio looked at his guest and said, "Now you're too many words and neither 'works' nor substance. Let us rather make clear who we are and what we want of each other."
"Ah, some references. Well, I've done some great things with my clients.
"There was once a musician in Germany, in Wittenberg, I believe (or was it Leipzig?), who sold me his soul. The music he wrote was great, if I do say so, myself."
"That was Adrian Leverkühn," smugly retorted Giorgio, "in a book by Thomas Mann."
"Oh! Is that right?" acknowledged Mephistopheles. "There have been so many who have traded with me. I tend to forget them. I get a bit confused about them sometimes. But, Mann's composer did write a great work of music."
And to himself Mephistopheles said, This looks like it's not going to be a Standard Contract. I don't think I'm going to get much fun out of him.
"Let's skip the references", said Giorgio, "and look more at realities. Tell me something about yourself."
"About myself?"
"Yes. No one seems to know, historically, where the name Mephistopheles came from, or what it means if it has any special meaning," ventured Giorgio. "Again, who, really, are you?"
"Who am I?"
"Yes," prompted Giorgio. "Who are you? Where are you from? What is your relation to Satan, or Lucifer, if you are who you say you are? A devil, of sorts."
"Well . . . That's a good question." And Mephistopheles thought, Very interesting. A new game. Maybe if I play along, we can both have fun. But can he really handle the truth from me? Well . . . he is a philosopher, after all. A “lover of knowledge.” We'll give it a try.
"Okay," he began. "You asked for it. I, Mephistopheles, am an angel (so-called)—a fallen angel in the minds of many of you humans. But you humans really know nothing of 'angels.'
"From the Jews and their Bible, you have Raphael, the pretty boy—the only thing you could say for him; he never did anything. Then there is God's 'messenger,' Gabriel—a music groupie (he could make a noise, but not music). He was also a part-time 'gofer.' That's where they got the thing that angels were really only messengers. Messenger? Ha! And there is the warrior, Michael, and his crowd. Michael was strictly 'R.A.' (regular army), and just as stupid. He was an indoctrination gimmick to corral and motivate the religious 'subjects.' If he could defeat angels, what chance did mere mortals have against him? And, above all, the (former) 'Champion,' Lucifer, the one who stole 'light' (knowledge) from God and made it available to all.
"Yes, like I say, you humans know nothing of those beings you call 'angels.' Their whole story has been twisted and warped. All that you now have of them is fiction. And you have added the new fictions of guardian angels, the angel of death, Christmas angels, theatrical angels, and now even TV angels (and females, at that). And the stories (fictions) continue to grow in number and variety (some are really good money-makers).
"The 'Devil' (your word) is called Satan in the Jewish Bible and in various other stories. He is, as that, really only a representation or personification of your own ideas of 'evil.'
"Looking elsewhere, in a Greek story, Prometheus (a Titan) stole fire (light or knowledge) from Zeus, much like Lucifer did. They were both bringers of illumination (enlightenment) to man. Prometheus was punished by that chief Greek 'God' (they had several) by being chained to a large rock while a vulture pecked out his liver. His liver healed in the night, and the bird came back the next day to peck again, and his punishment would continue till the end of eternity (a ‘work’ of one of your great and good 'gods').
"It was all about light, man. Light (enlightenment). That's what really counts. What really had value, and both 'gods' tried to keep it for themselves, alone.
"Lucifer means and was 'the bearer of light.' Satan was the evil one, the father of lies. The first has an element of truth, though the name is of purely human origin and the story allegorical. But any living spiritual being, even though a fiction, must have beauty, intelligence, pride. It must also be immortal and possessive of some godliness.
"As for Satan as the father of lies, that's just not good thinking on the part of whoever dreamed up that story. Anyone who can communicate can lie. And anyone living like humans, participating in hunting and war, or even games, must employ deception and other hunters' skills, especially guile."
"That might explain about Lucifer, and the idea of a devil," put in Giorgio, "but where did the name Mephistopheles come from?"
"Oh, that? Well, once, back in your Middle Ages, we had a dealing with a rather very nice man. He was a little bit afraid of Lucifer, so I (Mephistopheles) came in Lucifer's place, and he really felt better with me. Actually, I am Lucifer. I use the name of Mephistopheles when I want to go out incognito."
"And what does the name mean, if anything?"
"Well, Lucifer means 'the bearer of light.' Mephistopheles means 'not a lover of light.' It's kind of a private joke, Mephistopheles meaning the opposite of Lucifer.
"Anyway, Lucifer (as himself or as me, Mephistopheles) continues to bring enlightenment, and not only to humans. It makes things better, and certainly more interesting. We 'angels,' who are spiritual things, do lots of enlightening and generally managing other life forms, helping them to grow in the right (best) way (but, of course it's only our idea of the 'right' way)."
"Then," continued Giorgio, "where did all this 'bad guy, Devil' stuff come from? Doing all that 'enlightening' should have been appreciated."
"Yeah? Since when?" argued Mephistopheles. "If you ever got a good idea, to whom would you give the credit? Not me, I'm sure.
"Besides, I don't really give ideas. I’m just the guy that made humans able to
reason—about abstract things: good and bad, and such like. To reflect on what they know, or don't know. That's how they can intellectually grow. Growth, intellectually, was my 'thing' for humans."
"So," ventured Giorgio, not wanting to let the subject get away from him, "where did the 'bad guy' rap come from?"
"From religion," explained Mephistopheles. "As man began to think better, he got ideas of abstract values. But, still being a kind of animal, he figured that the best values are related to desirable things. And, being still a kind of animal, that meant material things: food, drink, skins, weapons, and other possessions. And that led to abstractions such as wealth and power. And, of course, the easiest road to wealth and power was over the weak and the stupid, and there were a lot of them (and there still are). So the first bosses or overlords were the war chiefs (or hunting party chiefs) and the medicine men (who knew the secret things that the others did not know). And out of the latter rose religion.
"They started religions to gain power and wealth, but the only way they could get people to believe in their scams, to be afraid of displeasing their 'god,' was to make up an evil enemy, a devil: a Satan or a Lucifer. The stupid and the ignorant fear knowledge, as the weak fear the strong. That's why in this time (your 'now') they all want to ban pistols and rifles. The strong do not fear one another—unless it's prudent to do so at that particular time or place. So all the religions put up a Lucifer as the bad guy, and still use him whenever they can do so to their own advantage.
"The whole idea of the Devil was invented by the religious leaders to discipline and indoctrinate their followers more deeply. Made it easier to ward off any criticism, and to get more money, more often, from their flock.
"Everyone likes the good guy, and hates and fears the bad guy. But the 'bad guy' (that's me) is really good, and the 'good guy' doesn't even exist—except for the fiction people have invented and modified over the years, mostly out of ignorance and fear. Look at what the 'good guy' does: preaching war, and killing, and taking the land and property of others. That's good? Now, as to the 'bad guy' (that's me), I try to bring enlightenment. I help people learn and grow. I'm a good guy, I am."
"Then, you don't bargain for human souls?"
"Human souls? What in Hell would I do with a human soul?" asked Mephistopheles. "Whoa! I didn't mean that literally. I meant, what would I do with one—anywhere? How would I even have it? It's not that there is no such thing. It's just that it's not like you think. I'm not like you think. I'm not the 'devil' that sticks souls with a pitch-fork. The soul doesn't even have a material substance to stick. Come on, get real!"
"So," declared Giorgio, like a judgment he had waited for a long time to set down. "What do you do—apart from 'enlightening'?"
"I—We—play. We spiritual life forms. We dally with humans and other lower life forms, entering into their games at times. We know so much—too much for you—but among our capabilities is the ability to empathize: to see your games on your own level of limited knowledge and low intelligence. This requires quite an effort on our part—we have to employ a lot of 'suspension of powers'—but we can handle it, at least for a time."
"Well," said Giorgio, "I guess then we can put aside the sham of buying or selling a soul. Good! So we can turn to more interesting things."
"Such as?" from Mephistopheles.
"I'd like to learn from you, and I'd like to be able to teach more to my students.
Rather—to teach to my students something that is more. I could act as a sort of intermediary for you. Helping you in your 'enlightening' by in some way translating what you could teach me into something I and they could understand and use. That appears to me to be something that we could do together, as one of your 'projects' and—who knows?—something that could be fun. So that you don't feel it too much a waste of your valuable time."
"I've got lots and lots of time," said Mephistopheles. "Lots and lots. And it does sound like it could be fun. I've never tried an intermediary. That would be something new. The whole thing might work out. Besides, I get tired of that 'buying souls' game.
"Okay. . . . I'll make this bargain with you. I'll stay around till your seminar is ended. That at least should be some fun. We'll play with it. And I might learn something from it—I say, 'I might.'
"And for you, I'll teach you some things you'll get from nowhere else. All about
extra-reality reality. I don't know that you'll be able to understand or comprehend what I shall show to you, but it will be an exercise. And that might also be some fun. We'll give it a try."
"That concluded," Giorgio added, "if you don't mind: a request. You have a long name, and one difficult to write or pronounce—rather like mine. Could I call you just Mephisto, and you call me Giorgio?"
"Of course," said Mephisto, . . . "I can see that we're going to become really good friends."
CHAPTER 3
Giorgio spent the whole of the next week getting ready for the fall seminar. Mephisto accompanied him and Giorgio tried to explain to him the why and the wherefore of what he was doing. He began to see Mephisto as a visitor from another country (which in a sense he was, from a very far away country) and he, Giorgio, was playing gracious host.
First in importance, and in terms of time schedule, was getting things right with the Audio-Visual Arts Department (which started out as the audio-visual aids service, providing instructional film cinema to various classes on special request, and which progressed to full department status, now working with videos and VCR's; it even had a teaching program for would-be workers in TV or movies, the latter of which did much of their work in video, or now more increasingly with computers).
The AV department boys were the producers of the 'program,' as they saw it. At least, they took charge of the technical end of the production, and they had been doing quite a good job in the three years since they began with it.
The 'program,' the Fortunati Seminar, was now presented almost as a TV series, and sold later as a VCR—the profit going to the AV department. There was a cast, a stage setting, and even a paying audience—the profit going to the philosophy department. They had as a studio one of the amphitheater lecture salons.
Center stage was the seminar table: a little long, with the audience side wider than the head. It was big, providing ample room for Dr. Fortunati and his six students, along with space for books and papers, and room at each place for a large pad for taking notes—and even little shelves under the outside edge for drinks (refreshments).
There were cameras everywhere, most hidden but some small ones hanging unobtrusively from wall mounts. Giorgio used to say he got his size for the seminar from what was good for a poker game. The AV boys also borrowed things, and some ideas came from TV poker shows. On the TV poker shows the tables were mounted with small cameras either under a glass window in the table surface or peeking out from a hole in the edge of the table, a part that formed an arm-rest for the players. The camera under the table could see the player's 'hole cards' through the window, the cards being placed face down on the glass to show them only to the camera, and thereby later to the TV audience. The camera in the edge was angled to see the 'hole cards' as the player bent them upward so he himself could see what he had. The seminar cameras were located in the edge position (the table had a thin outer rest edge for the students), but they were focused on the person sitting on the opposite side. The cameras were video, and they were turned on and going for the entire performance. From a control booth they fed the images from one camera or another to three huge TV monitors mounted well above and forward of the stage so the audience could see better the active performers in the seminar. Later, the AV boys would cut and splice pieces of the tapes into one performance presentation—probably as the TV poker production people did—and the final tape would go to make the VCR they would sell.
Dr. Fortunati's place was like that of the poker dealer. He sat at the head, and the six students were equally spaced, three on each side, so that they were partially facing the audience. The audience sat as in a theatre, the seats arranged in a semi-circle facing the stage.
In the non-technical end, the philosophy department did their part with the seminar. Beyond Dr. Fortunati running a good and interesting class, the department turned the whole thing into a festival. They sold tickets to a public audience (who were strictly admonished to maintain absolute silence under pain of forceful ejection. For students: that and expulsion from the university).
The 'show' started at eight in the evening. That allowed time for various especially invited professors and VIPs to attend and for the paying audience to dress and get there. The male students and Dr. Fortunati came in black tie. Some men in the audience also came in black tie, but that was not required. Those that didn't come to the early sessions of the seminar so attired increasingly came to the later sessions at least in dark suits. The women came in cocktail dresses or other such attire, but some came in ball gowns, and in the later sessions the number of ball gowns increased in proportion.
After the 'show' everyone moved out to the 'lobby', where the entrance fees had paid for refreshments. Wine, whiskey, brandy, or cocktails were served, and soft drinks were there for the under-age students or those who didn't partake of alcohol. Some 'munchies' were also provided: cold cuts, cheeses, celery and such, chips and nuts, and fruit pieces (melons, pineapple, peaches, grapes), and other things that one could eat with a toothpick or with ones fingers. And for the choosy ones: French champagne.
There was still a lot of work to do in preparing everything, but those involved were encouraged by the audience seats having already been sold-out.
Mephisto went with Giorgio to the AV department and had questions like a small boy, most of which Giorgio could not pass on to the AV boys. To them, Mephisto was invisible, or not even there. Giorgio would have to face the questions again in private with Mephisto.
It was well that Mephisto had instructed Giorgio on how he would operate during his stay: "Be aware, man! I am in your mind, but not as a figment of your imagination. I am a real, individual entity, but I am spiritual, mental. I am part of Mind, and it is through your mind also being part of Mind that I am able to communicate with you. In your imagination you may sometimes see me. That may be for you only, or it may be for others. I can talk with you. I can see what you see and hear what you hear in the very way you see and hear. I sort of—not possess you but—co-inhabit with you your body. But your experience of me is of us as two distinct persons—not just personalities. And when I can be seen when you are with others, I will be acting normally. I may be eating or drinking, or even bumping into people, or picking up things. All of that you will see, and so will they, for I can also co-inhabit the minds of others, all at the same time—as I choose. Don't worry about that. Just try to act normal—to me and to them."
Giorgio led on to check out the stage planning, the food and refreshment arrangements, and the library readings to be made available for the students. Back at his office, Giorgio had to go over everything with Mephisto so he would understand it all before the seminar actually started. This included squaring his seminar doings with Mephisto's view and his many odd comments about everything. He wanted his seminar to come off well, but he also had his arrangement to teach Mephisto about the human doings and view. And that exchange was getting to be a sizable job for Giorgio.
* * *
The next week was upon them quickly, and Wednesday was the first meeting of the seminar. However, it was not a public meeting, not a meeting with an audience an a bunch of technicians with their wires strewn everywhere. This first meeting was with Giorgio and the students (and invisible Mephistopheles). They met at the place and time specified in the course syllabus, and the students would hear from Dr. Giorgio about what they were faced with. It was to them an introduction of the seminar itself, and an introduction of the students themselves to one another.
First, each of the students was asked to give his name, the studies and degree he was pursuing, and something of his background and interests. From this as a basis, Giorgio thought they ought to be able to get to know each other more intimately to each one's own measure.
Then Dr. Giorgio got right down to business: "To start off, we have some basic rules to avoid wasting time or keeping us from getting to the point.
"We don't want to debate who said what, nor what someone said. We are not concerned with what anyone said beyond what was said. In other words, we care more about the what than the who. We can discuss anything said, taking it alone for its statement. We are concerned about its truth, but only as it can fit into an acceptable view of reality. And the fit will depend on what was said and the subsequently structured reality—not on a fit within a preconceived reality. Especially not within a reality formed as part of an oneiric system. In our considerations we shall rely more on common sense, intuition, and logic. So, please, no esoteric argument or reasoning."
Sean Kelly, one of the students, interrupted to ask a question, rather directly, "What's oneiric?"
Dr. Giorgio responded with, "It's a dream thing: not real. It is best described as those mythical systems which are taken as real, though without proof, and affect and control human behavior falsely in the real world. They are created and used chiefly in four fields: religion, politics, economics, and education. As you can see, they affect the basic fields of life in the real world. They demand of their adherents not real knowledge, nor the behavior in the real world which that would suggest. They demand belief, patriotism, playing the game, or orthodoxy. In oneiric systems, the group's rules and standards prevail, no matter how illogical—sometimes absurd. Non-adherence is heretical, treasonous, not cricket, or pseudo-science. We, on the other hand, at least in this seminar, demand reason, logic, and truth as guides to knowledge and understanding of true reality."
* * *
The six seminar students were:
(1) Allison McVeigh, working on a Ph.D. in physics. She is Catholic, from Irish stock (way back). She is the only female in the group, very pretty, but a good girl. Still, she's a "liberated" woman, with a very modern, liberal outlook, and not dumb at all.
(2) Phillip Clark, Ph.D., doing some post-doctorate study. He is well educated and highly cultured. He is a good man, but non-religious. One could probably call him an agnostic, or simply say that he doesn't much care about religion. At any rate, he is quiet and guarded with what he says.
(3) Elliot Henderson, also working on a Ph.D., in philosophy. He is a materialist, and he makes that known.
(4) Charles Fisher, studying for his M.A. in political science, planning to go on to law school. He is a fast thinker, and well knows it. But he is seen as shallow, superficial. Assumed to be Protestant. He'll probably end up as a politician. In fact, he admits that is a possible goal.
(5) Sean Kelly, studying for his Ph.D., in philosophy. He is not so fast, rather slow but sure. Obviously Irish, and Catholic, and surely at least an amateur athlete.
(6) James Lee Marshall, working on an M.B.A. He is definitely a Christian fundamentalist. He wants philosophy credits to round out his "education."
* * *
"Now," continued Giorgio, "let's get to the seminar itself, and then to the subject matter."
He then began to lay before them the basic elements of the thing: the syllabus (which they had collected from the philosophy department office); the place and day and time of meeting (all indicated on the syllabus, the place being where they already were); and required dress and behavior.
He also described the set-up for video recording, the audience, and financial aspects of the operation, including details of the reception after the session in the salon lobby, adding the suggestion that they could acquire free entrance tickets to the "show" from the philosophy office for any personal guests they wished to invite.
They liked that part, shuffling their sitting positions and exchanging comments for a moment among themselves.
"The procedure of the seminar," began again Dr. Giorgio, "is, first, my introduction to the audience of the subject to be discussed. This will be very short, more of a subheading title than a discourse. But I hope it will be informative enough for the audience to know what to expect—and to remind, as well as prompt, you all in focusing on the subject.
"The lead or featured student, whom I shall designate for each session at the end of the preceding session, will be the one who starts the discussion, either with a question or with a statement. That person will be assumed to know the most about the subject being discussed. I shall now name the featured student for the next session, the first public session, though we are not at the end of this session. Since the next session will be based on Aristotle's Physics, I should name the featured student for that to be Miss McVeigh since she is studying physics. By the way, unless otherwise requested or for some special reason to the contrary, I should normally call each student by the title Mr., or Miss or Mrs., or Doctor (since in the present case we have a Ph.D. as a student participant). As I come to know you better, I might slip into first-name, but for the seminar itself I shall definitely use the more formal address.
"There are readings required as preparation for each session, and these are indicated on the syllabus. I shall get back to the syllabus after I finish the other general topics of the seminar organization.
"With regard to the manner of participation in the seminar, I expect that you will all be able to assume an adult manner in speaking during the seminar, as graduate students should, and especially so considering that you will be observed by a live audience. You should also keep in mind that your performance will be captured into a video and audio record which will be seen by many who will purchase the VCR—and by any who will later wish to consult the record of the many seminars of this series that we've had at this university. Your performance will have longer life recorded and will be seen by more observers than would be the case of an ordinary seminar playing itself out alone in a classroom.
"Statements and questions from the students are open to each student's values and standards, but good and appropriate language should be employed. Such utterances should be politely made, with kind consideration for the person to whom any might be addressed, and respectful consideration for any person cited or otherwise alluded to.
"The method of evaluation for the final grade is indicated in the syllabus: no formal examination; grade based on participation and on the answer to the Central Question. Each participant will be allowed fifteen minutes for the Central Question in the last session of the seminar. The final grade is Pass/Fail.
"The Central Question will actually be three questions. The first is 'What goes on here?' The second is 'How?' The third is 'Why?' As stated, each student will have fifteen minutes for his presentation. The answers to these questions should be regarded as, for that student, the concluding arguments of the seminar for whatever position he takes with respect to the outcome of the discussions and the form of reality he envisions as, at least for him, most real.
"Now, back to the problem of readings. The entire seminar will be based on three works of Aristotle: Physics, Metaphysics, and On the Soul. What might be gleaned from these works will have to be supplemented by one's own findings from other readings, of the student's own choice, to gain a full current appreciation of the subject.
"The last of the four sections of the seminar will be focused on the theme of extra-physical reality. This concept should be clear to all after having completed the discussions of the first three sections. For this subject, the students must find their own selection of readings.
"Now, some hints on how to handle the subject and the readings. Let me use Physics for an example.
"Let me first say, as can be seen in Book I where a good part of what is said is related to personal disputes of Aristotle with his contemporaries, one must realize that his ideas are of his time and they must be accepted as such. Any corrections or modifications, including 'modernization,' will depend on other information or understanding. That usually will require the introduction of new, more modern views, or new evidence, or maybe some from direct experience.
"In this respect, forget Aristotle's discussion in Book II of mathematics. He does not see as we do now mathematics as the use of numbers in the form of scale to measure and to describe magnitude—whether of physical extension, of the value of a quality, or as a count. Relations of numbers in a mathematical statement or description would depend on the nature of numbers as elements of a system, and on what real relations of real things one wishes to symbolize or to describe. The value of mathematics is thus as a semiotic system. Mathematics is not a science; it tells us nothing about reality. But it can be used as a semiotic system to describe reality. This use is like that of any system of signs, such as a language. English is also not a science, but it also can be used to describe reality. So, too, can various types of drawings, graphs, or models, which also are not sciences. A good deal of Aristotle could be modernized just by adding things from modern cognitive psychology and an underpinning of semiotics.
"The Physics has as a purpose the presentation of physics as a science describing reality, and doing such, it indicates other knowledge as other than physics. Some of this is covered in his Metaphysics, which means 'beyond physics,' and is interpreted to refer to non-physical subjects, but it actually goes toward considering the cosmological, looking at physics as related to being, itself. The Physics, in defining physics, suggests a whole realm of non-physical reality. Aristotle thereby uses physics to in part introduce the field of metaphysics. It might also be said that he uses metaphysics (its concepts) to underlie his description of physics.
"There are many very fundamental concepts presented in his Physics. Basic to physics are the concepts of place and time. We now understand place as a position or location in a topological system, identified by coordinates developed from analytical geometry. Time is well described by him with respect to before and after.
"His causes are also fundamental concepts. He has four, and these are included also in the Metaphysics. The first, material, is a substratum of reality, from which any physical body is composed. The second, formal, is that which forms a physical body, such as a thing's essence, a type or kind of a thing that dictates the structure. The third, the final, is the purpose, the why as a cause; and the fourth, the efficient, is the creative action, the how as a cause.
"With respect to his potentiality of matter and his actuality of form, one should read Peirce on his modes of being: firstness and so forth. There, he describes potential as possibility, and actuality as real existence or fact.
"The study of physics is put forward by Aristotle as part of the pursuit of knowledge. He portrays it as the study of the ultimate physical particulars of reality, and of physical causes and motions. The goal lies in gaining an understanding of the first principles of their being and of the coming to be and the structure of real things.
"I might add that an understanding of systems—physical and intellectual, natural and artificial, static and dynamic, and inanimate and living—might assist an understanding of the subject from a more modern perspective. And a familiarity with the works of Polanyi might give one another view of systems and of knowledge.
"And that's probably saying too much. You can disregard it all if you want to.
"That ends my contribution to the orientation of your participation in the seminar. You can now consider this session open to questions on what I have said or the venting of any problems you might have—problems which I or any of your fellow students might be able to help you with.
"However, I should be remiss if I did not admonish you to remain focused on the Central Question and on the goal of learning about the topics of the four sections of the seminar: physics, metaphysics, the soul, and extra-physical reality."
* * *
Mephisto said good night as soon as the session was closed, and Giorgio did not see him again until the afternoon of the next day when he appeared in his office just before three.
"So, tell me. How did it go?" pleaded Giorgio.
"Well, . . ." commenced Mephisto, "I liked your method and arrangement. But it's true: you have to do a lot of work to accomplish anything in a material world. That means I have to do a little more in suspension of my powers to keep down to your level.
"Okay, . . . I like Aristotle's talk of substratum, but not necessarily his words. I would say there are two views of such stuff. First is his substratum, that I would call amorphous stuff. Then matter, which is stuff having form, separate or in any physical entity. And there are many kinds of separate matter.
"Every physical entity is comprised of matter—in any of its kinds or forms, and these in any number or combination. And every physical entity (and every kind of matter) has a form and is also a concept in knowledge, an idea of 'formed stuff'—what Aristotle calls a physical thing. It has to have, in explicit knowledge, a name. Then you can describe its structure and properties, and ascribe to it a formal cause.
"And I like his ideas of properties, and some of his ideas of motions. His infinity and his first mover, however, sort of miss the mark. Still, it's a good start in defining physics as a subject matter of knowledge.
"In sum, I think you're doing well so far, and the seminar has a good chance of producing not only understandings but maybe some new ideas."
"That's good," conceded Giorgio. "But I'm always full of doubts. Something always goes wrong—Murphy's law. I'm sure I shall need some of your help with the seminar before it ends."
"Speaking of help," quickly rejoined Mephisto, "I think I might do some of that right now. I think I'll go check on some of your students. I'd like to get to know them better. Is that okay with you?"
"Of course, though I should have thought you already knew them well enough."
"Aware of them, yes. But knowledge is a step or two beyond."
* * *
Mephisto walked across campus, right through the milling students, toward the main library. He walked into the library, well attired and handsome as ever, where, being at that time visible to everyone, he attracted the views of many girl students, as well as envious glances from many of the boys. He sees Allison, his target, and goes, not directly but in a meandering way, toward her, looking idly at posters and at students also moving about, arriving ultimately to the spot at which he had aimed.
Allison had been idly looking about the room off and on while she made notes on a pad in front of her, but she immediately came to attention as soon as he entered. Now, that's what I call a very handsome man, she thought, and very well dressed at that. He must be a new professor. Too young for an established one, and too presentable for a student. And he must be very rich, judging from his clothes and his walk.
Mephisto stopped in front of her and asked if he could sit down in the chair at the table directly facing her. She said yes.
He sat down in the chair and took out a small red-covered book from his blazer pocket and began to read. She made a few notes on her pad. They both stopped and looked up, suddenly facing each other. She quickly went back to her notepad. He just smiled, still looking at her.
"Excuse me," he said. "Could you possibly be Allison McVeigh?"
"Yes, I am."
"How interesting," he said. "My name is Luke. I've been told that my mother wanted to call me Lucifer because, as she said, 'You are my shining star.' But when it came to legal paper, my father had it set down as Luke."
Then, continuing, "I was just talking to a friend about the fall Fortunati Seminar, and he was telling me about the students enrolled for it. He was particularly vocal about a very pretty girl enrolled—and it seems he described you very well—who was a Ph.D. candidate in physics, of all things. Is that true? You're a student of physics?"