A Brother Asks: I'm not sure anything Brothers write can be unbiased or untainted. I'm not even sure that is desirable! How do you research thought without bias?
Coach: We are not talking about "researching thought" here.
We are talking about the challenge faced by Freemasonic researchers in "Obtaining Unbiased and Untainted Society information...",
Understanding when it is Biased and Tainted,
Understanding when it is Biased and Tainted,
and coupling these with
You are taking a generalization of a stated challenge out of context.
The object is not "Obtaining Unbiased and Untainted Society information and Using the same to Produce Materials that are Unbiased and Untainted" and doing so flawlessly. That's not the point and it never was the point.
The object is to do all this maturely, recognizing full well that the researched materials need to be scrutinized to the best of your ability and the research writing you do must be done in that same light because both shall have elements of bias and taint within them. Your challenge is to recognize and deal with them effectively. Far too much is written and published by Craft members who don't do this at all!
The object is not "Obtaining Unbiased and Untainted Society information and Using the same to Produce Materials that are Unbiased and Untainted" and doing so flawlessly. That's not the point and it never was the point.
The object is to do all this maturely, recognizing full well that the researched materials need to be scrutinized to the best of your ability and the research writing you do must be done in that same light because both shall have elements of bias and taint within them. Your challenge is to recognize and deal with them effectively. Far too much is written and published by Craft members who don't do this at all!
As to the former issue (obtaining biased and tainted research materials), it is possible to review the Works of others and recognize the biases and things that have tainted them. I do this all the time when I read the works of others. These skills are what you cultivate when you do the Apprentice and FC work.
As to the latter issue (producing unbiased and untainted work) , it is possible to produce work that compensates for personal biases and things that might taint them, although it might be highly improbable to produce a flawless work, especially when you don't know how to do this.
The goal is to do both and do so with proper checks and balances in place when you do.
The goal is to do both and do so with proper checks and balances in place when you do.
Of course, if you do your Apprentice work, the odds are better that you produce work more free from the usual biases and taints that plague Freemasonic works than had you not done so at all.
Once again, we are not talking about doing research and writing flawlessly; we are talking about doing so maturely!
Aside from what is pointed within the original article, doing the Apprentice Work helps provide you the missing pieces that allows for this to occur. Mature researchers recognize this and don't set themselves up for unrealistic expectations.
Aside from what is pointed within the original article, doing the Apprentice Work helps provide you the missing pieces that allows for this to occur. Mature researchers recognize this and don't set themselves up for unrealistic expectations.
How do you mature your research ability? You start by laying a strong foundation. This requires doing the Work of the Apprentice, not just going through a degree and doing the usual required proficiencies.
Here are two examples of what the Work does for you:
- Your Apprentice Work installs your Plumb. You use it to recognize what your biases are and how you should adjust for them accordingly.
- Your Apprentice Work installs a Working knowledge of your Divestment Working Tool. You use it to recognized whether something is tainted or not and how you should deal with it appropriately.
Your Apprentice Work installs both your Plumb and Divestment Tool into your everyday manners. Your experience with both enables you to use them masterfully.
With these two tools installed as part of you, you are more likely to compensate and divest in all that research that you do.
With these two tools installed as part of you, you are more likely to compensate and divest in all that research that you do.
Will you do so flawlessly? No. That was never the goal!
Will you do so maturely? Most likely. Especially with experience behind you to back you up.
Will you do so maturely? Most likely. Especially with experience behind you to back you up.
F&S,
Bro. John S Nagy
