Before remarking on Adler's commended ability to condense similarities/distinctions to religions orthodoxies and orthopraxies applied ontologically, there are numerous faults to be first outlined:
In battle of semantics with a cited named professor O'Flaherty, where she implies that two mythologies are contradictory (differing in narrative enfoldment). According to Adler such are poetical truths which shouldn't be regarded as contradictory, but equally true, he confuses her use of 'contradictory' with her statement not being poetical:''to the same basic question'' probably refers to that regarding the transcendental; as Adler subsequently expresses her sentiment ''I don't believe that there is only one true answer to any great human question'' [ambiguity on religious/absolute questions, a total affirmation/negation can be argued true with equal veracity, where a priori/ a posteriori methods cannot clarify ergo taken as faith.
Adler formulates that knowledge of epistemic uncertainty over quantum wave collapse is ''fallaciously converted into an [ontological] uncertainty''(72), so truth-claims about ontological uncertainty, as affirmation or negation are not verifiable, hence both are equally valid upon faith (& possibly philosophy) alone. Ontological assertions into universally held axioms [Kantian categories of understanding] should be refrained from factual judgements, agnosticism unless they can be empirically validated.
Equally unnecessary is in his appeal against Joseph's Campbell simulacra of religion with mythology; citing Campbell's deficiencies of ''mental and moral character'' (59), which Adler then confuses with ethics -by his belief that Campbell's term ''follow your bliss'' as contentment is unethical, contrary to Hellenistic virtue. Asking Campbell, he would not perceive 'bliss' as disregarding ethics to ''get what he or she individually wants''(59, Adler: note, I do not necessarily agree with Campbell's theory to refute Adler).
Despite his correctness that God's resurrection as regarded as purely non-physical, a spiritual being; Adler asserts that Campbell's use of the term 'person' should not be anthropomorphic -yet in vernacular usage this is precisely its meaning. ''Campbell offers no scientific proof of his unqualified generalization that all religions are mythologies in disguise... the evidence offered has only rhetorical force and no probative force whatsoever''(62); neither does Adler offer any empirical truth... Such examples refer to Adler's persistent confusing misappropriations and incorrect definitions -despite that an argument asserting that foundational structures of human beings have the archetype/notion/idealization of the supreme entity universally, trans-culturally (e.g. shaman, hero, God, absolute, infinity, leader, divine creative etc); ergo if such a notion resides in the unconscious or conscious mind as a incorporeal idea/corporeal actions resultant, alike to the plural of 'man'; empirically such could be theorized. ''The unproven generalization may be true''(62), Adler acknowledging his unconvincing polemics.
The denial of any knowledge concerning ontology, ''now that mathematics and science have become transcultural''(72) -implies logical truth was not always evident for aforesaid; nor is it currently for Adler in ''Far Eastern societies' [regarding principle of non-contradiction, while conceding both propositions may be false]. This is because, for Adler, logic has no authority in Eastern cultures & religions where contradictions are embraced as seen as inherent in reality [Adler resists ontological claims]. However, this makes one question the need of logical truth to be trans-cultural (that is, consciously accepted). E.g. In empirical discourse, if one does not believe in rigorous theory accepted as true within the currentKuhnian paradigm, this doesn't reduce its truth universally regardless of belief [until the theory is proven false, which means another condition was occurent without exception].
Principles of motion do not care for human thoughts. All previous depends on if seeing the distinctive contradictions as subsumed into one supreme predicate/essence or not.
In his appendix I disagree with ''world peace is impossible without world government''(114); humans will always create conflict hence complete peace is never possible, nor do I think world government can achieve such; since new and unfathomable ideological divisions will arise (statistically evident); man always has an enemy to project his inadequacies/to progress; this will be other men unless displaced wholly onto another grand narrative, technological 'luddites' perhaps? I would also juxtapose his relation of human beings with 'free will':
''Free will or free choice, which consists in always being able to choose otherwise, no matter
how one does choose, is an intellectual property, lacked by nonintellectual animals''(151); simply for the reason that one's choices even if they go against apparent self-interest are not against the (unconscious +/or conscious) individual compelled will. Revoking a will/desire is replacing it with another. This is why physiological degrees of freedom is important to acknowledge.
Also Adler's association that manufactured tools serve a further purpose whereas art supposedly has value only for ''pleasure or enjoyment''(152), is mistaken for without theories, inventions & creative improvements resultant after beholding literature, shapes manifest in an abstract piece, and ideological furtherance impacting societal/individual culture et cetera; these forms would not have been imagined ergo not applied, ignored, and not convincing without artistic reworking of an idea).
''Other animals only live in the present'(152)- not entirely true, even if only conscious of a certain time period previous, they still learn through Pavlovian mechanisms so have some form(degree to be determined) of remembrance of past, applied to future actions. That this is not on the same 'level' of abstraction/intellect as humans is obvious.
''All the habits we form, all the tastes we cultivate, all the patterns of behavior we accumulate are products of nurture''(154) - again not all habits are not inherent from nurture, reflexes (moro/grasping) are instinctively applied from the first day of birth, even if evanescent.
Overall however despite aforesaid, the crux of formulation is as follows:
- Plurality of poetic, irrational, prescriptive/normative truth, value judgements (philosophy, religion, mythology, preferences, societal mores/'laws'). Dispute as only over matters of taste. Cannot be proved by logical method however can be disproved, must be taken on faith/belief.
- Unity of logical, factual, descriptive, affirmative/negatory truth (universal, transcendent to individual belief/action, trans-cultural-i.e. mathematics, natural sciences, technology). Rational dispute to resolve incompatible contradictions.
- History, philosophy, social sciences may become trans-cultural and logical in future. Until such epoch natural sciences are to inquire into their validity/relevance. When this occurs philisophical theology (which doesn't have to presuppose religious belief in God & accompanying rituals/prayers/commitments) can best examine religious claims to logical and factual truth.
- Thomas Aquinas (explicit that truths of faith and reason are subsumed into logical factual truths; no incompatibility in the transcendent realm) and Averroes (truths of faith and reason in irreconcilable compartments because of recognized incompatibility) as both incorrect: they conflate poetical truths with logical truths. Religion is poetic and contains contradiction so cannot be logical (cannot coexist with non-contradictory unifying truth). To become closer to making with relevance the logical factual claims it espouses, religion must discard its precepts incompatible with scientific Aristotelian logic/empiricism.
- Beliefs beyond realm of proof and if proved discredited as superstitions.
- Never will logical factual truth reside in cosmological religions, or polytheistic ones (have to be monotheistic & credal)
- Universal human nature (capacities) despite surface differences from nurture, au contraire to overwhelming similitude of inherent+surface in other animals. Distinction between differences in degree (human behavioral traits) versus those in kind (vertebrates/invertebrates)
- A ''world cultural community''(156) can alleviate human violence and bring unity to superficial aspects (ideology, dress, customs, mores, cuisine, 'laws'); which will overcome unnecessary difference to reconcile with the fact that ''there is only a human mind and it is one and the same in all human beings''(156).