Introduction

The Third Obligolnian Striving

Ponder this assertion:

In respect of science, all evidence is circumstantial.

It is as true of objective science as it is of contemporary science. This resource is aware of that. Objective science is a set of theories of the outer world that can be falsified by contradictory evidence but can only be affirmed by circumstantial evidence. This resource provides both a narrative and circumstantial evidence for those theories.

As regards the inner world of man, the responsibility is with the reader. The author hopes the reader has taken to heart the ancient words of Hermes Trismegistus:

“As above, so below.”

As stated on page 386 of The Tales, the third obligolnian striving is as follows:

… the conscious striving to know ever more and more concerning the laws of World-creation and World-maintenance.

People in the Gurdjieff Work often regard the five obligolnian strivings as direct injunctions. Sadly, in this media-driven age, the pursuit of the third striving is complicated by the dubious assertions and ceaseless stream of “news” emanating from the scientific establishment and its servants in the media. People are suggestible, and we too are prey to that weakness. If we are to pursue the third striving honestly, on one hand we must ignore the siren songs of subjective science, yet on the other we need to analyze its activity and peruse the data. It is not without value.

Objective science requires a modern context within which it can be pondered. The aim of this resource is to provide such a context.