Beginning of Essay
Philosophy and science have always been based on the idea that the world of appearances is an illusion that both reveals and conceals an underlying reali-ty. In many instances, this idea has been attached to mystical systems of thought, as in some Eastern philosop ....

Middle of Essay
.... of meaning together construct: our world-view -- our sense of how the world works, what is valuable, why things are the way they are. Our sense of ourselves, our identity, purpose, our ideologies -- our sense of the appropriateness of, the structure of, and the exercise of, power, action and roles in society. Our selves, our societies, our institutions change continually, through interaction. The "real conditions" of our existence are not subjective, however, they only have meaning through social interaction their perceived value, causes, and significance are socially produced. Reality, insofar as it means to us, is situational, or pragmatic: the cont ....