A personal perennial philosophy

I believe it was Huxley who first coined (or perhaps popularized) the term “Perennial Philosophy”, or the existence of an ‘underlying’ philosophy beneath the philosophies of relgions or quasi-religious idealogies.

I might personally reject a practical notion that a ‘social’ perennial philosophy exists; alternatively stated as a philosophy that adequately captures all others to all likings, however Science would have their say to counter. However in principle I may posit that one could be crafted, albiet vaguely and never to everyone’s absolute liking, likely my own included.

More important than any social perennial philsophy, I say is a personal perennial philosophy. Or some underlying absolute philosophy of one’s self under which guides their sub-philsophies. Not that this is any trivial feat or that there is any necessity to articulating it materially, but there is great danger in living void of intentional and - uniquely personal - philosophical leanings.

Society may claim to have their monopoly on values and virtues but accepting those as one’s own is a trepidatious, perhaps harmful way to live one’s own life. For those uninterested in living at all for themselves or for their choice of others, then this is how you may proceed. But for all others, living without a philsophy or a handful of scattered loyalties is shameful, according to my perennial philosophy, of course.

Not that there must be absolute convinction in the way one lives their life, but examination (as Socrates puts it) should not be a hasty endeavor and one should be wary to the whims of authority or bodily impulse calling them to actions and beliefs. Dismiss me as a mere Cynic but I see many with no philosophy of their own. And that I find worthy of a healthy portion of Cynicism.