In the last 1,000 days or so, I've been learning and applying the 12-Step Program of Recovery pioneered by Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith, the co-founders of Alcoholics Anonymous (and the primary authors of the book titled Alcoholics Anonymous - the Basic Text of the Fellowship with the same name). My experiences lead me to investigate spiritual matters in more detail. My investigation sometimes takes me down unfamiliar paths, including ones described by words like philosophy, religion and theology (not too far yet; that end of the pool looks a bit deep and I don't yet see a need to go there). This "book" posted on the Internet at www.route164.net is one of my experiments in learning and sharing my meager knowledge with others who may be interested in contributing to this new publication.

My first step was to surf the Web using Google. By 'googling' about, I found several pages, most of which were way over my head. By "cutting & pasting" I've compiled bits and pieces that make sense to me. Where possible, I paste the URL so we can re-locate the source. In some cases, I'll re-phrase or paraphrase so it's easier for me to understand. A dictionary or thesarus will help me find common words that may be substituted to make the original text easier for me to comprehend quickly. (I'd rather say "make the meaning clear" rather than "eschew obfuscation" - same message, different words.)

I started this section of the Route164 website by clicking on "create content"; I then chose to create a "book page" because "In this website, a "book" is a collaborative writing effort: users can collaborate writing the pages of the book, positioning the pages in the right order, and reviewing or modifying pages previously written. So when you have some information to share or when you read a page of the book and you didn't like it, or if you think a certain page could have been written better, you can do something about it."Later, others with the ability to create book pages can do so and, by making a selection to .... attach that page to this page so their sequence is reasonably logical when appear on-screen and in printer friendly versions. More later...

First, I looked for a definition of the word Philosophy. I dowloaded and paid for an electronic dictionary, the Houghton Mifflin eReference because it's a really helpful tool for my studies. The basis for that software is The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language. Here's what I got from it: phi·los·o·phy (fĭ-lŏsə-fē) noun. pl. phi·los·o·phies

1. Love and pursuit of wisdom by intellectual means and moral self-discipline.
2. Investigation of the nature, causes, or principles of reality, knowledge, or values, based on logical reasoning rather than empirical methods.
3. A system of thought based on or involving such inquiry: the philosophy of Hume.
4. The critical analysis of fundamental assumptions or beliefs.
5. The disciplines presented in university curriculums of science and the liberal arts, except medicine, law, and theology.
6. The discipline comprising logic, ethics, aesthetics, metaphysics, and epistemology.
7. A set of ideas or beliefs relating to a particular field or activity; an underlying theory: an original philosophy of advertising.
8. A system of values by which one lives: has an unusual philosophy of life.
[Middle English philosophie, from Old French, from Latin philosophia, from Greek philosophiā, from philosophos, lover of wisdom, philosopher; see philosopher.]

I then used Google to search for the word soul and I found the following text at http://www.philosophypages.com/dy/s7.htm#soul:"soul {Gk. yuch [psychê]; Lat. anima}:The active principle present in living things. Plato distinguished three distinct components of the human soul, and Aristotle supposed that plants and animals, no less than human beings, have souls of some sort. Under the influence of Christianity, medieval philosophers focussed on the intellectual component of the human soul, and Descartes identified it as an immaterial substance."

I then clicked on "Plato" where I found this:
"Plato held that every human being includes three souls (Gk. yuch [psychê]) that correspond to the three classes of citizen within the state, each of them contributing in its own way to the successful operation of the whole person.

• The rational soul (mind or intellect) is the thinking portion within each of us, which discerns what is real and not merely apparent, judges what is true and what is false, and wisely makes the rational decisions in accordance with which human life is most properly lived.
• The spirited soul (will or volition), on the other hand, is the active portion; its function is to carry out the dictates of reason in practical life, courageously doing whatever the intellect has determined to be best.
• Finally, the appetitive soul (emotion or desire) is the portion of each of us that wants and feels many things, most of which must be deferred in the face of rational pursuits if we are to achieve a salutary degree of self-control.

In the Phaedrus, Plato presented this theory even more graphically, comparing the rational soul to a charioteer whose vehicle is drawn by two horses, one powerful but unruly (desire) and the other disciplined and obedient (will). In Plato's view, then, a human being is properly said to be just when the three souls perform their proper functions in harmony with each other, working in consonance for the good of the person as a whole.

I'm now comparing this with the phrase in Step 3: "Turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him. (Or, if you prefer, as I do, the Original Manuscript version "..to the care and direction of God...")

More later...