CYCLE TWO: COMPLEMENTARY ANTITHESES

1. From the noumenal objectivity of science to the noumenal subjectivity of religion, as from fiery nothingness to airy somethingness, evil no-ones to wise someones.

2. From the phenomenal objectivity of politics to the phenomenal subjectivity of economics, as from watery nothingness to vegetative somethingness, good nobodies to foolish somebodies.

3. As impossible to conceive of science without religion, as to conceive of religion without science. The Devil needs God, just as God needs the Devil.

4. As impossible to conceive of politics without economics, as to conceive of economics without politics. Woman needs man, just as man needs woman.

5. Fire and air are the alpha and omega of infinite existence, the former metachemical in its noumenal objectivity, the latter metaphysical in its noumenal subjectivity.

6. Water and vegetation are the alpha and omega of finite existence, the former chemical in its phenomenal objectivity, the latter physical in its phenomenal subjectivity.

7. The objective descends, in nothingness, from the infinity of fire to the finiteness of water, as from metachemistry to chemistry, crime to punishment.

8. The subjective ascends, in somethingness, from the finiteness of vegetation to the infinity of air, as from physics to metaphysics, sin to grace.

9. That which, being noumenal, is infinite ... will be evil if fiery and wise if airy, the former objective, the latter subjective.

10. That which, being phenomenal, is finite ... will be good if watery and foolish if vegetative, the former objective, the latter subjective.

11. Thus the objective elements of fire and water present to our understanding a descent from evil to goodness, as from science to politics, the Devil to woman, dresses to skirts, while the subjective elements of vegetation and air present to our understanding an ascent from folly to wisdom, as from economics to religion, man to God, trousers to zippersuits.

12. There are always, everywhere, two sides to every story, viz. a female side rooted in an objective disposition, and a male side centred in a subjective disposition, as between nothingness and somethingness, vacuum and plenum.

13. The female side of life will complement the male side of it as either its noumenal or its phenomenal antithesis, dresses against zippersuits 'up above' and skirts against trousers 'down below', so that diabolic and divine on the one hand, and feminine and masculine on the other hand are forever in immortal and/or mortal combat, depending on the context.

14. Ultimately, one cannot transform devils into gods or women into men, but only joggle the ratios around, according to which gender is hegemonic at any given time. For the elements are to a greater or lesser extent interdependent, and only an acknowledgement of that fact exonerates one from (unreasoning) fanaticism.

15. Hence although the ratio of the Devil/Hell to God/Heaven may vary where noumenal existence/experience is concerned, there can no more be the one without the other ... than fire without air, or vice versa.

16. Likewise, although the ratio of man/earth to woman/purgatory may vary where phenomenal existence/experience is concerned, there can no more be the one without the other ... than vegetation without water, or vice versa.