I want to take the practical, theoretical model of unconditional love created by the founder of The Marriage Foundation and turn it into a proposed theoretical model for higher education. Researching if any online universities would enable me to do an online PhD dissertation to introduce a theory and in which department indicated that introducing a theory would be ideal in philosophy or interdisciplinary studies. The education PhD at AU might be a fit, too, if the theory was applied to the teaching pedagogy. It could also be a Communications Studies PhD, as it would subvert critical discourse analysis by making the research objective not to investigate power dynamics but to advance unity and unconditional love.
In itself, critical discourse analysis could be its own object of critical discourse analysis, as it creates, perpetuates, or flips power differentials rather than ultimately leading to harmony. In my opinion, many global riots are testimony to the adverse outcomes of attempting to equalize power differentials through dichotomizing groups into us versus them or victim versus oppressor. These dichotomies don’t strike me as leading to unity and peace, but the opposite.
Admittedly, I’d initially approach the process of criticizing critical discourse analysis from my own politicized view in certain respects, as I care deeply about our Jewish community and my Jewish mentors and am distraught by the thought of a world “ganging up” on a culture, group, or individual, which hits the core of me as an unsettling phenomenon. I’m also not in alignment with socialist or communist doctrine but more in adherence to the capitalist mode of operations.
Despite this, the theoretical model I would like to develop would need to gradually be stripped of all political allegiance of us versus them dichotomies in its idealistic state. That includes the removal of my own biases in favor of complete unity for all entities within the unconditional love paradigm. And if we aren’t going for the gold, why run the race? Let’s open our minds to a new way of thinking, a way that is based on love and unity.
Ironically, the theoretical model must become more and more like the Whos in the Whoville in the Grinch who Stole Christmas, or in more profound terms, like the experiences of people who die temporarily and visit heaven in its pure state of unconditional love. After which, these near-death experiencers describe the incredible beauty and permeating love but without the proper words, as this earthly dimension has no words to capture the splendor, like my friend who had four near-death experiences. She said she saw Muslim worshippers and Christian worshippers in her heaven realm visit. There were no divisions, only joy.
A fundamental way of making this theory or methodology take hold is by placing expectations only on ourselves, not others, but learning how to love all others by defining living beings as souls, or essentially beings of pure unconditional love. This awareness of ourselves may be confirmed when we reach that next (heaven) realm and find ourselves immersed in our true nature’s pure, unconditional love.
So, I need to study Critical Discourse Analysis to bring the wisdom of unconditional love, the unification of all beings and things, into the scope of academic theory. And I hope we all may consider advancing the notion of unconditional love for everyone in our own endeavors, even in our research. Even our slight exposure to the principle of unconditional love has the power to transform the world and elevate our consciousness.
