“Many a time I wanted to stop talking and find out what I really believe.” Walter Lippman
CONJECTURES OF A RECOVERING DILETTANTE
On belief systems and other stuff…not exactly a laugh a minute, but worth some time considering……
We humans need to find something that transcends us – something that lives long after we are gone. We see it in routine tribal behavior everyday through the survival of the species by becoming parents. In older people, they seem to find extended transcendence in their grandchildren.
Others find it in customs and rituals that seem to give meaning to what would otherwise be mundane and routine observances. The need for lasting meaning in what we do is deep within all of us and it affects us in ways that are not always obvious.
Imagine a life where nothing transcends you – most of us have given it some thought. Regardless, consider when you die, you are gone – not even the shell that embraced your consciousness can keep from becoming dust. This is what the existentialism confronted and what we do consciously or unconsciously as individuals.
Without transcendence and meaning, we are left with the absurd. To see the absurdity in life and in ourselves is a gift - to be able to do this with integrity is to embrace the reality of our material existence. By accepting our inconsistencies and finality, we open the door into nothingness by facing despair and deciding what to do about it.
We can decide to do nothing, which is what most of us do. On the other hand, we can choose from two clear choices: accept the despair of the abyss or to fully embrace our consciousness and our humanity. If we choose our humanity the abyss still awaits, but at least we find a life that is livable.
Now for the part that is up for grabs…………….
The two great faiths of our time are Science and Religion. One accepts in faith that everything is capable of human discovery and explanation - it is just a matter of time and opportunity. The other believes that the existence of an infinite power is the source of all things, and everything can be explained by its infinite presence.
The first needs to eliminate all causality as necessary. The other needs causality to exist. And, this is where the problem begins. More next time…….
Can any reality be objective or is “truth” trapped within the collective representations of the prejudice of the culture?