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books, Cosmology, Deborah J. Brasket, God, Metaphysics, mystery, Philosophy, Richard Dawkins, Science, sense of wonder, the universe, Unweaving the Rainbow
Hubble Mist M43_HST
It is true that the unknown is the largest need of the intellect, though for it no one thinks to thank God. –Emily Dickinson
If one of the greatest attributes of a book about science is its ability to incite readers to think, to argue with its premise, pick it apart, wrestle it down, and inspire new lines of inquiry, then the opening of Richard Dawkins’ Unweaving the Rainbow, which I critiqued and rewrote in my last post, succeeds. Exceedingly well.
After reading his opening, like Jacob wrestling with that angel, I could not let it go till it blessed me.
The problem with Dawkins’ musing on the wonder of birth, the near-miraculous odds that any one of us was born at all, is that he did not take his argument far enough. He stops with our death, as if that’s the end of it. But does the mind-boggling chance that I be born at all preclude the equally mind-boggling chance I be born again? Within an infinite set of possibilities, why couldn’t we, with another roll of the dice, each be born a second time?
I’m not so much interested in arguing that such a thing is possible, as I am wondering why it would be impossible. Improbably, yes. But impossible?
If there is some natural law prohibiting it, I’m sure a scientist will tell me. But she will be speaking from her own limited understanding of the universe as we now know it. There is no ultimate authority on this subject or any other. There are no final answers in an infinitely expanding and evolving universe, or in the science that explains it.
The most wondrous thing I can think of is how miniscule our knowing is, and how huge our unknowing. We’ve touched our toe on a beach of understanding that stretches beyond an endless horizon.
One thing I do commend Dawkins for is his eagerness to show us how a scientific understanding of the natural world, the “unweaving of the rainbow” as Keats put it, need not dampen our wonder and awe of creation. As children we looked up in wonder at those twinkling stars that seemed so magical, and we do so still. Our delight in them is not diminished, but heightened by our knowledge.
Wonder itself is a marvelous thing in the old-fashioned sense of the word (miraculous) and defies logic.
Perhaps humankind’s “need for god” that Dawkins and others so lament, is not so much, as they surmise, to create a super-powerful supernatural being to pin all our hopes and fears upon, but to give a name to our awe and wonder, to whatever wove this amazing phenomenon of creation into existence. The knowledge that our universe was spun out of nothing and is spinning still past anything we can ever hope to grasp only increases our sense of awe and wonder, as well as our need to name that which makes us to bow our heads in humility before it.
If stones can speak, dust shape itself into flesh, and atoms evolve a consciousness, as our current understanding of the universe has proved itself capable, then what not is possible?
Dawkins decries humanity’s need for mystery, as if it were the enemy of science. But I would argue that mystery is the handmaid of science, spurring us to understand what is, and to dream of what is yet to come.
Not what the stars have done, but what they are to do, is what detains the sky. –Emily Dickinson
Well thought out critique. If I comprehend the Buddhist thought, then the idea of reincarnation does play out. Albeit the spirit is changed by the transition and therefore a new spirit arises in the new creation. If we follow the Hindu idea, the new being is at a higher or lower level of consciousness based on the preceeding lives. We might even allow the combination of tbe Christian ‘only one life’ with the expected Buddist changes to allow that each new soul, while different may hold to some energies of past lives. However God really works with us, S/He’s given us some additional curiosity to play with through your post. Thank you.
Zoli, I appreciate your sharing this info. You know much more on how various religions regard the possibility of life after death than I do. I think I just hold out this big question mark in my mind when it comes to that. What I’ve seen and learned so far on so many levels some guiding principle at play in the universe, whether we call that God or something else. And it heartens me. What we’ve learned about quantum physics and new theories on the primacy of consciousness has such startling similarities to what the ancient sages believed and taught, which only adds to the wonder of it all.
I think this line sums it all up beautifully – “We’ve touched our toe on a beach of understanding that stretches beyond an endless horizon.” It is impossible to know the unknowable.
Thank you. Strange how knowing that can be so inspiring and oddly comforting.
What is the reason that we seek and put so much energy into thinking we can figure out something we cannot even define?
Good question! I think its inborn. Part of the human condition is this curiosity to look behind the curtain of things and the hubris to believe we will understand what we see.
Hey I have subscribed to your emails for a long time I like them a lot. Could you return the favor and like https://www.Facebook.com/greentimesolutions thanks! .I will share a post once in a while from your page. Also I will like and comment on your posts from time to time. It would be an honor to get a page like from you, and all your fans. I try to do good things for my area, and add good content to Facebook. Thanks,
Andrew Lee Spaulding
Hi Andrew, wish you all the best with your green initiate, but this space should be used to comment on my post and the ideas I’ve written about. That’s how you build good-will and relationships.. Normally I would have marked this as spam, so just a word to the wise.
My bad! I love your posts. Keep them coming so sorry I am.
No worries.
Post to that page I’ll repost it and it goes to twitter with my connotations.
Your a good blogger 👏
A bit pretentious, but hit the spot.
Great post!! I predict that soon art, science, and mysticism will merge into a universal discipline. I already sense the beginning occurring. 😉
Thanks, Jeff! I hope you are right. I see signs of that too.
“Dawkins decries humanity’s need for mystery, as if it were the enemy of science. But I would argue that mystery is the handmaid of science, spurring us to understand what is, and to dream of what is yet to come.”
Yessss….I would also add that the Creator of All delights in our discovery of what has been and is being created….
I agree, Laura, whole-heartedly.
It’s all about being willing to accept the great mystery, the great unknowable unknown. and this is beautifully written, Deborah. Kudos to you. And nice to see what you’re up to.
I have always believed in “the after life” without scientific fact to back it all up. Call me naive or whatever but isn’t it interesting that all the great religions make reference to it? I think it’s a great step forward when great minds like Dawkins and Einstein also see the possibilities of its existence.
Well said. Your sentence about “touching a toe on the beach of understanding” sums it up very nicely.
Wonderful essay. Yes, awe and mystery are both needed and to be embraced…
“Perhaps humankind’s “need for god” that Dawkins and others so lament, is not so much, as they surmise, to create a super-powerful supernatural being to pin all our hopes and fears upon, but to give a name to our awe and wonder, to whatever wove this amazing phenomenon of creation into existence.”
Yes, that we can do! However, that is the beautiful side of things, and what about the ugly side of things (as in the suicidal pilot crashing 150 people)? That must be god, too, because we understand that as little as the beauty – anything, we wonder about, anything unknown, has to be god, no?