Credit: Godbolemandar |
Some stray reflections, but you probably heard
it before…
There seems to be a strange contradiction at the heart of modern atheism/secularism/materialism. On the one hand, there is the Western Idea of Progress, according to which there is almost automatic, unlimited, eternal progression of human civilization, indeed “our destiny lies in the stars”. But this perspective almost presupposes that humans are part of some grand cosmic plan, and that Reality is therefore teleological, with us (who else) being its telos. In other words, it´s a perspective completely at variance with modern science and materialism!
So it´s hardly surprising that it really “came to its own" in the Soviet Union with the cult of Gagarin and Laika, since Marxism is something as strange as a teleological form of materialism (Stalin had killed all the Russian Cosmists, otherwise *they* would gladly have created the new quasi-religion of the Space Age). For various reasons, capitalism has great difficulty creating this kind of pseudo-religion, instead worshipping Mammon, Pleasure or what have you. But even individualist capitalism has its own vision of perpetual progress as transgenderism transitions into transhumanism. Behold the new religion of the “secular” West.
It´s also interesting to note that this vision virtually always entails a
belief in space aliens (despite this making it harder for Homo sapiens to conquer
the galactic expanses), probably because the existence of such advanced creatures
(really demigods) would somehow “prove” that unlimited progress is indeed
possible. This is why these people are so worried about Fermi´s paradox: where
the shmuck are the aliens, anyway? (Note the similarity with the theological problem
of God´s hiddenness – probably not a co-incidence!)
These ideas co-exist rather uneasily with the entire opposite perspective: we have been dethroned by Copernicus, Darwin and Freud; our planet is just a “pale blue dot”; climate crisis or some other ecological-type crisis can kill us all, the universe is one of pitiless indifference to human (and humane) concerns, and humans themselves are just a kind of genetically preprogrammed meat-golems. The logical consequence of this view is that we should all jump into a lake, making it a kind of pessimistic and quasi-apocalyptic foil to the first perspective, although many people probably try adhering to both, since they are both kind of “official”.
But, of course, that is impossible so
atheists often resort to a kind of “ontological cheating”. On the one hand, evolution
is blind and we´re here (at least ultimately) due to chance (yes, really) or
perhaps due to equally blind determinism. But on the other hand, this non-teleological
process in an indifferent cosmos nevertheless leads to *exactly the state of
human affairs preferred by the atheist making the claim*. Thus, a liberal
atheist would tell you that of course blind evolution leads to the emergence of
a liberal human society, a libertarian atheist will say that it leads to a libertarian
society, and so on. Indeed, the cosmic process itself will one day – purely by
random chance – turn humanity into demigods who create entirely new “dimensions”
through a Matrix-like super-computer the size of a Dyson sphere (or whatever).
After all, given infinite time in an infinite universe (or perhaps multiverse),
*all possible outcomes will be fulfilled* and presumably all outcomes are
possible (except, I suppose, theism sensu stricto).
But here we have the Achilles heel of this entire form of reasoning: it´s based on the idea of perpetual progress. But if *anything* can happen in the universe, given enough time and space (or enough universes), what´s to stop the universe from going completely ga-ga instead? Nothing, especially since the number of ga-ga states must be almost infinitely higher than the number of states congenial to human life (or humanely built Dyson spheres).
As a rando named Enchanted Fruitbat pointed out in a posting I quoted on my blog two years ago: if the above really is true, then even the resurrection of the dead is possible, but not in the Christian sense, but rather as a never-ending cycle of random resurrections in a chaotic universe. That way, madness lays.
As far as I can tell, there is no good counter-argument to
this quasi-Nietzchean-Ouspenskyite scenario. Not unless somebody wants to claim
that at some point, humans will (blindly) evolve into some kind of Godhead and
then leave this plane of existence altogether, taking its creatrix-like capacities
elsewhere, but how on earth is that not, say, a Theosophical notion? If we are
forever stuck in this universe/multiverse, then a googolplex insane zombie
resurrections might await us, rather than some kind of bright and shining transhumanist
future!
So atheism, at least in its standard
materialist version, should logically lead to the deepest despair. Indeed, not
even suicide is a solution, since your body and mind might just get randomly
reassembled (or blindly re-evolved) in a googolplex years…which to you will
seem like just an instant.
The question is therefore: Is there an emergency
exit somewhere? And how can we find it?
Haa haa! The things that must swirl around in your brain! I like the "benign indifference of the Universe" idea of Camus. On the the hand, I have 'wished' for outcomes that miraculously have come to pass. The magical thinking of a child, as if spinning a wheel will send blessings to my ancestors. Or believing in a resurrected human who, by virtue of assuming death, has taken away my 'sins' after becoming resurrected to a new level of being, thus evidencing said human is the incarnation of 'God', who by love of humanity has sacrificed himself to give me absolution, and a pathway to celestial bliss. What could be better than that? So yah, our beliefs wrap us in a comfortable blanket from which we peer out into the threatening reality of the natural world. Shit does happen! Ouch! I blammed my toe into the leg of the table!
ReplyDeleteAhh, so much to ponder eh? Nature is cruel. Just ask the zebra taken down by lions. As noted before, Andromeda will smash into our galaxy and our solar system will carom off into some other place, eventually. "So why not come into the moment and exist? All we have is the here and now." I say to myself.
re: The Western Idea of Progress: I heard of a fascinating recent book The Dawn of Everything-A New History of Humanity- which may be of some use. Azon has plenty of reviews, of course.
The Emergency Exit door concept could lead to a great sci-fi movie;
a disillusioned band of Armageddon survivors stumble upon a cave near Idefjorden, and in cautiously exploring its depth, find a shimmering golden door. After some debate, they open the door and pass into....
Yes, I think too much! ;-)
ReplyDeleteAnd, as per usual:
https://ashtarbookblog.blogspot.com/2023/01/the-dawn-of-everything.html
I want the Reality on the other side to be, shall we say, a phenomenological heaven. A bit like the Nexus in "Star Trek: Generations". But sure, the guy who wanted to go there turned mad! Ooops...
ReplyDeleteOne could argue conscious or lucid dreaming might be a similar experience. (I used to have *flying* dreams wherein I would jump up and swim through the air, I don't recall how and if I ever landed!)
DeleteHad to research the Nexus since haven't seen a TNG episode in many years but clearly it's WYSIWYG - ness at its finest, unless you're destroyed by gravity and so forth upon entering. Forgot too it was Whoopi Goldberg as Guinan, of all people.
"Don't worry, Be Happy" may have more truth than we know, as do the Positive Thinking gurus. So as I walk out my front door I may be affecting what occurs in the day...
Yes, my take on the Nexus is that it´s a kind of "astral world" in which all your dreams will be fulfilled. But, as Picard tells Kirk (who is trapped inside), it´s not *really* real. At first, Kirk essentially tells him "who cares", but eventually he decides to leave the fake heaven. Personally, I kind of liked the Nexus...
ReplyDelete