Why?

I think this is the most important question there is – Why? It betokens a curiosity to find out more about – anything – and is a very human trait. I suppose that being a person with a “curious” and seeking mind I have, seemingly, always had a questioning outlook to the world around me.

 

My curiosity must have started very early – my mother told me that she was very amused by my asking, when aged about two years old, “Have moffers got mouffers?” – (translation – “ have moths got mouths?”). I’m not sure of the reason for the question. It was quite a long time ago!

 

The question “why?” is followed closely by its corollary “how?” And also, of course, the equally important, “why not?” 

 

Some questions that have exercised far greater minds than mine will forever, I assume, remain unanswered. Such as, “why are we here – why us?” Likewise, the hard question, “ what is consciousness?”

 

There is an illuminating quote from the book “Why us” by James Le Fanu, wherein he writes, regarding the discovery of the literal blizzard of electrical activity in the brain:

 “But the greatest perplexity of all was the failure to account for how the monotonous electrical activity of those billions of neurons in the brain translate into the limitless range and quality of subjective experiences of our everyday lives – where every transient, fleeting moment has its own distinct, unique, intangible feel: where the cadences of a Bach cantata are so utterly different from the flash of lightning, the taste of Bourbon from the lingering memory of that first kiss.

            The implications are clear enough. While theoretically it might be possible for neuroscientists to know everything there is to know about the physical structure if the brain, its ‘product’, the mind, with all its thoughts and ideas, impressions and emotions, would still remain unaccounted for.”          

 

And which comes first – is it the activity of the neurons which by some means create the thoughts, sensations and memories or do the thoughts, sensations and memories somehow activate the neurons? 

 

It will be recalled that all observable forms of matter are constructed from atoms and molecules. This becomes interesting if “Matter” (in the form of the human body and brain) together with “Life” and “Consciousness”, are considered in the light of quantum physics which states (very basically) that Energy = Matter (remember E=MC²?). Einstein, with this famous equation, revealed that the Universe is not just billions of distinct items separated by inert space but in fact is a dynamic construct in which matter and energy are so inextricably mixed that it is not possible to consider them as separate elements. If this is true, where does this leave ‘life’, the ‘mind’, ‘consciousness’ and ‘intelligence’? How can energy/matter be intelligent or conscious? What is ‘dead’ energy (i.e. some matter which was alive and is now dead) compared to ‘live’ energy (i.e. some matter which is animated and alive)? Furthermore, physics tells us that there is no foundation for a view of life based on the pre-eminence of matter. Energy is indestructible and outside of time, and as a result the total quantity of energy is constant. This is known as the law of conservation of energy (The first Law of Thermodynamics). Likewise with the conservation of Matter – it is constant but changes its form - The Law on the Conservation of Mass (matter). 

 

Then there is a further problem, our freedom to choose – known as the “problem of mental causation”. It is a fundamental fact of science - a precept - which states that nothing can happen that is not governed by natural laws of material causation (i.e. physical things cause physical effects). Thoughts are non-physical (they are subjective), therefore by definition cannot cause anything physical to happen. For example, how is it possible for subjective (non-material) thoughts of the “self” to so influence the function of the (material) brain that they compel the brain to direct the body to perform a particular action? This has yet to be resolved.

 

All human life is bound to individuals who manifest it, and is simply inconceivable without them. But every human is charged with an individual destiny and destination, and the journey to that destination or the fulfillment of that destiny is the only thing that makes sense of human life. The individual journeys and destinations may differ but the fundamental purpose is the same – the expression of Life.  

 

This all seems a bit circular! We are back where we started – what, actually, is Life? And why?    

On being Human

Anyone who reads this is, by all accounts, a human being. But then what are human beings? And I don’t just mean the physical attributes of the species Homo Sapiens, I ask what else is there, or should there be, to determine that a human being is truly “human”?

Of course there are the ultimate hypothetical questions – “Why are we here? Why us?” These I cannot answer. Obviously. So what I’ll do is remove some of what I would consider to be the negatives (not in any particular order of importance) from the “equation” that determines a true(?) human.

We are not here just to make money.

We are not here to kill each other.

We are not here to exploit or take unfair advantage of others.

We are not here to enslave others.

We are not here to force either men or women to adopt certain, exclusive, roles.

We are not here to be forced or coerced into believing any one particular belief, or political, system is the only correct one.

We are not here to pillage and destroy the only home we know – Planet Earth.

This narrows things down somewhat. While this may seem like a watered down version of the biblical Ten Commandments - it is not supposed to be. 

These “negatives” hone in on a favourite subject of mine – Ethics.

To avoid falling into the all to human trap, or mind set, of believing that ignoring any of the “negatives” will have few or no consequences, I ask just three questions:-

1.     Would you like it if you were caught up, as a victim, by any of the negatives?

2.     Why not treat everyone, yes everyone, as you would like to be treated?

3.     Furthermore, if everyone, yes EVERYONE, did what you are doing, or proposing to do, would the World be a better place?

If the answer to any of these questions is “No” (as I strongly suspect), then don’t do it.

Simple really!

In my understanding, to be “human”, in the truest sense of the word, is to be ethical. I do not believe there are any viable alternatives. 

Is Judicial Killing right?

Why kill someone? What makes judicially sanctioned killing ‘better’ than normal (if that is the correct term) killing? What brought this to mind is the immanent execution of the people known as the Bali Bombers. No one can offer any excuse for the abominable deed that they carried out – killing over 200 innocent people – but does executing them help anyone?

Not having followed very closely the trial which led to the conviction and sentencing of these people I cannot comment on the detail. All I know is that they were motivated by religious conviction and believed that what they were doing was ‘right’. Right in that they would please Allah, because they were removing ‘unbelievers’ from the earth. Now being a relatively straight forward thinking man I find this difficult to understand – killing something God made will please Him?

This is where I tread on thin ice – religion and spirituality are not the same thing (vide priestly paedophilia). A religious person may well be very spiritual but just because one can recite the Koran or the Bible or the Bhagavad-Gita from memory does not make you a spiritual person. In my understanding a religious text gives guide lines for living a ‘good’ life. These texts are stepping stones to union with God, Allah, Vishnu, Krishna, the Absolute or whatever your name for God is. 

All these texts tell us that union with God is the purpose of Life – after all He made us for some purpose. But they all stress that followers need to actually live the way the texts show – not just to memorise them and then do something else. To do that is being hypocritical – “I believe in God, but I know better.”

To be religious is to follow the letter of the texts – this is the dogma. This is what various interpreters of the texts say it means. In other words you are told what to do – don’t think for yourself – just do as you are told. This sort of mentality is very common and leads to all sorts of problems and misery and unhappiness. Quite the reverse of what it is supposed to do.

This is why I say that religion and spirituality are not necessarily the same thing.

To be religious you follow a creed; without thought on your part, you just follow and do what you are told. This leads to differences – “My religion tells me that I am right and you are wrong.” This mentality gives rise to entrenched attitudes, to wars and death and destruction.

Spirituality in inclusive and unifies. Religion is exclusive and divides.

Spirituality is not dogmatic – there are no rules. Religion is dogmatic – there are rules.

Spirituality recognises that ALL life arose from the one source. Religion teaches differently.

Spirituality loves all sentient beings. Religion loves only those that follow the same texts.

Spirituality encourages thoughtful reflection. Religion does not.

Spirituality is Love. Religion espouses love but doesn’t always show it.

So, while I am desperately sorry for those that lost loved ones ( I lost my only brother in Zimbabwe – killed on his farm by armed insurgents). I am also sorry for the bombers. In their ignorance they thought they were doing the right thing – for their religion.

In this case everyone loses.