Tuesday, May 11, 2010
On Free Will
I do not believe in free will. I believe it is an illusion built into our lives so that we may function the only way we know how. Consider this: God is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent. If you believe all of these are true, than you will find, as I have, that free will does not exist. At the end of the day, either God is in control, or He is not. What occurs outside of His will? Truly, nothing. If God is truly omniscient, then He knows what you’re going to say and do well before it occurs, and He knows the same about every person and every molecule in the universe. He knows what has happened, what is happening, and what is going to happen. Time does not exist for Him in His eternity. He also has a plan for each and every one of us, and indeed for the entire world. Shall any man do something to counteract or interrupt that plan? Shall any man do something that God did not anticipate from before the beginning of time? Even if man could do such a thing, would God not have already fashioned a response, also before the beginning of time?
What I’m getting at here is this: God knows everything, God controls everything, and thus we must control nothing. We can’t control something God doesn’t control, because He is truly omnipotent; we can’t truly make a choice because God, knowing that choice in advance, has prepared everything in existence proceeding that choice, allotting for that choice being made. What happens outside His knowledge or beyond His control? Again, nothing. As such, I have concluded, that free will is a concept implanted in our brains so that we may operate as beings, not robots. We think we have choice, and as such we are able to live with freedom of mind. That is the true key to existence. No, we don’t have free will, but because we think we do, we are able to live and to be, even though everything that ever was and will be has already been woven and put into place.
I’m pretty sure Calvin exhausted the idea of pre-destination a while ago, and I know I would face the stocks if I suggested I subscribed to that belief. I really don’t, because I don’t live my life like that. Call me a hypocrite, but I live my life as though I, and my fellow man, do have free will. But when I step back from the realm of practice and into the realm of theory, I cannot deny my conclusion: free will is just an illusion.
Brief Musings on "Of Human Bondage"
Anyway, what I meant to get at was that I did not enjoy the book…until the last 25 pages. The last few chapters of the books changed my whole opinion of it, and I will love it forever. It left me with realization of the truth that everyone is truly flawed, in mind or in body. Everyone is trapped within their own form of human bondage. Much like the protagonist of the novel, upon realizing this I was filled with compassion for all mankind. There is so much hurt and pain, and all we want is warmth and freedom. The protagonist is reminded of the words of the dying God, “Forgive them, for they know not what they do.” A simple phrase, but one which can radically change the lives of whoever follows its meaning to practical fruition. True freedom is found in exploring one’s capacity for beauty, in love and self-sacrifice, and in this holy compassion which begs us to forgive rather than to condemn. For what damnation can we impose on others which we do not also fall prey to ourselves? A final note, do not be confused by my conjoining of love and self-sacrifice. Much like Aristotle claims that a man truly possesses a virtue when he obtains pleasure from it, but does not possess it for the purpose of pleasure, so does a man truly love when he sacrifices himself, rather than sacrificing for the sake of love. Sacrifice, much like pleasure, is a by-product of love, not the purpose of it.
Meditation, Contemplation, and Prayer
This makes me wonder what the ancient philosophers, most of whom I respect greatly, would respond to the concept of prayer as I understand it. Would it be denounced as ignorant submission to folklore? Or would men like Aristotle consider it on par with his prized contemplation? I, for one, subscribe myself to the latter opinion. Though cultural elements might stand in the way of my prediction, I feel that those who chose to lend honest looks at prayer would develop not only a respect, but a desire for it. And who, if not the philosophers we studied, would look at such a concept with said honesty? But regardless of whatever speculation arises out of the ancient philosopher’s opinions on prayer, I know where I stand. I used to spend lots of time in contemplation, and though I feel it expanded my mind and capacity to experience life, it never yielded the rewarding sense of fulfillment that prayer does for me. Besides, I seem to contemplate enough without even trying, so I think I’ll devote my effort and discipline to habituation of prayer.
Numbers
Our two givens:
Barney = Cute Purple Dinosaur
Barney = Evil
Now, let us analyze the linguistics:
U=V in Latin
Change all the U’s to V’s in the phrase “cute purple dinosaur”
Now we have:
Cvte Pvrple Dinosavr
Extricate all the Roman numerals:
C+V+V+L+D+I+V
Convert these to Arabic numerals
100+5+5+50+500+1+5
Then, upon finding the sum of these numerals, you will see the horrible truth:
Cute Purple Dinosaur = 666
Therefore, Barney = 666
Therefore, Barney = Evil
Needless to say, my appreciation for numbers is directly correlated with my appreciation for Pythagoras. I might not like math, but I have supreme respect and interest in his numerical approach to contemplation, purification of the soul, and philosophy in general.
Future in Motion
But if the future is in motion, mustn’t it reach the midpoint before it reaches the end? So, can we never reach the future? Has the past never reached us? No Zeno! Go away!
Academic Habituation
Monday, May 10, 2010
Christian Metal in the Cave
But upon reflection, I was reminded of the allegory of the cave. I remembered that, for those who had seen truth and beauty, it is their responsibility to descend back into the cave to spread the good news, often facing ridicule and rejection. Though my gut still feels queasy at the notion of professing faith over a microphone, I must realize that I, who have seen what I believe to be the truth, am called to do it. Again, it’s still not something I’m comfortable with, simply because I know many are made uncomfortable by it. But in the end, I feel I must yield to what I truly believe is right, and be thankful that I’m not the man with the mic. All I have to do is play music…
The Speakers' Advocate
Even if these views lack the accuracy of Socrates’ more universal view of Eros, they should not be understood as wrong. Because for these individuals, love exists in the aforementioned ways. In my opinion, to deny love’s adaptive nature is just as heinous as limiting it to a specific mode of expression.
Applying Zeno's Paradox
But then I must ask, what if, upon reaching the midpoint, I decide to make the middle my end? Take that you scurvy bastard!
An Experience with the Forms
Afterwards, I got to thinking about Plato’s theory of the forms, and I realized something. I’ve been lots of places, met lots of people, and tried lots of things. But my first show might be a time when I was the closest I’ve ever been to the forms, and to my true existence. I say this because, honestly, I barely even remember being on stage. But how is that so? Clearly my previous words have expressed how impactful this experience was. For it to make such an impact, I must be able to remember it, right? I don’t think so. I think that, for a moment, I was on a plane of existence where time didn’t matter, where conventional reality didn’t exist, and where I was in a state of being comparable to nothing less than pure bliss. I can tell you right now, I’m addicted to the stage. Indeed, the thing that made me happiest that night is this: I get to do it all again on Wednesday. I get to revel in the beauty and awe all over again. For a short period of earthly time, my soul gets to fly back home. Hail Metal \m/
An Optimistic View of Democritean Atomism
I choose to see it in a different way. If this philosophy of atomism suggests that the universe is truly a coincidental assortment of elements, it seems to me to be one of the greatest arguments for selfless unity and equality to date. For why should I, a collection of atoms, be any greater than you, a collection of atoms? Why should I be more or less privileged? Why should I be afraid to part with the atoms which form my resources, and why should I value them above anything or anyone else? Such a viewpoint also eliminates fear, for why should I be afraid of a few atoms, no matter what they compose? Lastly, it generates a sense of eternity, for as the laws of physics tell us, mass can neither be created, nor destroyed. What are we but a mass of atoms? There is no sense of becoming, no sense of passing out of existence. We simply are, wherever we are, whenever we are.
Friday, April 16, 2010
On Intellectual and Moral Virtue
An interesting event occurred a few weeks ago, on which I feel I’ve grasped greater understanding since beginning the study of Aristotle. I felt compelled one Sunday night to wake up the next morning and see the sunrise. I thought it quite perplexing that I, and indeed most of us, deprive ourselves daily of such a beautiful sight. So, despite briefly succumbing to the temptations of the snooze alarm, I awoke and walked atop a nearby parking garage. I shan’t try to cheapen the sunrise with words, especially since it’s not vital to the story, but it was indeed beautiful. The rest of the morning consisted of some exercise, reading, and a trip to the grocery store. After shopping, I thought a cup of Starbucks would be the perfect thing to segway into the afternoon, and so I went. After buying my coffee, I walked to my car and got inside. Up to this point, my day had been wholly and profoundly introspective, save for the brief interactions I shared with cashiers. God was working on my mind and my heart.
As I began to turn the car on, my personal bubble was popped with a knock on my window. I looked to my left to see a man standing outside. He was wearing a red, button-down shirt tucked into his jeans. The shirt had a plaid pattern, his hair was dirty blonde and unkempt from worried sweat, and he sported a mustache which covered the entirety of his upper lip. I would guess he was in his late 40’s. Being that he didn’t appear to be the type of man who would rob, kill, or preach to me, I turned my radio down and lowered the window.
He introduced himself (his name escapes my memory) and explained that he had lost his wallet, and he and his family (a wife and daughter) were in desperate need of gas money to get along. He said if I could help him in any way, he would slap two new tires on my car the first chance he got. I immediately dismissed his offer out of laziness. Regardless, I grabbed my wallet and removed the sum of its currency: four $1 bills. I honestly wish I had more to give him, and I told him so, but he shot down such a notion. “Right now, this is worth a million bucks” he said in a broken voice. The kind of voice that sees hope after enduring despairing stress. I told him good day, and God bless, to which he replied “He does every day when I get outta bed.”
Leaving the parking lot of Starbucks, I got onto the highway and felt an unusual feeling. I didn’t feel doubt as to whether or not he was actually telling me the truth about his situation, nor did I possess a sense of self-righteous fulfillment. I actually felt I hadn’t done enough. I felt as though I should have done more. It even crossed my mind to turn around, follow him to the nearest ATM, and get more money…a call which I didn’t obey. But why did I feel this way? I’d done something good, hadn’t I? I did not think on the matter until I began studying the relationship Aristotle posits between intellectual and moral virtue.
I’ve concluded that my introspective morning resulted in a heightened sense of intellectual virtue within myself at that particular time. When faced with a moral dilemma, I responded as my heart told me, and thus demonstrated a level of moral virtue. However, my intellectual virtue was elevated to such an extent, at that particular time, that my moral virtue did not live up to it. My actions did not live up to my thoughts, though they were exercised in the same direction and towards the same goal. But this only led me to question further. How dependant is moral virtue on intellectual virtue, and is the latter cheapened if the former does not match its magnitude? I shall continue to ponder…
Friday, January 22, 2010
All that being said, I suppose it would appear to be fruitlessly hypocritical if I didn't give you a proper introduction of myself (though I would rather have others bother with my introduction...if they're right about me, I don't have to risk arrogance, and if they're wrong, I should have plenty of time to correct unworthy accusations through my own speech and actions). So where should I begin? My name is Jay Robinson, and I am currently a sophomore Film & Digital Media student at Baylor University. I primarily enrolled in Dr. Bowery's Classical Philosophy class to fulfill one of many social sciences required of me here at Baylor. But aside from that unpleasant necessity, I am here because I have always had an interest in thinking. What better way to fuel interest in thinking, besides thinking of course, than learning about how thinkers thought?
A few fun-factual tidbits perhaps? I love music. I can usually find at least one song likable in any genre, although at times it can be difficult, especially when dealing with Country and Rap (note: Top 40 is not a "genre", and as such I reserve the right to not strain myself in attempting to find any likable songs underneath that umbrella). Primarily, however, I am a metalhead to the core. Heavy Metal in all its forms puts a smile on my face and a spring in my black-clothed step. Naturally, I could only listen to metal for so long before I wanted to play it, so around Christmas time of my junior year in high school I bought my first bass guitar. I've been in love with the 4-string weapon ever since.
As a Film & Digital Media major, one might conclude that I love movies. Well, I do. Above all, I'm a Sci-Fi/Fantasy fan, but really, I love anything with a good story and good characters. The Star Wars movies are the greatest movies ever made. Period. Don't try to argue, I will win, and you will go home and watch all six back to back. I also love computer/video games. Play them all the time...it's not anti-social if it's an MMO, okay? And I think that's a wrap! Anything else you want to know will probably be revealed throughout the semester, and it would be dishonest of me to say I'm not looking forward to it.