The Definition of Absurdity

There is an old maxim that I've applied to much of my worldview: Nothing is true, everything is possible. Another simple way to say it is that there is no objective truth in the world. Now, a common rebuttal is to say that the above maxim is itself an objective truth, thereby discrediting it as a self contradictory statement. This is, of course, quite true... if you only take a literal look at said statement.

Let me show you a different way.

When a man (I say man to keep my thoughts in particular order, not to support some chauvinistic patriarchal way of life) is young, he is taught that a particular way of thought holds some truth of the way this world does or ought to function. We hold these ideals as self evident, as beginnings from which logic flows rather than ends which we achieve with time. These truths can be as complex as an entire religion with many teaching from any manner of religious text or as simple as 'do as your told' and 'good things happen to good people'. In most cases such axioms are necessary for a civilization of any size to function properly.

However, when a man confronts the Absurd, that which is contrary to what the man knows as objective truth, he comes at a crossroads, and must make a choice between three different paths. However, the actual choices that can be made is the topic of a later discussion.

Still, when a man confronts the absurd and embraces it (one of the three choices) he returns with an intimate understanding of the chaotic nature of the world with which he is a part of. However, he is still forced to use the axioms of reason simply because that is all he knows or understands. Despite his new found wisdom, he is trapped in the communication techniques of his past life. It is much like when an individual claims to have a God experience and returns unable to fully put into words what he experienced in his encounter. Likewise, when a man confronts the Absurd, he is likewise unable to fully put into exact words what he experienced in that circumstance.

So to say that the axiom 'There are no objective truths' is a self contradictory fallacy isn't itself an incorrect statement, but only if you take this idea in the most literal sense possible. if you allow it to hint at a much larger idea that cannot be put into exact words, you allow the possibility of such an idea to take full shape.

This is, at least, what I understand as self evident in this moment, and that itself may change with enough time.

Crafting a Religion, Crafting an Afterlife

After the daunting task of creating a cosmogony, I've decided now to work on a chaos based ideal of an afterlife. For those of you who didn't read my cosmogony, check out my earlier note 'Crafting a Religion, Crafting a Cosmogony'. Please reply to this thought experiment if you feel so inclined. Again, I'm telling this in a series of stories. Hope you enjoy them.

Also, I'm doing this in class, so pardon any grammatical errors.

On the Life after Death
or
The Great Idiot Parade

Many ages ago there was a great school, within who's wall the greatest minds in all the world would teach what they knew to any who would listen. Unfortunately, one of the teachers there made a slight against the goddess Eris. As a result, the surrounding area was torn asunder by war, and all of the great scholars died.

And such was the way of Eris, breaker of men's hearts.

And so the world went along, as it is prone to do, in complete ignorance. Being that humans at the time were an extremely lazy bunch, few indeed went out of their way to learn the great secrets of the world, thinking of such things as not very useful until gone.

And so it came to pass that neigh a century passed since learned folk gathered in numbers, ever in fear that Eris would return with a vengeance that would make even wild Boar tremble in his stride. But alas, Eris had long sense grown bored with the whole 'nerd hot' scene for the time being. But it was here that these womanless losers came in great numbers to consider among themselves the secrets of the world, and ponder on the great mysteries of life.

It was also here that such bad ideas as taxes and daytime talk shows were first deduced, if in a primitive form.

An so about these scholars went, arguing back and forth on this and that, when Coyote came amongst them dressed in the manner of a squire. Coyote was great in his ability to hide, so instead of the wise fool, they beheld but a young lad attempting to understand their great thoughts.

It was then that the young lad who was Coyote asked aloud, 'Grand Wise Sages, what, pray tell, happens to the mind and soul after the body dies?'

At this, one sage said to the young lad, 'Boy, were you wise you would know this. When the body dies, the soul leaves this place and becomes one with He and She the Divine Architect.'

Another such sage said in retort, 'Nay, that is folly. The soul never leaves this place, but rather returns time and time again in an attempt to reach perfection. Were you wise you would know this.'

And yet a different sage said, 'Fellow sages, you are both wrong. The mind cannot exist without the body, so if the body dies, so does the mind. Were you wise you would know this.'

And yet another sage said, 'Folly on you all. Only those souls who are pure return to the Divine Source, and the rest are discard in fire. Were you wise you would know this.'

And then the entire school went into an uproar, each scholar saying his own views on how they were right or the others were wrong. Such a ruckus it made that even the local gods of the area were disturbed.

It was then that the young lad who was Coyote said to the angry group, 'Grand Sages, surely you are all wise.'

To which the wise sages replied, 'Yes, we are.'

The lad said aloud, 'it seems that each of you have spent their entire lives dedicated to the search of these truths.'

To which the wise sages replied, 'Yes, we have.'

And finally the lad said, 'But it seems that whilst you have studied life, you have forgotten how to live. What good is this grand wisdom if you are unhappy with the time that you have? What good is knowledge of the future if you cannot enjoy the present? Were you wise you would know this.'

The wise sages looked at each other, unsure of what to say. And at that, the young lad who was Coyote went off and played ball with some of the local children, and went the rest of the day playing in the fields.

Crafting a Religion, Crafting a Cosmogony

A few weeks ago I decided to craft my own religion. Not in any real sense, but rather as a thought experiment, tying together all of my central ideals into a set of stories incorporating the styles of my favorite traditions.

This is the first of such stories. I hope you enjoy my work.

The Making of What IS and IS NOT
or
The Divine Blame Game

In the beginning there was the great old ones, He and She the divine architect that made all things. No one knows their names, for a name has power. To name the infinite is to make it finite, and He and She the Divine Architect cannot be made finite.

In the beginning, He and She the Divine Architect named all things, and the name that was given gave form to the thing, and the thing that was given form learned how to be, and all was good. Every God and Spirit and Tree and Stone and Animal and Man and Woman lived and flourished, and in the beginning all were pleased.

And so it was that He and She the Divine Architect sat back and were very pleased with then selves, when Coyote came to them. And upon seeing Coyote, He and She the Diving Architect smiled, for they knew him to be a kind creature, full of laughter. It was then that Clever Coyote said, "Oh how great is your creation, for it is good in every respect. Yet still I wonder if it is too good."

Upon hearing this He and She the Divine Architect was astonished, and asked Coyote what he meant, for though Coyote was a Fool, in true colors he was the wisest of all things, fare wiser then any of the sage Gods and always saw into the heart of things.

Coyote continued with a wry smile. "Pardon my rudeness, grand Architect, but I wonder. In this world you have created, all things are in perfect balance. Every God and Spirit performs their purpose accordingly. Every Tree and Stone and Animal behaves as you have named them. Every Man and Woman understands their role and behaves as such. There exists no such thing that is not good. It makes me wonder, though, as to why one would name a thing if the thing itself could not change and thus finds its own meaning."

And thus He and She the Divine Architect looked at the world and realized the truth of Coyote's words. The world they created was in perfect order and would never change. In that instance, they realized that the magnificence of the world they created was no more then a trinket or trophy by which they can judge their own magnificence. And thus they were troubled, for their world would not grow past what it was, and yet their role as the Creator was over.

It was then that He and She the Divine Architect beseeched Coyote to bring change to their world. To make it whole in and of itself. To unbalance the equation that was all things. It was then the He and She the Divine Architect left the world, for their role as Creator was done.

When Coyote was left alone, he then went down to this place named Earth, where the Divine was manifested in physical form. It was here that the powers of Order was most powerful. As it was, it was here that Coyote decided to bring Change to the world, and create this thing called Chaos.

He drifted down to a nearby girl. A young and pretty lass who sat beneath a tall tree on a summer day. As Coyote came upon her, she hailed him and he came close. It was then that Coyote began to whisper in her ear a short tale of vulgar absurdity. The face of the young lass became quite red, and she belted out of her mouth a sound that had not existed until that moment.

And thus, the young lass went to a healthy young lad, and whispered into his ear the tale of vulgar absurdity, and he too made such a sound. As they saw each other, they realized each others beauty, and became as one.

It was such that similar tales of vulgar absurdity drifted about all the worlds among beings of every type. And things began to happen that were in contrast to order, and people began to do things of their own accord, and each in their own soon began to realize that they could be as they chose, and act as they willed. And they called these tales Jokes, and the sounds they made Laughter.

And as time passed, and people began to develop new contraptions, Coyote would come down and give to the people of the world such other ideas as religion and government and bureaucracy, and thus Chaos was given to the world in its purist form: Laughter.

And so it was, and so it is, and with any luck, so it will be.