Science vs the Sublime: Astronomers oftentimes when viewing the cosmos during a clear and ink-black night reflect on the intuitive sense of wonder as one’s conscious effort to understand the ‘sublime’ aspect of this very unique and encompassing science.This perspective of the starry grandeur in all its magnificence is contrasted to that which can be understood in the scientific reductionist paradigm so characteristic of modern day knowledge. The ‘Ah ah ‘ moments of human insight are rare and have been diminishing due to an accelerated and deliberate undertaking to move away from that which is eternal in the metaphysical sense and to concentrate on the empirical or scientifically-proven epistemology. Now, a reasonable and honest discussion of such a topic should invite a blending of both science and metaphysics as the ancient philosophers certainly understood and who handed us a legacy of rational dissertations to draw upon when engaged in such thought provoking concentration. The study of astronomy is unique by its shear undertaking of attempting to make sense of such awe-inspiring observations in addition to providing an answer to the fundamental question of just how did all this come about. This divergence is the impasse which conjures up the dilemma of the sublime or what one might refer to as the concept, ‘Just me and the Universe’. Humans intuitively know that they are quite insignificant when compared to the structure and size of the universe but at the same time look to the ultimate source of its creation and or beginning. It is here where we are faced with the sublime or whatever that means to one’s understanding of their place in the grand scheme of things. Alas, we have come to the crux of the issue ! The current trends in science are increasingly and without reservation relying on the empirical or what can be proven in the laboratory as scientific truth. The Newtonian – Descartes linear world of cause and effect has kept a tight grasp on scientific knowledge for the last 350 years. In those areas of scientific endeavor which researchers cannot understand fully, such a conundrum serves as the medium for fostering unknown and / or exotic models. Researchers and theoreticians alike when forced to make sense of it all will resort to untested mathematical equations and further begin the process of promoting scientific anomalies . ( ie, black holes , dark energy, dark matter, etc.) These nebulous and problematic complexities are often held as sacrosanct by the scientific community. I wish to digress by stating that perhaps the understanding of it all is a tad less than that which is currently being put forth in scientific circles. Rene’ Descartes, the father of empiricism and scientific reductionism had it wrong when he stated “ I think, therefore I am.” A more encompassing and humbling statement would propose an enlightened scrutiny by stating ,” I AM, therefore I think”. Thus we are divinely inspiring in our attempts to understand the sublime . “Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.” Albert Einstein “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” Leonardo Da Vinci thewarriormystic.info
Posted on: Fri, 02 Jan 2015 03:16:04 +0000
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