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“This universe… has not been made
by any god or man… but is an
ever-living fire, kindling itself by
regular measures…” –Heraclitus,
Fr.20.
Photo (cc) Andy Morris. |
Naturalists can be found in many places extolling the value of reason
and evidence so this will not be a redundant preaching to the choir.
What I hope to do differently here includes two things: (1) to highlight
how our naturalist understanding of the world leads to, or relates to,
the importance of reason and evidence; and (2) to explain why reason and
evidence is not the ‘end-all, be-all’ of
Spiritual Naturalism or our spiritual practice.
Evidence and Reason are two things we use to determine what is real
or true. Basic physical evidence is simply raw fact and doesn’t quite
get us to broad applicable conclusions of the world by itself. It must
be gathered in a reliable way, assessed rationally, and then processed
with reason in order to provide a picture of the world.
Our evidence is rarely complete, and we are imperfect at gathering it
accurately. And, when it comes to processing it with our reason, we can
make many mistakes and fail to comprehend. So, using reason and
evidence to glimpse reality is an imperfect process with a lot of
pitfalls. But it is the best process we have found so far for coming to
reliable, repeatable, conclusions about the objective world –
conclusions that display their veracity by the fact we can take actions
and craft things in accord with them which are effective. But because
this approach is imperfect and limited, we have to proceed with humility
and take careful precautions to help ensure we are not overstating or
missing things. Most importantly, all conclusions must be provisional
and open to revision based on continual looking and learning. There are
many such humble yet rational people in the world. But what even they
miss will be addressed later.
For now, I would like to explore why naturalists use evidence and
reason as a means to gain knowledge about the world. We could go into
the history of these ideas with respect to Western civilization and the
Enlightenment, or the history of ideas in the East. But here I will keep
things general and conceptual.
Many people don’t realize that these two pillars of knowledge are
derived directly from our view of what the universe, or reality, is. The
two traits that define reality as naturalists see it are: (1) It is
monistic, and (2) it operates according to natural law.
Our use of evidence derives directly from the implications of monism, and our use of reason derives from the implications of natural laws.
Monism
Without getting too technical, there are varieties of ‘monism’. But
simply put, like many ancient Greek philosophers, we view the universe
as One. That is, it is one integrated whole. All of its parts are
interconnected and interdependent, with nothing ‘transcending’ or
‘super’ to nature. At least, not the parts we can observe and
cross-verify with one another. So, it’s not that things outside Nature
aren’t
possible – it’s just that we simply don’t base our
perspectives, principles, or practices off of them or found our
spirituality upon things we can’t claim to know*. This holistic view of
reality is also generally consistent with the Vedic metaphor of
Indra’s Net in ancient India and the Buddhist concept of interconnectedness.
The reason why our use of evidence is derived from interdependence is
because this creates a chain of consequences for every state of being
or event in a system. In other words, if something is true, or an event
happens, it should leave behind results of that happening or states
which can be observed and traced back to its cause. Anything outside
this interconnected web in which we find ourselves would not leave
evidence that we could reliably use to make statements about it. So, the
reason we do not include these things in our spiritual practices is not
necessarily because reality is limited, but because – in either case –
we are limited.
Natural Law
Natural Law, or the laws of physics, are really quite an astounding thing to consider. Heraclitus spoke of the
Logos
– that is, the underlying rational order by which the universe
operates, and he said Nature’s complex transformations were like a
kindling in an ever-living divine fire. Some later thinkers would
associate the rational operation of the universe with a reasoning mind
like ours, which played into concepts of personified deities (eventually
the Christians used ‘Logos’ to mean ‘the word of God’). But it is clear
to us today that the universe does operate rationally, in that its
motions can be examined, understood, and described.
Buddhist causality (see
pratītyasamutpāda), or dependent
origination, also describes how events take place in the world because
of prior causes. This may seem a rudimentary statement to us today, but
in ancient times when so much was not understood about nature, this was
an impressive and crucial achievement. People didn’t need to fear that a
storm or illness was because they were displeasing the gods or spirits.
Neither did people need to think that their lot was entirely up to
chance.
The fact that things happen for a reason and because of causes means
that we can work to understand those causes and take action to change
them. Centuries before the beginning of the Enlightenment, these
concepts would open the door to the use of reason to solve problems.
This is why our use of reason derives from the fact that the universe
operates in predictable, understandable ways. Given that our brains
evolved in such a system, for dealing with our environment, the notion
that our own rational capacity is a ‘spark’ of that divine fire
operating throughout the cosmos is not wholly off base.
Discerning what ‘reason says’ from what ‘we say’
The problem that arises when many naturalists discuss evidence is
that they tend to focus on what everyone else is doing wrong. We too
often use it as a tool to criticize others, or to dismiss them or their
beliefs. To so many, the paramount issue is ‘being right’.
Walter: “Am I wrong!?”
The Dude: “You’re not wrong, Walter. You’re just an asshole!”
– The Big Lebowski
The Spiritual Naturalist approach, however, is to take to heart what
Gandhi said about being the change you wish to see in the world, and
what the Stoics recognized – that the only thing we truly control is our
own values, character, and choices. Our spiritual practice thus reminds
us to turn toward ourselves and trust that humility and our living
example will be a better testament and inspiration than offense and
debate. But, importantly, understanding this is about more than merely
‘public relations’. We sincerely need to reassess the role, emphasis,
and place of reason in our hearts and minds as naturalists.
Limitations of the rational faculties
“Logic is the beginning of wisdom… not the end.”
– Mr. Spock, Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
All good scientists and rational people understand the limitations of
reason and evidence. As naturalists we cannot use those limitations as
an excuse to make unjustified claims. But what we can recognize is that
the human mind is vastly more complex, diverse, and subtle than merely a
tool for conducting formal logical operations. Active conscious reason
is an important tool we possess, but there are many things far too
subtle, vast, or complex for our conscious rational processes to handle.
For example, ask any athlete what they are thinking about during
their most complicated or vigorous actions and they will report a kind
of thoughtless flow. Undoubtedly, the brain is making many incredibly
complex real-time ‘calculations’ for lack of a better word. But these
operations lie beyond that subset we refer to as the rational tools we
use to assess arguments, plan, or build things.
But it goes even further than merely doing things. It also extends to
understanding
things – really perceiving them directly, or what might traditionally
be called ‘gnosis’. This is a kind of intuitive grasping that goes
deeper than mere intellectual knowledge. If I tell you about a fist than
came within one inch of my face, you grasp “inch”. But when I tell you
about a galaxy 3 million parsecs from earth, you only intellectually
know what a “parsec” is. An inch is on the scale of your experience,
whereas a parsec is an abstract concept of distance.
The difference between inches and parsecs is the most rudimentary
example and doesn’t even begin to cover some of the vast subtleties of
reality that only experience can really lead us to grasping intuitively.
Yet these kinds of intuitive understandings is of what wisdom largely
consists; and this is why a wise or experienced person cannot simply
explain a list of facts to an unwise or inexperienced person to improve
their condition.
Perception and understanding as broader concepts
We do not currently know of any verified means by which knowledge
enters the mind other than the physical senses. But what we need to
understand is that our normal perception of the world is being seen
through a filter. Our brains evolved to block out a lot of information,
or to prioritize it and emphasize it to us in a certain order. This is
why we aren’t constantly distracted by the bits of dust floating in the
air as we engage in a business meeting. Yet, the ‘goals’ of our
instinctive brain, including the intermediary goals of our rational
brain, are arbitrary and unrelated to the true reality of the larger
world in which we exist. That goal-set, and the filtering and
prioritizing of our incoming impressions, is a bias on reality. But even
more, once we get that customized set of inputs, we further limit them
by applying labels and categorizations to them based on our limited
experience, deluding ourselves into believing that the abstract symbols
of language have enhanced our understanding rather than constrained it.
True reality has no such filtering and cannot be so easily described by
our simple vocalizations.
Why is this important? The world, as it truly exists, is an
extraordinary dance of overwhelming interactions. It is boundless and
luminous in all of its dimensions and ever-changing forms – time itself
laid out like an eternal tapestry. To say it is beautiful or interesting
is a comical understatement. There are states of mind in which the veil
of that filter is lifted and we can catch glimpses of the world. One
must necessarily step up to more advanced ways of conversing than
technical language, such as poetry, to describe it if only partially.
People interpret those experiences as best they can, and in different
ways but language fails to convey them to others (a problem I face in
even writing this article). But even these paltry glimpses, if a person
is ready for them, can change a life forever.
This is relevant to naturalistic spirituality (or more specifically,
to its purpose – human happiness) because such grasping is instrumental
in handling the events in life as an athlete handles the
moment-to-moment flow of their sport. Taoists describe this effortless
action, and to increase our ability to handle life in the same manner
greatly improves our experience.
Importantly, this is not merely an emotional placebo that makes us
feel better about our lot. It is deeper perception of an objective truth
about reality, which yields real fruits that allow for more skillful
action in our lives than was possible before. This is much like they way
rationality allows us intellectual knowledge which yields the ability
to achieve simpler goals, yet at a level that makes it understandable
why so many in history have confused it with magic (or, perhaps current
understandings may lead to a refined understanding of a more relevant
use for that word).
A space for the a-rational
These things are not opposed to, or contrary to, reason or logic or
evidence-based approaches. They are not irrational. But they are
a-rational
– other ways of grasping our conditions and responding to them than
strictly using our conscious logical faculties. While logic and reason
can do things we will always need, they are essentially one tool in our
toolbox. The problem arises when we think this is our only tool, or when
we think the things it does are the only things that need doing.
Another problem is when people try to use this kind of intuitive
grasping in places where reason is needed or to make unsubstantiated
claims about individual matters of fact. Intuition of this kind is best
used to grasp the subtle flow of complex systems in a real-time or
interactive manner when simple reason is not sufficient or possible.
From that grasping comes a balanced view and value judgments, which help
guide our actions (or refrain from action) in highly complex
situations.
It is also this kind of view which informs us, in a profound way, of
that value which is even more primary than even reason: compassion.
Perceptions of interconnectedness will inevitably lead us away from the
isolated goal-set of our lone egos. As we take on that larger view in an
intuitive and deep way, compassion becomes more than either a mere
concept or an empathic impulse. It becomes an obvious natural response
to reality; its contrary being madness. This too increases life skills.
How can strictly reason-based ethical models serve us in a vast, complex
world where all the variables, options, and consequences are rarely
known to us? We must rely on our virtues and these are cultivated from
wide holistic grasping of the subtleties of things –
the flow of Nature.
These perspectives can be cultivated through many different means.
Altered states have been reached in near-death experiences or with
chemical assistance and most commonly in dreams and appreciation of
beauty, but there are many other ways of glimpsing these big-picture aha
moments. This is one role for ritual, music, art, myth, community, and
many other practices like various kinds of meditation and more. When the
right realizations come together, we can even have unintentional and
unexpected epiphanies which lead to grasping while in a rational mode
(such as reading philosophy). You’ll know it when you feel your heart
beating from the rush.
It is a large and robust space for these kinds of activities,
processes, and explorations that naturalists need. We need to understand
these are not mere entertainments or spice. They are integral to
greater wisdom and happiness in our lives and in the world. Therefore,
we cannot be content to explore rituals, myth, and practices as
scientists studying other humans in a lab. We must engage in them openly
ourselves to fully understand. All of this forms one part of a complete
practice that embraces naturalism and its methods alongside everything
else it means to be human – reason
and compassion. This is what the Spiritual Naturalist Society and its members are interested in.
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The Spiritual Naturalist Society works to spread awareness of spiritual
naturalism as a way of life, develop its thought and practice, and help
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* Withholding assent to that which we do not know or cannot know is an
act of cultivating humility and a spiritual practice I like to refer to
by the ancient Pyrrhonian term,
Epoché.
