Much of contemporary spirituality, I think, aims at a certain type of unification or “non-duality.” It aims, that is, to erase or transcend distinctions rather than draw them; to reach the whole, rather than the part. Indeed, to the extent that an “existential” attitude aims, ultimately, to encompass as much of the “whole picture” as possible, some aspiration towards unity seems almost inevitable.
But as we raise the level of abstraction, but wish to persist in some kind of existential affirmation, we will include, and affirm, more and more of the world’s horror, too (until, indeed, we move past what the world is actually like, to what it could be like, and to horrors untold).
Here’s another riff on this theme: I performed a thought experiment once, which I return to regularly. A “three O” (omnipotent, omniscient, omni-benevolent) God would imply six opposite qualities:
nonexistent or omni-failing/entropic
omni-unknowing or omni-stupid
omni-uncaring or omni-malevolent
(We’ll forego the partlys here: partly stupid, partly malevolent, etc. for simplicity.)
The God that does not exist is, by definition, also omni-unknowning and omni-uncaring. (This opposite God, in not existing, would not be capable of failing, misunderstanding, or hating.) This is the un-God of strong atheism, the zero to the Christian God’s infinities. Other religions posit other combinations, including finite partly-gods and alternative Three O’s.
By existing, a three O’s God implies the nonexistence of the no-O un-God. But the un-God would also not-exist in any universe without God, or any universe with partly-gods. The un-God is not falsifiable because there is no conceivable universe in which it does not not-exist; any existence thereof (or super-nonexistence) would be a deviation of the attributes of the un-God, which would make it no longer the un-God.
And so, any being which acts in entropic, stupid, or malevolent ways serves the un-God, which cannot act because it does not exist, but which can be imagined as an open maw, ever-devouring but never fillable. Thus “Moloch,” entropy in every aspect, the “all is vanity, and a chasing after wind” of Ecclesiastes.
I love this thought. This un-god is what I’ve always called the Void, or Oblivion, or the Death Force. (I actually am a mystic, myself, and have rather idiosyncratic perspectives on spiritual stuff like this, due to personal experiences, but I definitely have noticed the un-god and been disturbed by how few people seem aware of it. In fact, rationalists may be the only people who are aware of it.)
It actually (didn’t) show up in one of the final (and best) novels of the old Star Wars canon, Luke Skywalker and the Shadows of Mindor by Matthew Stover.
It also (doesn’t) show up in the Elder Scrolls series as Sithis, the Void.
Here’s another riff on this theme: I performed a thought experiment once, which I return to regularly. A “three O” (omnipotent, omniscient, omni-benevolent) God would imply six opposite qualities:
nonexistent or omni-failing/entropic
omni-unknowing or omni-stupid
omni-uncaring or omni-malevolent
(We’ll forego the partlys here: partly stupid, partly malevolent, etc. for simplicity.)
The God that does not exist is, by definition, also omni-unknowning and omni-uncaring. (This opposite God, in not existing, would not be capable of failing, misunderstanding, or hating.) This is the un-God of strong atheism, the zero to the Christian God’s infinities. Other religions posit other combinations, including finite partly-gods and alternative Three O’s.
By existing, a three O’s God implies the nonexistence of the no-O un-God. But the un-God would also not-exist in any universe without God, or any universe with partly-gods. The un-God is not falsifiable because there is no conceivable universe in which it does not not-exist; any existence thereof (or super-nonexistence) would be a deviation of the attributes of the un-God, which would make it no longer the un-God.
And so, any being which acts in entropic, stupid, or malevolent ways serves the un-God, which cannot act because it does not exist, but which can be imagined as an open maw, ever-devouring but never fillable. Thus “Moloch,” entropy in every aspect, the “all is vanity, and a chasing after wind” of Ecclesiastes.
I love this thought. This un-god is what I’ve always called the Void, or Oblivion, or the Death Force. (I actually am a mystic, myself, and have rather idiosyncratic perspectives on spiritual stuff like this, due to personal experiences, but I definitely have noticed the un-god and been disturbed by how few people seem aware of it. In fact, rationalists may be the only people who are aware of it.)
It actually (didn’t) show up in one of the final (and best) novels of the old Star Wars canon, Luke Skywalker and the Shadows of Mindor by Matthew Stover.
It also (doesn’t) show up in the Elder Scrolls series as Sithis, the Void.