Orthodoxy of a scientific mind
The last few decades of human civilization have seen a surge in technology and scientific methods, every other product, service, talk, advice and book has an add-on to sell which goes like “based on science”, “breakthrough research”, and “30-year study”.
It is good to base one decision on some data and rational thinking. Still, problems start to appear when the object being observed and theorized cannot be comprehended by observation and tangible materialistically.
The scientific mindset is a way of thinking that helps you approach situations and problems through critical thinking and skepticism. It encourages you to question assumptions and test ideas objectively to get closer to the truth (at least as objectively as possible).
All is good with the above definition, but this idea falters because humans are humans; what they claim, do not follow and what they follow are based on their desires; or what is the common societal belief.
It's hard for any human to go against the norms followed in a culture and people are looked down upon if they try to go against it.
The scientific method became the only yardstick for the modern mind after it broke its bond with religion; mainly because of issues caused by the understanding of Christian religion which caused the Reformation movement, followed by the Renaissance.
In a quest, to step away from religion, the modern mind must answer many questions even those it cannot answer. It's not a problem of science or the human mind but of the missing event or tool that can observe certain phenomena.
But to make sense of the world, thinkers, and philosophers, started to come up with theories and an idea of a better world based on individuality and secularism; liberty was given importance so no restrictions could be made on human thought; and everyone was allowed to follow its way of life.
A free Market was established; Capitalism was promoted; and human was reduced to a mere animal by Darwinian principles, who are expected to survive like a selfish gene would in a materialistic world, where sympathy and compassion have no value but a gene that can pass the test of being fittest.
A few centuries later … we are witnessing a world upside down …
So what happened?
In a world defined by, following your desire, you missed the point that certain people are obsessed with power and acquiring other people's resources, and instead of being uncertain and skeptical they are very certain about their Evil goals.
Eventually, capitalist and Vulture-oriented people take control while making the masses their subordinates, they control the majority of money flow, fund war and weapons on both sides of the conflict, reward and promote each other interests, and control information.
Modern intellect mind, instead of identifying these problems has been obsessed with its individuality and desires; and even science in academia only exists to write papers and grants instead driven by people's desires who want to know the truth through science.
We have climate crises, nuclear war crises, loneliness crises, homelessness crises, refugee crises, depression, and drug crises. we think in us vs them and have been divided into multiple small pieces and fearful and angry at each other.
We are witnessing a world that is filled with broken families, injustice, and inequality and people cannot make sense of reality or want to get disconnected and plug in AR-Vr; as they can no longer sustain to live a common decent peaceful life.
In a parallel universe, few of the sane ones have built a false narrative or a worldview to keep themselves in calm waters; and avoid falling into a trap of nihilism.
Let’s look at a few of those lies; in the hope that the intelligent ones can see past the magnificent castle they have built in their brain, and instead try to help humanity at large who are struggling and suffering in the quest of putting two meals on the table.
- We believe in a world created out of nothing, a burst of energy, millions of years, specific conditions, and the universe happened.
If we agree on dark matter and dark energy existence; without even observing it, but based on its impact, why it's difficult to fathom an idea of a higher self; an entity based on the same principle of impact that we can observe around us?
If you have a car, that you maintain by putting gas, and oil periodically. And if someone says that a car came into being itself; and manages its needs on its own; rationally speaking that is an absurd statement.
A perfectly balanced globe and universe following certain laws, and in the changing of day and night, it should not be difficult to conceive a notion of one God that created everything and sustains it.
If one is sincere in its approach then God's concept can be argued through
a) a Contingency Argument
b) Fine-tuning argument
c) an Ontological Argument
d) Predisposition belief in God — In Islam, we have a concept of Fitrah which every child is born with; and concepts of Justice, Mercy, Love, and the concept of God are ingrained in humans at birth.
Oxford Research, https://www.oxfordstudent.com/2011/05/19/god-a-part-of-human-thought/
2. Science cannot reach ultimate reality, but it can help observe and comment on it from a third-person perspective. For example, if there is a tree science can look at it at the atomic level but fails to comment on its history, cause, essence, or what will be its future. It cannot help us get intimate with reality but observe and provide some reasonable answers by observing it.
If we look at the atomic level we cannot further break it down than Quarks; which is a kind of energy but that matter follows certain laws. So is reality a bunch of these energy particles roaming about?
Another question becomes whether the matter can put laws that it follows in itself or if it has come from outside.
Similarly concerning the second law of thermodynamics, entropy or disorder increases over time; but that did not happen after the Big Bang instead we find order in the creation of the universe and stars. does it fail to follow certain rules?
3. The theory of evolution, fails to address how a complex living cell came into existence from a biochemical matter; and without anyone's intervention.
The same is true with Consciousness which is not needed for evolution yet we have it why? Where did it come from? And we have yet to learn about its nature.
But based on observance of the worldly body; we have declared humans an evolved animal. We do not know how the presence of consciousness has an impact and if it differentiates a human from an animal.
Even in terms of intelligence, possession of free will, and progress, is it fair to compare any animal to a human form?
4. We can rationally observe, that alcohol, drugs, sex, and gambling are bad for humans and cause millions of deaths and suffering; they also account for creating an unstable family environment and causing harm to children.
But you would not find any person, who claims to be following rationality and science, speaking against it and pushing the government to make laws against it, what is so difficult in reaching these truths?
Is it our biases against certain truths?
5. Blaming religion, It's fine if you do not want to believe in a God and follow any organized religion, but most of the scientific mind is stuck with this narrative of maligning religion as if all of today's problem is caused by religion.
We have been living in mostly a secular world for more than a century and religion is not playing an active role in politics, economics, or geo-politics; so it's not fair to put today's world problems on it.
The modern mind needs to realize that a worldview created by rational thinkers and philosophers after the Reformation and Renaissance has its problems, we can not let people live as they like because not everyone is sensible or mindful in their judgment; but is lazy enough to find a moral and ethical lifestyle and be consistent about it.
Similarly, democracy is a good idea but you cannot have a convict, or a murderer the same voting rights as a good moral person.
People inherently have weaknesses and have greed and lust for power and acquiring more wealth; which ultimately gives rise to Techno Feudalist, who mostly controls our lives and the information we get and has given rise to more authoritarian regimes.
Nation-state is another way of breaking people down into small groups, so they remain fearful of other nations and spend in acquiring military means rather than investing in people.
I know many of us are frustrated at the current state of the world, with wars, conflict, inequality, social issues, and climate concerns; it's not a problem caused by religion or any belief set but an imbalance created in life driven by secular, liberal ideas fuelled by Capitalism and Nationalism.
So we need to rethink those ideas rather than pointing the finger and venting out frustration at a thing that is not its cause.
6. Progress is failing, We live on a finite planet, which we cannot continue to abuse, also we share it with other animals and plants, and man in his greed cannot continue to exploit it infinitely.
We need to strike a balance like a Bee that gets its nectar from a flower but leaves it in that healthy state; and can produce a nutritious by-product — honey.
The current mindset of modern-day thinkers is that most of the problems we face today; can be solved by another great invention, or by exploring more resources out of this earth.
Like we are just a step away from that invention, but that is only sometimes the case, every problem does not have a materialistic solution, human problems can also be solved by social change, creating laws to prevent certain things, and changes in attitude or behavior.
We were able to invent or find new technologies as we found new ways of observing the matter, but we are hitting our boundaries of imagination and going in a regress and producing dehumanized humans; who have forgotten to answer, “What is a human” and willing to be a bio-human by implanting chips in body, even many young adults cannot find a life partner or not willing to marry and breed.
Conclusion
Belief in God and a higher being is a logical claim, it's based on rationality and sound thought, and if someone does not want to believe in a higher being it's perfectly fine but then please do not consider the other side outdated and waste time arguing about it.
Since a mindset built only using scientific theories does not have all the answers, and even the current state of the secular world has not solved all the human problems, and even it will be fair to say that it has produced existential crises for humanity.
Religious people are willing to accept revealed knowledge through books as a form of knowledge to fill out the gaps or information that cannot be arrived at on its own. They think that it will help them arrive closer to truth and provide the necessary balance this world needs.
So why I am writing, if either side is not capable of understanding the other narrative?
We are at a crossroads; we cannot continue to live in a state of us vs them, blaming each other and continuing to be disunited and blaming each other.
Because evil narcissistic people; are certain of what they are doing, they will find a way to keep us busy in this circus of life, our individuality, and our desires; while continuing to rule over us.
We need to find a way to leave this world in a better state than we found it, we need to come up with an objective of life that is higher than ourselves and our needs, we need to give each other respect and take care of the weak in society.
We need to make laws or demote anything that makes humans disassociate from society and their selves, like drugs, gambling, and anything that is promoted in the name of entertainment or freedom.
We need to promote ideas of Human Unity and Equality, compassion, and care for another human beings irrespective of which part of the land it's born into or the color of their skin.
We can be humble in our approach, and we cannot claim to know everything and be boastful about it.
It is high time we produce humans of high moral consciousness and characters; who are willing to fill this world with Justice and Peace and I invite you to find an ideology or way of life that can produce those individuals who are certain about their consciousness and willing to fight for it like Evil is about its Evilness.
I being a theist have put my thoughts in a piece below, on how a monotheist religion will leave this world in a better spot.
If you like to put forth any counterargument against it, then please do so.
Otherwise, please do not be lazy about the fact that you have arrived at the truth and continue to live intimately with the status quo.
