The human intellect ‘operates’ or ‘functions’, or ‘calculates’, one way or another, almost entirely by means of the concept of ‘causality’. It is fascinating to stop and look at this.
When we seek to understand something, we always look to find the cause, which somehow makes us feel this explains the effect. If I do this, then it will lead to that. If I throw the rock at the window, it will cause the glass to break. If I worship God, I will get to heaven. If I meditate, I will reach enlightenment. If I kick at this white wall, I will leave a dirty mark with my foot.
A leads to B.
Is there anything else, to our thinking – including our innermost calculations – that ever moves beyond this fundamental template ? Do we have any other kind of serious mental templates within us ? Perhaps we do: intensive self-reflection may discover other types of thought pattern, cogent within themselves.
But when we think about our salvation, our ultimate destiny, do we ever go beyond the simple template of causality ? If I do A, then it will lead to B ?
And what does this tell us ? When we view our inner creatureliness in this way, are we not surprised at how basic, how simplistic and primitive, the process of our thought looks to be ?
Causality
The human intellect ‘operates’ or ‘functions’, or ‘calculates’, one way or another, almost entirely by means of the concept of ‘causality’. It is fascinating to stop and look at this.
When we seek to understand something, we always look to find the cause, which somehow makes us feel this explains the effect. If I do this, then it will lead to that. If I throw the rock at the window, it will cause the glass to break. If I worship God, I will get to heaven. If I meditate, I will reach enlightenment. If I kick at this white wall, I will leave a dirty mark with my foot.
A leads to B.
Is there anything else, to our thinking – including our innermost calculations – that ever moves beyond this fundamental template ? Do we have any other kind of serious mental templates within us ? Perhaps we do: intensive self-reflection may discover other types of thought pattern, cogent within themselves.
But when we think about our salvation, our ultimate destiny, do we ever go beyond the simple template of causality ? If I do A, then it will lead to B ?
And what does this tell us ? When we view our inner creatureliness in this way, are we not surprised at how basic, how simplistic and primitive, the process of our thought looks to be ?