Logic Times

Awareness

Posted by Aslan. Comments (1)

What are the apologetic implications of human "awareness"? Unlike most other traits and abilities shared by various species, the human capacity for abstract thought and reason is unique. More importantly, the gap between human awareness and what passes as emerging awareness in animals is massively wide and of a distinctly different quality than between any other set of abilities.

Consider a gardener who very much wants to grow a special plant. The gardener plants bulb after bulb, and each plant sprouts and dies. Time and time again. Sprouts and dies, sprouts and dies. Suddenly, after many, many similar results with the plant, one blooms into glorious flower, the picture of health. What do we think in this instance? We ask ourselves: "What is different, what has changed? Has the process changed? Is the specimen different?" It would be illogical to say, "Gee, I am glad that the same thing I have been doing all these months finally worked."

Experience informs us that a consistent set of observations has a basic similarity in the source or process. A sudden differing observation must call into question this presupposed similarity.

Another example. A doctor is treating AIDS patients. Each patient gets treated, each patient dies. A patient then comes in, gets treated and is dramatically cured. We are immediately inclined to investigate what is different. Is that patient different in some way? Did the treatment change?

These are not intended to be strong analogies for human awareness; they are merely logical exercises that point out the reasonable course of thought when investigating sudden and dramatic deviation from the norm. With human traits, we see their compliment in the animal world and conclude the traits developed via gradual evolutionary change. Binocular vision due to eye position in humans, we see examples of such binocular vision in animals. Walking in humans, we see forms of transitional walking in animals. Tool-using enhanced by an opposable thumbs in humans, we see primitive tool-using similarly enhanced in animals. Shakespeare in humans, we see...what? Mozart in humans, we see...shrieking? C.S. Lewis in humans, we see...?

We look at all living things and only one is aware. From one species to the next: Unaware. Unaware. Unaware. Unaware....AWARE! We are logically compelled to ask what is different. Those that argue that awareness is just one Darwinian step along the way cannot explain the total lack of transitional awareness.

That which is different is the presence of the divine (a soul) contained within the mundane. The mundane the world over is not aware, but the divine coexistent with the mundane is uniquely aware.

Comments

1: yayamama4

October 11, 2004 11:21am EST

The presence of the divine is everywhere - 'spirit.' I see it in nature, animals, all life. Free-will, our 'souls' is what distinguishes us as human. Moreover, our awareness or lack thereof does not negate its presence.

{Aslan: Certainly, our soul is what distinguishes us as humans. This is a point of semantic disagreement. Awareness is the manifestation of the soul in humanity – without awareness, there would be no concept of existence or humanity.}

Animals & nature act in perfect accord with spirit -- I see it as anything but mundane.

{Aslan: I use the classic definition of mundane to describe earthly – “Of, relating to, or typical of this world; secular.” I do not mean it in the sense of ordinary.}

Is not ultimate awareness becoming one with spirit? Perfect presence? Jesus manifests this, we can aspire.

{Aslan: Again, I am using a definition of awareness to be that aspect of humanity which recognizes being, existence, morality, the Spirit, and theology. I would never suggest that a rational aspect to humanity is separate than the soul or somehow capable of anything worthwhile independent of the Creator.}

Humans get to choose, and only in aligning our will (soul) with God's (spirit) can we transcend the mundane. Heighten awareness. And what is the point of heightened awareness? It cannot be self-serving.

{Aslan: Absolutely agree!! Including your marvelous statement below!}

We are not human beings having a spiritual experience, so much as spiritual beings having a human experience...