APPENDIX Z44: Man: Mortal or Divine ***
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APPENDIX Z44:
Man: Mortal or Divine
***
“When I behold Your Heavens, the work of Your
ngers,
ngers,
The moon and stars that You
set in place,
set in place,
What is man that You are
mindful of him,
mindful of him,
Mortal man that You take
note of him?
note of him?
Yet You have made him little less than the angels
And adorned him with glory and majesty.”
Psalm 8:3-5
(c. 1000 BCE)
“Pico della Mirandola (1463-94) was one of the
moving
moving
spirits of the Italian Renaissance. Born into an
aristocratic
aristocratic
family, he was a child
prodigy, mastering Latin and Greek
prodigy, mastering Latin and Greek
at an early age and winning the title of papal
protonotary
protonotary
when we was only ten. Initially intending a career
in the
in the
Church, he went to the University of Bologna to
study
study
law, but widened his
interests to include philosophy,
interests to include philosophy,
which he pursued at the universities of Ferrara
and
and
Padua.
In 1486 he completed his monumental 900 Theses,
Conclusiones philosophicae, cabalasticae et
theologicae,
theologicae,
on the entire range of human knowledge. To accompany
them he wrote his Oration on the Dignity of Man, widely
regarded as a manifesto of
the Renaissance. In it he
the Renaissance. In it he
argued that the human person was the centerpiece
of
of
creation, the one being other than God himself who
had
had
no xed nature. Endowed with freedom, he could rise
higher than the angels or fall lower than the
animals. This
animals. This
is how he imagines God addressing the rst human:
Adam, we give you no xed place to live, no form
that is peculiar to you, nor any function that is
yours
yours
alone… All other things have a limited and xed
nature
nature
prescribed and bounded by our laws. You, with no
limit or no bound, may choose for yourself the
limits
limits
and bounds of your nature. We have placed you at the
world’s center so that you
may survey everything else
may survey everything else
in the world. We have made you neither of heavenly
nor of Earthly stuff, neither mortal nor immortal,
so that
so that
with free choice and dignity, you may fashion yourself
into whatever form you choose. To you is granted
the power of degrading yourself into the lower
forms
forms
of life, the beasts, and to you is granted the power,
contained in your intellect and judgment, to be
reborn
reborn
into the higher forms, the divine.”*
*
Oration on the Dignity of Man (1486), the text available at: http://
public.wsu.edu/~brians/world_civ/worldcivreader/world_civ_
reader_1/pico.html#2. See Ernst Cassirer, Paul Oskar Kristeller
and John Herman Randall, Jr, The Rennaissane Philosophy
of Man, Chicago, University of Chicago Press, 1948; M.V.
Dougherty (ed.), Pico della Mirandola: New Essays,
Cambridge
Cambridge
University Press, 2008.
*** Jonathan Sacks, The Great Partnership, New York: Random House, Inc. 2011, pp.111-112
APPENDIX Z43: God***
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APPENDIX Z43:
God
***
“God is the distant voice we hear and seek to
amplify in
amplify in
our systems of meaning, each particular to a
culture, a
culture, a
civilization, a faith. God is the One within the
many; the
many; the
unity at the core of our diversity; the call that
leads us
leads us
to journey beyond the self and its strivings, to
enter into
enter into
otherness and be enlarged by it, to seek to be a
vehicle
vehicle
through which blessing ows outwards to the world, to
give thanks for the miracle of being and the
radiance that
radiance that
shines wherever two lives touch in afrmation,
forgiveness
forgiveness
and love.”*
*** Jonathan Sacks, The Great Partnership, New York: Random House, Inc. 2011, p.94
APPENDIX Z42: The Goldilocks Dilemma
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APPENDIX Z42:
The Goldilocks Dilemma
***
“As we were leaving, a stranger came up to me,
gentle
gentle
and unassuming, and said, ‘I’ve just written a book
that
that
I think you might nd interesting. If I may, I’ll send it to
you.’ I thanked him and some days later the book
arrived.
arrived.
It was called Just Six Numbers [© 2001],
and with a
and with a
shock of recognition I realized
who the stranger was: Sir
who the stranger was: Sir
Martin, now Lord, Rees, Astronomer Royal, Master of
Trinity College, Cambridge
and President of the Royal
and President of the Royal
Society, the world’s oldest and most famous scientic
association. Sir Martin was, in other words,
Britain’s most
Britain’s most
distinguished scientist.
The thesis of the book was that there are six
mathematical constants that determine the physical
shape of the universe. Had any one of them been
even
even
slightly different, the
universe as we know it would not
universe as we know it would not
exist. Nor would life. It was my rst glimpse into
the new
the new
cosmology and the string of recent discoveries of
how
how
improbable our existence actually is. James Le
Fanu,
Fanu,
in his 2009 book Why Us?,
adds to this a slew of new
adds to this a slew of new
ndings in neuroscience and genetics to suggest that
we
we
are on the brink of a paradigm shift that will
overturn the
overturn the
scientic materialism of the past two centuries.
The new paradigm must also lead to a renewed
interest in and sympathy for religion in its broadcast
sense, as a means of expressing wonder at the
‘mysterium tremendum et fascinans’ of the natural
world. It is not the least of the ironies of the
New
New
Genetics and the Decade of the Brain that they
have
have
vindicated the two main impetuses to religious
belief
belief
– the non-material reality of the human soul and
the beauty and diversity of the living world –
while
while
confounding the principle tenets of materialism:
that
that
Darwin’s ‘reason for everything’ explains the natural
world and our origins, and that life can be
‘reduced’
‘reduced’
to the chemical genes, the mind to the physical
brain.
brain.
(James Le Fanu, Why Us?,
p.258)
p.258)
There may be, in other words,
a new synthesis in
a new synthesis in
the making. It will be very unlike the Greek
thought-
thought-
world of the medieval scholastics with its emphasis
on
on
changelessness and harmony.
Instead it will speak about
Instead it will speak about
the emergence of order,
the distribution of intelligence
the distribution of intelligence
and information processing, the nature of self-organizing
complexity, the way
individuals display a collective
individuals display a collective
intelligence that is a property of groups, not just the
individuals that comprise them, the dynamic of
evolving
evolving
systems and what leads some to equilibrium, others
to
to
chaos. Out of this will emerge new metaphors of
nature
nature
and humanity, ourishing
and completeness.”*
and completeness.”*
*** Jonathan Sacks, The Great Partnership, New York: Random House, Inc. 2011, pp.75-76
from the author –
As noted in the 2001 Sir Martin Rees book Just Six
Numbers, there are at least 6 cosmological constants,
(and, actually maybe a dozen+) which, if adjusted by
even
even
1 decimal point would preclude the cosmos having
life,
life,
among other things, as we know it.
Thus, “life” – and existence – exists at the
“knife-edge” of
“knife-edge” of
the precision of these constants.
By-and-large the scientic community and the
theological
theological
community is
not-quite-sure exactly how to understand this
“synchronicity.”
However, from Summa’s perspective the resolution is
clear. Obvious. The cosmic
order orients itself – and its
order orients itself – and its
crucial/integral cosmological constants – to
advance
advance
inter-related goals of
life, potential and extraordinariation.
life, potential and extraordinariation.
161 APPENDIX
APPENDIX Z41: Framing Beliefs
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APPENDIX Z41:
Framing Beliefs
“There are many other
unprovable framing beliefs, and
unprovable framing beliefs, and
they have perplexed philosophers since humans rst
thought systematically about such things. Is there really a
world out there, or are
there only our sense impressions?
there only our sense impressions?
Are there other minds? Do
we have free will? Has the
we have free will? Has the
universe existed for billions of years, or did it
come into
come into
existence ve minutes ago, together with false
memories
memories
and evidence? These are staple topics of any
introductory
introductory
course of philosophy.
Framing beliefs – that there is an
Framing beliefs – that there is an
external world, and other minds, and free will – lie
beyond
beyond
the scope of proof. Nonetheless, they are what give
meaning to the chaos of experience.*”
from the author –
I am proposing the Summa hypothesis/theory/paradigm
–
–
Q4P
∞
/ Extraordinariation – as a “Framing Belief”
* Jonathan Sacks, The Great Partnership, New York: Random House, Inc. 2011, p.33
APPENDIX Z40: The “Double Play”: Push-Pull
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APPENDIX Z40:
The “Double Play”:
Push-Pull
Summa has proposed two separate dynamics as having
ignited Creation and the cosmic advance
as we know it.
as we know it.
(1) The splitting of the Zero-Point
(2) The “leveraged buyout” of future potentials
To clarify, the hypothesis holds them as simultaneous
‘igniters.’
Simultaneous in-tandem
‘agents of creation.’
‘agents of creation.’
The ultimate “Double Play.”
*
Taking this to yet another
level,
level,
in parallel to our
Potential v. Fulllment
discussion earlier,
discussion earlier,
one can speculate that –
(1) is symbolically proto-male – PUSH
while
(2) is symbolically proto-female – PULL
*
APPENDIX Z39: Metaphysical Assumptions
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APPENDIX Z39:
Metaphysical Assumptions
incorrect: Time is linear
correct: Time is non-linear
incorrect: “Originally” there was NOTHING
correct: Eternally there was Potential/Possibility
incorrect: We are nite beings
correct: We are nite+ beings
incorrect: God is “there”
and we are “here”
and we are “here”
correct: There is no
divide in the Divine
divide in the Divine
incorrect: We are no
longer able to “connect” with the
longer able to “connect” with the
Divine
correct: As we are
integral to the Innite Divine,
integral to the Innite Divine,
by denition we eternally organically connect
incorrect: Physics is a secular science, inherently
antithetical to an Innite Divine
correct: All scientic Investigation is an
examination of
examination of
components of the Innite Divine.
There is no divide between scientic and spiritual
investigation.
incorrect: The Innite Divine can be delineated
correct: As the Innite Divine is an ever-morphing and
evolving supra-Entity,
best to focus on attempting
best to focus on attempting
to delineate “the core attribute(s) of the
Innite
Innite
Divine”
[Summa proposes that this core is: Q4P
∞
]
APPENDIX Z38: “The Mind of God”
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APPENDIX Z38:
“The Mind of God”
Stephen Hawking –
(1988)
“If we do discover a complete theory…then
we shall all, philosophers, scientists, and just
ordinary people, be able to take part in the
discussion of the question of why it is that we
and the universe exist. If we nd the answer
to that, it would be the ultimate triumph of
human reason—for then we would know the
mind of God….”
– A Brief History of Time*
1
153 APPENDIX
Paul Davies –
(1992)
“I belong to the group of scientists who
do not subscribe to a conventional religion
but nevertheless deny that the universe is
purposeless accident. Through my scientic
work I have come to believe more and more
strongly that the physical universe is put
together with an ingenuity so astonishing
that I cannot accept it merely as a brute fact.
There must, it seems to me, be a deeper
level of explanation….”
– The Mind of God*
2
*
1
Stephen Hawking, A Brief History of Time. New York: Random House, 1988. (p. 193)
*
2
Paul Davies, The Mind of God, New York: Simon & Schuster, 1992. (p.16)
APPENDIX Z37: An Ultra- Dynamic Multi- Dimensional Organic Entity
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APPENDIX Z37:
An Ultra- Dynamic Multi-
Dimensional Organic
Entity
Entity
The cosmos: Interactive, integrated, expanding,
evolving, uid, processing,
information-transferring,
information-transferring,
energy-distributing,
life-generating/afrming/sustaining/
life-generating/afrming/sustaining/
reproducing, pulsating on
more than 100 rhythms,
more than 100 rhythms,
in possible perpetual motion, expanding/morphing/
transforming for at least 14 billion years, our
cosmos
cosmos
is not as simply “mechanistic” as the common
wisdom
wisdom
would have it. One can make a strong case that it is
a
a
“living”, “breathing” and “sentient” super-entity/dynamic,
as well as a supra-entity/dynamic.
– With a dening name –
Q4P
Q4P
∞
(aka the aforementioned
biblical Eheyeh Asher Eheyeh) – The Innite Divine.
It is possible that various
frequencies/components/avors
frequencies/components/avors
of human emotion/creativity/artistry/literary
prowess/
prowess/
consciousness/spirituality/intellectuality/sensuality add to
the extraordinariation of Q4P
∞
. It is possible that these are
optimal axes for Q4P
∞
to project onward for
enhanced
enhanced
advancement/expansion/owering of succeeding
generations of these elements.
Of course, if humans radioactivate the planet,
that
that
particular thrust might not be helpful to assorted
cosmic
cosmic
advance.
151 APPENDIX
from a secular / scientic / mechanistic
perspective –
perspective –
“All interactions between particles in the
universe…convey
universe…convey
not only energy but also information in other
words, particles
words, particles
not only collide, they compute. What is the entire
universe
universe
computing, ultimately? Its own dynamical
evolution… As the
evolution… As the
computation proceeds, reality
unfolds.”
unfolds.”
– from the back-cover of Programming the Universe
by Seth Lloyd, Professor,
Mechanical Engineering,
Mechanical Engineering,
MIT (now, Oct 2012). Seth
Lloyd is, as well,
Lloyd is, as well,
Director, MIT Center for
Extreme Quantum
Extreme Quantum
Information, Cambridge, Massachusetts
APPENDIX Z36: Time
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THE TRANSCENDENT DYNAMIC
APPENDIX Z36:
Time
To whatever extent, over
the next decades and centuries,
the next decades and centuries,
physics ascertains potential non-linear dimensions
of
of
time, Summa advances.
As readers of Summa know,
the thesis hypothesizes that
the thesis hypothesizes that
as a key component thereof, the plethora of
potentials
potentials
down-the-road were
instrumental in igniting the ‘genesis
instrumental in igniting the ‘genesis
point.’
So this key component mandates some non-linear
dimensions or pathways in time. In other words,
some
some
link between the future and the past.
So, for instance,
As holographic theories gain in traction, Summa
advances.
If ‘black holes’ turn out to impact time
any-which-way,
any-which-way,
Summa advances.
If the ‘speed of light’ barrier protects the
linearity of time
linearity of time
in particular, Summa
advances.
advances.
If it turns out that time can indeed be compressed
or
or
expanded, Summa advances.
If it turns out that, on some level, the future
co-exists
co-exists
simultaneously with the present or that the present
somehow exists within the future (or vice versa),
Summa
Summa
advances.
The manifold mysteries of time are inextricably
linked to
linked to
the mysteries of creation.
“Time travel and causal loops are not merely the
stuff of science
stuff of science
ction. The theory of relativity, which permits time to be warped
by motion and gravitation, predicts circumstances in which
physical objects, including observers, can loop
back into the
back into the
past. An explicit model of a universe that permits
time travel was
time travel was
found by Kurt Gödel in 1948 using Einstein’s general theory of
relativity”… (Paul Davies, The Goldilocks Enigma,
p. 252)
p. 252)
APPENDIX Z35: The Font/Soul of the Cosmos
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147 APPENDIX
APPENDIX Z35:
The Font/Soul of the Cosmos
Ninety ve percent of all religious and spiritual belief
systems de facto vector towards this issue.
This question/quest for the Font/Soul of the cosmos
is
is
the Holy Grail of –
Religious, Spiritual, Philosophical and
Metaphysical
Metaphysical
inquiry
*
Summa attempts/proposes a ‘silver bullet’ – Q4P
∞
– to
pierce through to the core
of the cosmic
of the cosmic
origins/essence/engine/drive/purpose.
The Summa hypothesis is no doubt quite-powerful
and
and
quite-elegant.
There is no competing compelling metaphysics.
The only question is whether Summa is indeed
essentially
essentially
correct.
