So my Catholic¹ girlfriend cringes when I get my Kurt Vonnegut on.  You know:  "We are just here to fart around..." and such about there not really being any purpose to our existence.  She just gave me Man's Search for Meaning so I guess, once I have the latter read, I will have a couple of really able dudes who have seen some unimaginably horrible shit slugging it out in my mind.  Maybe I should read the Frankl before I have anything to say about this (aut tace aut loquere meliora silencio)² but I cannot wait. Um... I'll update.

Most of the debater's³ I've read are concentrating on the accuracy of the claim: Yes or no -  are there big questions?  When someone forwards the argument that humans = big questions, it is usually either done in the form of an irrational apology: "we humans are compelled by our nature to see things this way so this must be true; I know this is lame but leave it," or a horribly arrogant look down from the mountain (these humans they need (religion, faith, etc.) but I, the speaker, can be analytical about it) that says "well, this isn't really true, but it's true for most of them, so leave it."  Neither of these is an honest attempt to deal.

One of my foggy recollections of Kant's Prolegomena⁴ is the idea that we humans imagine within certain restrictions (such as the visual one of three-dimensionality) and we need to work with that.  But his point included the assertion that we are aware of [at least some of] these limitations and that they are simply artifacts of our (not meta)physical existence.  It is not necessarily reality.  The scientist doesn't even look up from his lager when presented this type of argument - it's just a preamble to whatever main assertion may follow (like recording the altitude of the laboratory before stating a boiling point).  But wow does the idea that things are not as they seem chafe the inner thigh of a whole bunch of groups ranging from the worshippers of feelings (dare I mention any of a dozen prominent Boulder institutions, including an accredited institution of higher learning?), through the worshippers of nature (Boulder, and perhaps more specifically the customers of Whole Foods, where I have worked), to the worshippers of a god.

Yesterday, I drew a parallel between my personal view of life that is at least legal for an atheist, and a spiritual view that is taken assuming the presence of a higher power.  I respond to my girlfriend's winces with the suggestion that we do not need big questions to be good people (she agrees), but, being an artifact of our minds (disagrees), they sure aren't going away (of course).  She doesn't get offended, which puts her ahead of at least the public debate as presented in most media in this country.  Maybe we both accept that we only have our own bad selves to figure this out.  It seems not having a life-supporting, full-blown panic stake in one of the previously mentioned chafing groups (even if one is a member, as she is) allows for a more productive discussion.⁵  

¹ European version.  See tomorrow's post for an elucidation on why I think this matters.  Not here because at least I know I'm no David Foster Wallace.  Just kinda like the style...

2 "Shut up or say something better than silence."  I've traced this back as far as a self-portrait by Salvator Rosa, 17th century.  I would love to hear about any prior reference as I am inked with this one.

³ I'm not supporting this paragraph with references because I don't claim that any of this as original reporting or original argument.  And, perhaps, I am lazy.  I bet that you adherents to the current debates on religion have your Dawkins and your Hitchens brothers down better than I do, anyway.  I am old so I can only remember that I read these arguments all the time and occasionally I remember the first letter of the name of the author.

⁴ Twenty-five years ago in college so I may have made this up.

⁵ Imagine Fox News (sorry, can't drop it.  I do have a doctor's excuse (OCD)) not couching just one little insignificant tiny throw away comment, just once, in terms of visceral fear over the outcome of Armegeddon.