What is discipline? Why might it be important to my
conception of ethical realism? I am going to argue here for the ethos of a
particular type of American discipline: doing what you love and loving what you
do.
This past weekend, I went to a concert in a garage that played experimental screamo and fairly docile metal music. It was interesting. I tried to stand in the back as I’m not too comfortable in mosh pits, but at points I was tempted to push the moshers when they came into my vicinity.
Perhaps quite contrarily, I also attended a Bible study and service
at a Korean church yesterday. It was quite long, from 2-6PM, but it was good. Let
me steal from the title of a well-known book series, ‘Chicken Soup for the Soul’
and assert that the church service was good for the soul. I know, I know,
atheists might read this and think, ‘Nah man, Sam Harris would say that you’re
just projecting feelings of feeling good toward religious practice; souls don’t
exist ala science; just because you
perceive a soul doesn’t mean a soul exists outside of your neurological
processes.’
Cool story, atheists. You are right, but not in the ways you think you are. You
are right according to science, which is probably humankind’s most powerful
tool for understanding the universe; none of us could live without science,
quite literally. But as many philosophers of science will tell you, to state
that scientific principles could constitute an unfalsifiable theory of
knowledge is quite nonsense indeed. To assert that would violate the scientific
method, quite ironically. Our current theories explain the universe quite well:
quantum mechanics and general relativity. But if you’ve ever taken an astronomy
course, you’ll know we know of 16% of the entire mass of the universe, cue dark
matter. 84% of the universe is being studied by scientists now; each day, we’re
learning more about how dark matter works. And until we learn more about it to
make a definitive statement about what
it is and what function it serves, we
don’t know much about dark matter at all.
Until we reconcile quantum mechanics and general relativity, we won’t understand completely how the universe began in the first place (although scientists have our understanding of the Big Bang completely understood after 10 to the minus twelfth second).
Many scientists have come to this conclusion: we know SHIT. Nothing at all; everything else is pretense. Some scientists are quite religious; some are atheist (Dawkins, Harris); some are just in the middle and don’t make a judgment call one way or the other.
What a great description of society! I am tempted to think about a scientific
article I read that religiousity could partly be explained by genes.
How do I reconcile a screamo song with a Christian one? How do I appreciate both and neither at the same time? I feel a transcendence in both and in neither; I see (or rather I don’t see) how each could be possible forms of mirthful human expression. The lashing out and tone of rage in metal are to me, an expression of what society threatens to rob from us: our individual moments of being free and not giving a fuck. At the same time, this is how I appreciate Chris Tomlin and Matt Redman and Jesus Culture; their music promises us a freedom not expressible in other genres, it seems to me. Sometimes in church services, I am completely and totally free; the music and guitar and keyboard and drums have subsumed me into the music; the notes and I have become one and elation doesn’t even begin to describe the feeling of high I feel; I am not human—I am some kind of free-floating atom and my electrons are crying out to God.
Until we reconcile quantum mechanics and general relativity, we won’t understand completely how the universe began in the first place (although scientists have our understanding of the Big Bang completely understood after 10 to the minus twelfth second).
Many scientists have come to this conclusion: we know SHIT. Nothing at all; everything else is pretense. Some scientists are quite religious; some are atheist (Dawkins, Harris); some are just in the middle and don’t make a judgment call one way or the other.
What a great description of society! I am tempted to think about a scientific
article I read that religiousity could partly be explained by genes. How do I reconcile a screamo song with a Christian one? How do I appreciate both and neither at the same time? I feel a transcendence in both and in neither; I see (or rather I don’t see) how each could be possible forms of mirthful human expression. The lashing out and tone of rage in metal are to me, an expression of what society threatens to rob from us: our individual moments of being free and not giving a fuck. At the same time, this is how I appreciate Chris Tomlin and Matt Redman and Jesus Culture; their music promises us a freedom not expressible in other genres, it seems to me. Sometimes in church services, I am completely and totally free; the music and guitar and keyboard and drums have subsumed me into the music; the notes and I have become one and elation doesn’t even begin to describe the feeling of high I feel; I am not human—I am some kind of free-floating atom and my electrons are crying out to God.
Cry out; cry out; let others see how weak you are; let
others see you cry; show them real men and women do not fear embarrassment nor
what others think. This is my discipline: doing what you love and loving what
you do. Part the waters of self-pity and egoism and become who you were meant
to be: yourself (the exactness of the person you are now). You are an American. To do one's duty. Work, play, and help others. Continue.
