The great question since the ‘birth’ of the scientific age is does God exist? The question is of significant importance to those who misunderstand Nietzsche and/or those who believe what comes now is better than what came before. All of the great facets of thought are the same since the dawn of time, however, as theology was supposed to replace mysticism so science is to have supplanted theology.
In the 13th Century, the poet Rumi, as a child, saw angels and was sanctified whereas in the 18th-19th Centuries the English poet William Blake saw the face of God and was daemonised and in the words of a former lecturer of mine ‘off his face’. The difference between the two interpretations is that Blake was part of the scientific age and Rumi on the cusp of the mystic and theological ages.
To come back to the point, to say whether God exists or not we must first understand what it means, i.e. what the language used means. If I was to say ‘elephant’ I assume you would know what an elephant is, something with four legs, big ears, a magic feather and always off on holiday (gettit?) however, if I was to say فيل to you, unless you speak Arabic, would be confused even though it is (according to google translate so maybe not) the Arabic word for ‘elephant’. We do not know if what we call elephant denotes the same thing but as a pure translation of the word it would be the same thing even if, maybe, the meaning was different.
Language follows accepted norms and through context meaning is given. I have had many disputes with people (once everyone in the room) as to what denotes language. I argued that paintings (such as hieroglyphs) were language and also music. This I was told is incorrect. Only that which is spoken and written are language. In my opinion, the purest form of language is sound be it silence or music. One does not need to know that Beethoven set Schiller’s poem ‘Ode To Joy’ (lucky girl) to music or even to know the name of the music or even the name Beethoven to be able to listen to the music and feel something so far beyond the confines of conventional language. This is why Beethoven’s 9th symphony is beloved all over the world regardless of culture and language.
It is often argued that the purest form of language is mathematics. However, this too is dependent on context, context which creates rules and vice versa. If I was to say that, in front of me there are 7 desks then, by this new rule, the desk I am leaning on equates to 7. Thusly if I saw a dog I would also say that I can see seven dogs. Can I? By my rules yes. One question as to mathematics which no one I have asked has even humoured me with an attempt to answer is, is mathematics inherent in the universe or do we impose it upon the universe, as with my seven (7) dogs?. If it is inherent then that gives it more validity, however, if it is imposed upon the universe by our conceptualisation and laws then one cannot say that the universe is mathematical, which would mean that we can know, in terms of language, nothing for, as I have said, music is beyond such notions as conceptual language.
To return to the question at hand, ‘Does God Exist?’ one would have to say, given the conception of existence that God does not exist as existence is finite and corporeal and if there is anything which equates to a God then it must be beyond conceptualisation and the laws we understand/impose upon the universe.
Before asking ‘Does God Exist?’ I think we should first ask does language exist? Or, maybe better, stop trying to control everything, lay back and let Beethoven take you away to a place beyond conceptual language, maybe even into an understanding of God.
‘till next time
thegreaterfool2016 