Metamorphosis

 

“Time is a river flowing with the elements of creation; and a violent torrent, for as soon as a thing appears, it is swept away, and instantly replaced by another, which in turn is itself swept away.” (Marcus Aurelius)*

Attending the funeral of someone who’s been a friend for well over 40 years is a sombre demonstration of the veracity of what Marcus Aurelius observed. Not quite three score and ten committed to the flames and reduced to ashes. The swish of the scythe sounds ominously close.

For those of a catholic persuasion the requiem mass offered comforting words about heaven and resurrection, though they did little to staunch tears or lift the grim masks of bereavement. The closing curtains in the crematorium seemed to signal little other than finality.

Yet, without the flow of time’s river, however cruel it may seem to those floundering in its rapids, the universe would be in a state of stasis. Death would indeed have been vanquished if the torrent had been dammed, but there could have been no birth either.

That there is life at all is a wonderful creation that can only exist in a universe constantly in flux. However much sadness is felt at the passing of family or friends, it should be mitigated by appreciating that they came into being at all.

Because of the common human experience of fellow sentient beings it is certain that the universe is conscious and self-aware. Whether or not there is a greater consciousness than human consciousness, people possess the privilege of being, in part at least, the universe’s self-awareness.

For deists whether or not there is life after death is moot. Some, quoting the absolute lack of evidence, deny it. Others reason that the Power, Deus or whatever, that so ordered creation to bring life into being, may continue to do so beyond the limitations of this life.

If that is so it would seem unlikely that that might simply be a mere continuation, because change is the one constant. Perhaps that is the point. Death is certainly a radical change, but a necessary one no matter what is felt about it by those immediately facing it or others who, for the time being, remain.

Whatever happens to the individual consciousness, not so much as a particle is lost to the universe, even if a body is largely consumed and reduced by fire. As Marcus Aurelius went on to write,

“When something dies it does not disappear from the universe…it changes and is dissolved into separate particles, which are the elements that form the Universe and yourself. These elements undergo change, but they don’t complain about it.”*

 

*“The Spiritual Teachings of Marcus Aurelius.” Edited by Mark Forstater. Hodder & Stoughton, 2000. Page 143.

Universal Reason

“Universal Reason, which governs everything, knows its own characteristics, and what it creates, and the material on which it works.” (Marcus Aurelius)*

The difficulty with the word “God” is that it triggers many preconceived ideas, or at least ideas formed in childhood through formal and informal religious education. These ideas tend to bear the cultural imprint of the society in which a person is raised.

Even a professed atheist has been influenced in this way and for him or her, the rejected “God” bears many of the characteristics inculcated through the formative years.

Gnostics portray such an anthropomorphic figure as a demi-urge, a semi-divine figure responsible for creating this world with all its fallibilities, reflecting those of that less than divine deity. God remains so much greater and beyond personification.

Stoicism has taken a rather more pragmatic view, representing the divine according to characteristics relevant to a particular circumstance. Zeus, or God, or Gods or Providence are invoked, the implication being that humans can but glimpse the partial while unable to comprehend the whole.

For a Deist, Universal Reason is a property that can be divined through observation and experience of nature. There is no suggestion of supernatural intervention, indeed, reason is discernable in people. It is, therefore, at the very least demonstrably property of the universe.

Why shouldn’t Reason be an intrinsic feature of the universe, beyond embodiment in our rather limited and limiting lives? There are those who argue the universe is without purpose, yet a purpose can be found for everything however obscure that might appear.

Natural selection is an example of a process acting with a purpose, survival at the very least. It can even accommodate the random by adapting to take it into account. This is not to infer some super being in control; rather that Universal Reason imbues nature.

That there is a universe rather than nothing is due to Universal Reason initiating and working through it: God the Propagator and the on-going process.

* “The Spiritual Teachings of Marcus Aurelius.” Edited by Mark Forstater.
Hodder & Stoughton, 2000.

Stoic Deism

As can be seen from the date of the last item a third of a year has passed since it was posted. This is not because of waning interest or a change of mind, but a period of reflection, the bringing together of two strands of thought.

There have been previous articles on this site drawing a line of continuation from the ancient philosophy of Stoicism through the emergence of Deism during the Age of Reason to its fairly recent renaissance as Modern Deism.

Firstly, though, it has to be unequivocally stated that it is understood that a stoic may also be an atheist, an agnostic or find accommodation with a religious faith. The intention here is not to claim sole rights to Stoic philosophy for Deism.

However, there does seem to be a natural compatibility between Deism and Stoicism. This can be detected, for instance, in the writings of the philosopher emperor Marcus Aurelius who would often opt for the largely undefined “Providence” when referring to what others might have called Deus, God.

How he considered this concept is illustrated thus:
“In the universe, respect the highest power, namely the creative force which directs and makes use of all things.”*
Then he goes on to link that broadest of generalisations to the individual:
“In the same way, you must respect the highest power in yourself, for it is of the same creative kind.”*

There is no effort to define the “highest power” or “creative force”; to do so is to limit it to the human level. Rather accept the intimations of its being and act, and think, accordingly.

The intention is that for the time being DEISMUK will feature mainly, though not exclusively, articles relating Stoicism and Deism to each other and to wider concerns. It is also recommended that for a good source of information about Modern Stoicism reference be made to The New Stoa on the Blogroll.

*”The Spiritual Teachings of Marcus Aurelius” by Mark Forstater, Hodder and Stoughton, 2009. Page 114.