Is Knowledge Determined?

It Could be Ludicrous

Mankind as a team

Is learning to understand 

What he is

And has actually done that

But man as an individual

Carries on in

Many forms of fantasy

Believing in his culture and his role

True knowledge is all around

But not sought

The situation could be ludicrous

But isn’t

Because everything that happens

Is meant to

Even the things that seem to

Deny truth

When man blindly rushes forth

Obeying instincts

And hormones

This is another manifestation 

Of perfect truth

The Two Catches

Knowing the truth of what we are as human beings, can we live that truth? Can we behave and act as a biological system put together by matter and the laws of physics? Once we know this truth, does it take over and we just live it without trying to remember it? An atheistic, determined life with no free will?

The answer is no! It’s a good question - THE question. Because those of us that are interested in the truth of what we actually are, are trying to understand, trying to fill the gaps in our personal knowledge, both to satisfy our curiosity, and to enable living a life based on a proven truth.

But there are two catches.

One is: We can’t live that truth. And the other is: We are already living that truth.

We can’t live that truth because our very mind and thinking , and  our bodies, are based on the illusion we are trying to see through. We are programmed to live the illusion: the feeling of free will, the personal desires, the self, and subjective consciousness. The search for a deeper, real truth , is a wispy spin off from the illusory being’s discovery of the scientific method. We can’t live that truth because illusion is always illusion.

The other catch is: we are already living the truth we are seeking  because everything that is happening is truth happening. Determinism is true, the illusion of free will is true, the feeling of feelings is true. Myths, lies and mistakes are true. They all exist. My experience is a true experience. The same arrangement of particles over again would repeat the exact same set of events. That sequence of events is a scientific truth. 

I am not able to live that truth, myself. 

That truth is living me.

The Result of Things

The whole point of a true philosophy of life is to know what’s going on, and incorporate it into your life. The idea is to adjust your life to its true meaning and have a firm grasp on reality. But when the truth is particle physics, biological evolution and physical determinism, then you finding the truth, and living the truth is not your choice. It may happen along the way with anything else, but you are the result of things, not the cause of things.

Who are you, to find the truth?

But it may find you.

Discovering

Imagine it: mankind, the creatures evolved by physics and chemistry without purpose or real will, are discovering that scientific fact. And absorbing it.

The atom itself is discovering the atom

Man is discovering himself

As accidental life

Yet inevitable

That, which has the same universe bred structure

As a rock

Or a molecule

Is thinking about itself

And wondering what it is

And discovering it’s alive 

Yet not comprehensible

Simply a chemical miracle

Can Truth Arise?

If the entire universe is deterministic and all events are determined, how can truth or knowledge arise? Wouldn’t there have to be something with a goal or purpose to pursue truth? Well, what does “pursue” truth is natural selection in the process of evolution.

“Pursue” is not the word though. Like all of natural selection it boils down to random variation and selection or filtration by the natural environment. Truth and knowledge, being accurate representations of the world, are likely to arise as qualities increasing survival and reproduction. However, untruths and false knowledge can be selected for if they work. For example, religion providing comfort, morality and social cohesion. Or camouflage where an insect lies to the world that it is a stick. Truth as technical knowledge and science has been extremely successful in increasing human survival and reproduction and is selected for by both genes and culture.

Who is to Say?

It’s almost safe to say you will never know the absolute truth and you will never be able to live by it. The truth could possibly  be written down and you could read it, but you couldn’t know it as a whole, all at once, or live it. You are the result of that truth, and your programming is part of that result. Your programming is not designed to live by the truth of what you really are. It’s designed for you to prosper and survive the most expedient way you can. 

Science has discovered the truth during it’s search for knowledge - not as a tool for better living. Natural selection will still shape the tools for successful evolution. But who is to say that the truth of our reality won’t become an important tool for human success and survival in the future.

Determinism Revealed

Philosophy is a battle of opinions. So how can you say one thing is true? You can actually. Avoid philosophy and listen to science. Natural law and physics have already discovered determinism is the truth, and in the most simple, logical way: Everything is made out of fundamental particles, which interact according to universal , physical laws.

Science didn’t set out to prove determinism is true. It simply discovered more and more facts. This revealed determinism to be the only possibility.

Knowledge from Nowhere

How does knowledge arise out of nothing?

One path could be that natural selection can favour organisms that use information that better approximates the true environment, than others.

This information gets stored and used and further added to and built upon.

It doesn’t have to be correct or true information (it may just work, even though it’s wide of the mark), but it often could be information that hits upon how the universe works. Ending up with minds that openly search for, and find, valid scientific information and truth.

Only Determined Belief

You can hunt for reasons and explanations of why things happen the way they do. But both the things that happen and your hunting for reasons are simply determined events. And your thoughts about the implications are not your thoughts, they are more determined events.

Your whole experience of the world, inner and outer, is determined, which is true but beyond genuine belief, only the possibility of determined belief or non-belief. Genuine subjective, personal belief cannot exist.

Live one Life, Believe Another

In the beginning and in the end, you are only left with this experience. I am only left with my experience. In which I feel responsible for my actions, and in which I feel free to think and choose and act. In which I feel responsible for my actions, and in which I believe determinism is true, and my feelings are illusions that I can’t override, or see through, on an experiential level. Only on a belief level.

I live one life and believe in another.

Determinism does the Believing

Determinism cannot be believed. This is because nothing can be believed. You can’t just throw a switch and decide to believe something. Determinism has already thrown the switch. Even if it was over years of pondering. Both the pondering and the belief are determined.

Thinking Like a Determinist

Can you be what you believe? Can “folk psychology” be overcome? Can free will be thought about in an exploratory way by determined thoughts? Can truth be captured by thought?

Some people want more than a belief system that sits on the shelf. One that’s a way of life, and above all - true. If I believe it’s true, that’s it. There’s no hunting or searching required anymore for a better truth. 

Science has done the work to a huge extent and it just takes the courage to face up to anything you fear or don’t like about the truth. The truth that has been discovered. Once the answer of why we are here is explained by true facts, there is no longer any need or possibility of shifting your view.

There is greater depth and satisfaction to be had by more research, and more insight and understanding by gaining further knowledge. But at a certain point you just have to say:

“That’s it!”

My Favorite Philosopher

My favorite philosopher says: 

Self is an illusion,

Free will is an illusion,

Introspection and self conscious awareness

Are illusions.

And I believe he is absolutely right.

But how does information or “our” knowledge take form? How can it “want” to be consistent, logical and true?

How can his book be written and read without a self to do that (to write or to read it)? 

Can that way of understanding the world be felt and lived? Or even contemplated?

The Huge Task

The huge task is to understand how particles at the big bang evolved to end up producing a human brain and mind with all its discoveries and skills and social qualities and its self awareness and subjective experience.

Observing two people chatting over a coffee, how can you look at that and link it to the big bang. Not just the development of the physical  side of communication, but also the content, with knowledge and meaning, and humor and relationship. The content bounces back and forth between the talkers as if totally spontaneous. Each responding to the previous remark.

How could a shared experience such as that arise and play out deterministically. We know it must, according to an almost infinite number of determined steps.

It would help greatly to grasp the major steps as a beginning of understanding.

The Uncomfortable Truth

In the beginning there was singularity. Then fundamental particles, then atoms, then gas clouds, stars and planets. Then organic molecules and life evolving to humans with thought, language and artifacts including space stations, and the self knowledge of our own origins. Of where we came from, what we are made of, and how we function, biologically and socially.

What we still don’t know makes no difference to the understanding of what we really are. Enough is known. We are not andy more special than the atoms we are made of, or the atoms we are not made of.

The truth is not what we wanted, but anything more comforting is not true. Can this unwelcome, non instinctual truth be absorbed more fully, to to be incorporated into the emotional being as a rich influence on our lives? As a positive influence that is willingly incorporated because of its simple and powerful truth. The actual truth.

Fact and Belief

A major obstacle for most people in believing in evolution (at least at first), is understanding how complex and exquisitely formed life structures have come about without a designer.

Similarly, a major obstacle to people believing in determinism is that living things, especially us humans, seem to make decisions and choices using our own free will. Rather than every action being determined by universal physical laws.

Both evolution and determinism are scientific truths.  They do not depend on people believing in them. The Flat Earth Society does not influence the actual shape of the Earth.

Not Wrong

A scientist or philosopher of science may say determinism is true, e.g. Kaku, Hawkins, Harris and Rosenberg. But this is a mental belief and argument that is put forward as a logical truth. Meanwhile those believers in determinism live their lives according to feelings, emotions and desires that are a combination of body processes and folk psychology and culture.

However:

This inconsistency or hypocritical stance is also determined.

It is not wrong.

It is as it must be, as determined.

Nothing is wrong.

In determinism - all that is wrong, is right.

It has to be True

Whatever your philosophy or belief system is, it has to be true. Just for starters!

This leaves hard determinism as the only logical candidate, given the discoveries of science.

If all particles were formed during the big bang (and they were), and all particles obey the laws of physics (which they do), then hard determinism is true. 

Only material matter has been discovered. There is nothing immaterial. Nothing supernatural.

Even taking all matter (particles) in the universe right now in this instant, obeying the laws of physics to create the next instant - that is determinism. Every atomic movement is determined by physics, including stars, life, brains, thoughts and actions. You don’t have to believe in determinism, but if you don’t, that’s what’s been determined.

Spontaneous Existing Truth

The truth of life, what life is , and what you actually are, is not something you can bring to mind and then forget.

When you get up out of your chair, the truth goes with you. You were the truth sitting and now you are the truth walking.

And the world is the truth unfolding - steps, thoughts, and all.

Can we Live the Truth?

Given determinism being true, and given the feeling of freedom: can we live the truth of determinism? Can we choose to live our real understanding of the physical universe?

The answer is no! Because determinism does not allow for free choice, only for determined choice, which is no choice. We are already living a life. A life with a personal philosophical preference. And that preference is determined like everything else.

No matter our philosophy or beliefs, every human is living the truth. No one can believe other than they do, and if they change their mind that also cannot be avoided.

The truth of being on the rails of determinism, and the overwhelming feeling of free will associated with it cannot be reconciled. Only thought about. The two are not equal because determinism is real, while free will is illusion.

Selection for Truth

It’s understandable that information about the environment is valuable to an organism - e.g. humans. And natural selection can select for more and more accurate information. But it’s not the accuracy as such that benefits. Natural selection selects for reproductive success as with any adaptation in evolution. So natural selection doesn’t care if the information is really true or not, only if it aids reproduction.

This, on the whole, probably creates more accurate and more true information as being selected for.

So truth can be selected for, and the human search is a natural adaptation, evolved for the purpose of survival and reproduction.

No Future no Past

There really is no future, only an ongoing, continuous present that is always the result of itself.

Now creates now creates now.

No past remains.

No future is necessary.

The present leaves no trail.

Any records or memories exist only in the present.

The future is an idea only,

Held in the present.

One-pointedness

What happens when you become totally focussed on the meaning of life as you see it?

If you discover an explanation that satisfies you and you just become one with that explanation? One with that truth. One with the truth.

Forget who said what. 

Forget this theory versus that. 

Forget looking up further evidence. 

Forget respecting other opinions. 

Forget convincing anyone else.

Forget what’s popular, what’s comforting, what’s enticing, what’s intuitional.

Forget all except to follow the path of truth you discovered.

Is Truth Also Illusion?

As I believe and understand more and more of the scientistic, evolutionary, explanation of life, self and mind, the view of life splits into two stances, or ways of being.

One way is to be “normally” approaching life from the human perspective of personalities, morality, good/bad, caught up in pleasure and pain, wants and don’t wants. All about me, and me and you.

Then when it happens, or is triggered, the other way can take over. The way of understanding life from the scientific, molecular, deterministic, impersonal viewpoint. This way often occurs when the mind gets interested in what’s happening in a broader context.When it pulls back for a bigger picture, and when the mind has the presence to challenge itself. To doubt itself and the “folk” psychology and “folk” belief that it normally goes on with.

Remarkably - there appears to be a true description of human existence, and an illusory description, both emanating from what the “true” approach would define as illusory. In other words - in truth, the self, self consciousness, introspection, and creative, self-constructed thought has to be illusory. This is because all thought is determined by previous states of matter.

The mind, self and thinking are illusions, yet this is the only place that any thought can arise consciously. Whatever arises within an illusion must be an illusion. This situation describes the “self-refuting” nature of determinism, dealt with on another page.