EXPLAINING THE UNIVERSE IN RATIONAL TERMS
The Human World And The Material World
I T is said that the entire debate over belief and disbelief boils down to one question: Does logic prevail? Those who have chosen disbelief ask if there were a God, why do we see a major contradiction in the world. That is, from our observations of the universe, we clearly come to the conclusion that there is grand design in the world of nature. However, the human world presents quite a different picture. Here, we witness misery, sorrow, suffering and all kinds of evil.
According to these people this contradiction between the two worlds — the material world and the human world — shows that our world is a bundle of randomness. Although, in a partial sense there seems to be design in the world, but when we look at the picture in totality, the design disappears. This scenario dispels the argument from design, which states that if there is design, there ought to be a designer.
The Creator’s scheme for the human world involves
complete freedom for man.
The explanation of this contradiction lies in drawing a comparison. When we compare the two worlds, we discover that there is a fundamental difference between the two. The human world is characterized by total freedom without any restrictions. Man is free to choose either ahimsa (non-violence) or violence and bloodshed. He can utilize nuclear energy for constructive purposes or use it to develop nuclear weapons. This kind of freedom is bound to create chaos and conflict. It has the potential of destroying all systems.
On the other hand, the case of the material world is different. In spite of its mind-boggling vastness and countless components, we find complete determinism in the material world. From the micro-world to the macro-world the whole universe is functioning under tight discipline, or natural laws. As a result, the material world has a highly predictable character. It is because of this predictability that we have been able to develop science and technology with precision.
Lack of determinism in the human world is the reason why social sciences could not become an exact science like the physical sciences. For example, while the solar system has only one definition, political science has a dozen different definitions.
This difference between the two worlds makes us believe that the plan of the Creator regarding the two worlds is different. The Creator has kept determinism in the material world. On the contrary, the Creator’s scheme for the human world involves complete freedom for man. There is deep wisdom behind this difference. If we observe the physical world, we realize that there is no phenomenon of intellectual development in it. In other words, it has remained the same for millions of years. But, in the human world there are constant challenges, and it is this kind of challenging environment that leads to progress and development. Without experiencing challenges there can be no creative thinking or intellectual development. When we observe the material world we find order in it. In contrast, in the human world we can seemingly observe disorder. But, this 'disorder' is not a negative phenomenon, rather it is a positive phenomenon. The positive term for this disorder in the human world is challenge.
Without experiencing challenges there can be no
creative thinking or intellectual development.
Due to this difference, we have to apply two separate yardsticks to judge these worlds. The material world has to be judged by the yardstick of determinism, while the human world should be judged by the yardstick of freedom of choice. Because of its deterministic nature, the material world could be utilized for building technology. Without this predictability we would not have been able to use the material world for industrial development. On the other hand, in the human world because of total freedom there are several problems or challenges, and it is in meeting these challenges that we develop and advance. However, this total freedom also gives rise to evil.
The problem of evil is not a phenomenon of the material world. It is exclusively a phenomenon of the human world. This so-called evil is a necessary price that we have to pay for all those developments which have culminated into what we refer to with pride as civilization.
