On Mystery
Part 4, Hard and Soft Magical Systems
One way to think about mystery in Christian thought is to ask what the opposite of mystery might be. As I hear people talk, the opposite of mystery, as I mentioned in the last post, is a reductionistic and mechanistic explanation for "how" or "why" things "work." Basically, the opposite of mystery is something akin to a scientific explanation, some sort of causal account of the world.
Consider, for example, quantum mechanics. As Richard Feynman once said, “I think I can safely say that nobody understands quantum mechanics.” The reason for this is that quantum mechanics doesn't present us with a causal mechanism. And lacking that clear causal account, we find quantum mechanics mysterious. We know quantum mechanics "works," from a predictive aspect, but we don't know "how" it works. This lack of a causal account is what made Einstein so suspicious of quantum mechanics ("God doesn't play dice with the universe") as being the final account of the cosmos.
My point here is simply to note that, when we lack a causal account, even scientists resort to "mystery." The opposite of mystery, therefore, seems to be giving a causal account. To explain something is to expose the mechanism. As Feynman said in another quote, "What I cannot create I do not understand."
This is why I discussed the "causal joint" in the prior post. If the opposite of mystery is a mechanism then the "casual joint" between God and the world will be ever shrouded in mystery. No causal, mechanistic account can be given for the God/world relation.
A more whimsical way to describe all this comes from the paperback edition of Hunting Magic Eels. In one of the new chapters I used Brandon Sanderson's contrast between hard and soft magical systems in fantasy novels. I did a recent series about this as well. A hard magical system in fantasy fiction, according to Sanderson, is when the mechanism of the magic is clear and transparent. We know how the magic "works." In a soft magical system, by contrast, we know that magic exists, it enchants the fantasy world, but we don't know how the magic works. The mechanism is hidden. As I argue in the paperback edition of Hunting Magic Eels, Christianity is a soft magical world. As the old hymn puts it, God moves in mysterious ways. We know that God is at work in the world, but God's actions are not at our disposal. The "why's" and the "how's" are not transparent to us. The world is inherently and persistently mysterious.
Title: Mysteries of Science
Yvon Roustan ©
In realms of science, mysteries do dwell,
Beyond the grasp of what we know well.
Questions arise that evade the mind,
In veils of secrets, they remain confined.
Why does existence unfold its tale,
In realms where nothingness could prevail?
A riddle that science cannot solve,
The mystery of how life does evolve.
Science itself, in its grand pursuit,
Hits walls unknown, in the absolute.
Beneath its formulas and laws defined,
Lies a realm mysterious, enshrined.
Mathematics, a language profound,
Numbers and truths, on which we're astound.
Platonic whispers of truths divine,
Beyond human minds, they brightly shine.
Consciousness, the enigma deep,
Where inner worlds in silence keep.
No scan can reveal the soul's delight,
A mystery veiled in the cloak of night.
Free will, a debate eternal,
In realms where choices are infernal.
Science’s lens, too narrow to see,
The realm of freedom's mystery.
The transcendentals, true and fair,
Invisible threads that bind us there.
From facts to rights, a gap unseen,
In the borderlands where realms convene.
Science’s reach, though vast and grand,
Falters where mysteries withstand.
In the heart of truth, a whisper calls,
Beyond the grasp of its earthly walls.
*************^******************
Explanation:
The poem "Mysteries of Science" delves into the enigmatic territories that challenge reductive materialism within the realm of scientific inquiry. Each stanza highlights a distinct mystery, starting with the question of existence itself, pondering why something exists rather than nothing. This existential mystery sets the stage for deeper contemplation on the limitations of scientific explanations.
The exploration continues with the mystery of science being unable to fully comprehend its own mechanisms, leading to an inherent mysterious nature within scientific endeavors. The stanza on mathematics sheds light on the mystical essence of numerical truths that exist independently of human cognition, provoking contemplation on the objective reality of mathematical concepts.
Consciousness emerges as a profound mystery, emphasizing the inability of scientific reductionism to explain subjective experiences. The stanza on free will challenges the deterministic views imposed by scientific materialism, bringing to light the metaphysical complexity underlying human agency.
The transcendentals, encompassing the realms of truth, beauty, and goodness, are presented as mysteries that elude scientific reductionism. The poem underscores the intrinsic limitations of materialistic explanations in grappling with moral imperatives and universal values, highlighting the insufficiency of science in addressing such profound aspects of human existence.
In essence, "Mysteries of Science" weaves a tapestry of thought-provoking inquiries, inviting contemplation on the intricate boundaries of scientific understanding and the enduring mysteries that lie beyond its empirical reach.
We are culturally conditioned to expect God to show up as Odin or Zeus. What we are confronted with is an infant of questionable parentage lying in an animal feeding trough in a backwater of the Roman Empire.