Whether it is our value systems, economic prowess – whatever the metric – the western world has undoubtedly experienced a tremendous amount of success in the last two centuries. With a sense of mysticism, the right will often refer to their religious principles, such as the Judeo-Christian ideals of righteous individuals, as the cause for this success. Contrary to the political right’s respect for religious meaning and purpose in our lives, the left will refer to natural, universal causes for the western world’s success. A common theory coming from the left is one that involves the idea of a collective unity that resembles the survival instincts of a pack of wolves.
Is it
possible that both sides have a point to why the western way of life has been
so fulfilling and successful? Should
both the collective and individual be given credit? Are both universal forces and divine forces
at play?
I tend to
believe that both the political left and right are correct in their assessment
of human flourishment (even though they seem to contradict each other on the
surface). If that is the case, the next
logical thing to do is to continue to ask questions and think critically until
we have reached a fundamental truth that explains how both sides of the
argument can be correct in their assessment of humanity. Why
is religious value systems paramount to our societal success and cultural
dexterity in the west? Why are natural and universal forces
continuously influencing humanity in a positive way, even though the universe
can be such a violent and unforgiving force?
To answer
the question about the importance of religious principles, it is the
empowerment and divine purpose given to the individual that incentivizes
continuous improvement. The answer to
what drives the natural causes for human development is, of course, the
evolutionary forces that apply to both the collective and individual. Sure, these explanations seem reasonable, but
we have yet to reach a common foundation of thought. We need to dive even deeper into these
concepts and continue to ask questions to determine the most fundamental reason
for why these ideas, seemingly contradicting on the surface, can both be right.
If you
ask enough question, eventually the truth will come to light. The most fundamental truth that supports both
the left and right perspectives is this: chaos is the responsible force that
allows for spontaneous development of all kinds.
A devote religious
person will look to a divine truth to create order in his or her life, yet, through
the Judeo-Christian perspective, there is also thought to be a spark of
divinity in all of us. With the amount
of variability between all individuals, how is it that a part of each and every
one of us can be considered divine if that same divinity is to be a source of
order? [To realize the chaotic state of
divinity within the individual, just think about the biblical story of the
penitent thief being put to death next to Jesus during His crucifixion. After making bad decisions in life – decisions
so bad that he is disregarded by all of humanity and put to death – there is
still a spark of divine wisdom that Jesus acknowledges with some of His last
words before dying on the cross.]
God may be perfect and orderly, but when realizing the concepts of original sin and free will, the religious perspective on the world is far from being orderly and perfect. It is chaotic.
Then
comes the natural causes of human flourishment that are recognized by
the left. Humans are thought to evolve
by conquering chaos that the universe continues to throw at us. It is true that we are geared to always
overcome adversity, and the reason is our antifragility. Not only do we overcome adversity and chaos,
but we are made stronger after withstanding it – like a sword forged in
fire.
You see –
the theory of chaos is one that explains the winning and losing arguments from both the left and right. This concept of chaos and how it affects the
world and the people living in it should be the foundation of thought we all
fall back on when building up our ideas.
Let’s
consider a few examples of how it explains the winning and losing arguments
coming from both sides…
A common,
but flawed, argument used to support most political initiatives is the
necessity of order. The left attempts to
create order through centralized, secular power hierarchies. The right attempts to create order through cultural
coercion with unquestioning, religious obedience. Are all these incessant forms of order really
necessary?
It is
true that centralized power and other cultural forces can lead to increased
order, but the solutions to our problems do not always involve order. Think back to our new foundation of
thought. It is disorderly chaos that
leads to societal progress.
Chaos is
a fundamental reality of the universe, and it is a metaphysical truth of our
mortal existence. For example, if you compare
our partisan politics and the people of our society to the nuclear family, then
you will see that people are affected by chaos in the same way that children are
affected by new ideas and unfamiliar experiences. It
is chaos that allows children to develop into responsible, productive human
beings that can eventually lead our future society. Realizing the truth about chaos versus order
is a foundation of thought that transcends religion, politics, philosophy,
science, and all other ideas. Its significance can even be proven when
studying the laws of physics.
As an
engineer, my college curriculum included a class on thermodynamics. It was in that class that I learned about the
concept of entropy. In laymen’s terms,
entropy is basically the measure of chaos, disorderliness, or randomness of
matter; and the second law of thermodynamics states that entropy can never
decrease over time (similar to how our society has continually become more
chaotic over time). This chaotic
characteristic of matter is essential in explaining many laws of physics, and
it is an increase in chaos (or entropy) that explains how spontaneous reactions take place (just like how
chaos allows for spontaneous improvements in humanity).
Ironically,
the chaotic expansion of the universe, which is still occurring today, resulted
in an orderly formation of galaxies, star systems, and even the planet we call
home: Earth. There could be some wisdom
attained by realizing this phenomenon.
The chaotic universe could be analogized to society; galaxies within the
universe are like each small community within society; star systems can be
compared to the family unit, and planets are like individuals. Just as the universe is chaotic, society (as
a whole) can be considered chaotic. When
focusing on a single galaxy, there will be a little less chaos (just as a small
community is more orderly than all of society).
As you move toward a more precise location within the galaxy, such as a
specific star system or planet, you can witness more and more order within the
universe (just like how a family or individual can be more orderly than its
community).
What
holds true in the cosmos also holds true in our social constructs. Out of chaos comes order.
The
global economies and varying systems of government through human history can
also be analogized with the concept of entropy and chaotic nature of the
universe. It is a known fact that
throughout the world’s history, our economies and political structures have
become more and more complex and chaotic over time. Just
like the natural aspects of our physical universe, as defined by the second law
of thermodynamics, this trend toward chaos is productive and natural. That is why having a chaotic economy results
in more progress.
The same
is true for political territories. With
the growing number of sovereign countries throughout history, geopolitical maps
have become more chaotic at an exponential rate. As you can imagine, this has led to foreign
relations being more complicated than ever before. Even so, this increasing amount of chaos has
resulted in peace and prosperity for the masses. We live in a world that is much more stable
to live in when compared to how it was thousands of years ago, when the
geopolitical structures were much simpler.
As with thermodynamics and free market economies, increasing levels of
chaos and randomness in the geopolitical world has, ironically, led to
orderliness. Furthermore, it has helped
spur moments of spontaneous progress and is the very reason for human
prosperity.
Having a
healthy amount of chaos is important for having a well-rounded society. While it would be nice to avoid living in the
wild west (hence the need for maybe a little bit of order to keep the fabrics of society
from unraveling), being in a chaotic state is far superior than its
extreme alternative. It is chaos that
leads to an endless cycle of failures and successes, which is necessary for the
progress of individuals and society. Sure
– some individuals are bound to fail when presented with a chaotic environment,
but others will exceed in ways that are inconceivable to most people. Through this chaotic development of
individuals and small communities, a better society will emerge.
Whether
on the left or right, the concept of chaos and order should be the foundation of thought we all share.
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