Seven Big Questions

About life, truth, God, and Human Nature

The following is an exercise that I found via the Geek Stoics’ post Behold! Saruman of Many Colors that Stephen Kent found in the ParkNotes’ video Journal Through These 7 Philosophical Questions to Know Yourself Better. As the title suggests, the video lays out seven “big questions to journal through in order to figure out your worldview.” Because I like this kind of shit and I really don’t want to do my homework, I thought I’d give it a go.

7 Big Worldview Questions

1. Is there a God?

   1. What is God’s nature? Is He/She/It a physical being or is God an essence or energy? Is God a singular figure?

2. What is truth?

   1. Does truth come from our senses or reason? Do Holy books hold the truth?

3. Where did the Universe come from and where is it going?

   1. Is it secure based on a Creator’s will or is it subject to chaos and random destruction?

4. What is Human Nature?

   1. Are people mostly good or mostly bad? Try to draw out the source of the belief and why you believe that? Are Human Beings special? Are we qualitatively different than animals, on a spectrum with animals? Why? Do we have Free Will?

5. What is the meaning of life?

   1. Why do I believe this? Does my life have a purpose and do I decide this or is it a pre-existing thing to be discovered?

6. What does it mean to live a good life?

   1. What is the good life? What can I do to make my life better and more in keeping with the Good Life?

7. What is wrong with the world and is there hope?

My Answers

1. I wrote about this in my post “I’ll call Dave, he’s an atheist” but not in such a straightforward way, so I’ll give it another go.
Is there a God? Probably. I firmly believe that there is something out there that created and binds all of this together, but it is beyond our comprehension. That certainly hasn’t stopped humanity from looking to the stars, asking the big questions, and trying to figure out what it all means. Whatever it is, it’s the inspiration and spark behind the world’s religions, spirituality, and mythologies.

What is God’s nature? This is impossible to know, but we do know that everything is connected and cultures all across the world share archetypes, motifs, and stories in a way that shouldn’t be possible. So, do with that what you will.

Is He/She/It a physical being or is God an essence or energy? As with the previous question, this is impossible to know, but I wonder, why can’t it be all of the above?

Is God a singular figure? See above.

2. This is one of those questions that on its surface seems easy to answer but the more you think about it, the harder it gets. Before I dig into the questions individually, I think it would be a good idea to start off with the understanding that “truth” and “fact” are not necessarily the same things.
What is truth? Have you ever looked up the word “truth” in the dictionary? It’s a lot. Above I linked to the Merriam-Webster entry on the word and some of the definitions include (but are not limited to) “the body of real things, events, and facts”, “the property (as of a statement) of being in accord with fact or reality”, and “sincerity in action, character, and utterance.” Again, that’s a lot. This is a question that people much smarter and wiser than me have struggled with, so who am I to try and tackle it? In so many ways, the truth is a feeling, but ultimately I think it is a combination of facts, understanding, and point of view. Honestly, the best explanation of truth that I have ever heard came from Obi-Wan Kenobi in the original Star Wars film –

“Luke, you’re going to find that many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view.” / “The truth is often what we make of it; you heard what you wanted to hear, believed what you wanted to believe.”

Does truth come from our senses or reason? Why not both?

Do Holy books hold the truth? Holy books hold truths but not “the truth.” In other words, no one Holy book is the factual, end-all-be-all purveyor of truth.

3. I don’t have a lot of preamble for this one, so I’m going to jump right to it.
Where did the Universe come from and where is it going? My instant reaction to this question was “who cares.” Where the universe came from and where it is going is so far beyond humanity it’s not even funny. Sure, it is a fun thought experiment and a question that scientists will ask and study from now until the end of time, but ultimately it doesn’t matter. It’s like Angel said (emphasis mine) –

“In the greater scheme, in the big picture, nothing we do matters. There's no grand plan, no big win. [...] If there's no great glorious end to all this, if nothing we do matters... , then all that matters is what we do. 'Cause that's all there is. What we do. Now. Today.”

Is it secure based on a Creator’s will or is it subject to chaos and random destruction? Both? Again, who cares? What’s important is what we do here and now.

4. Oh goodie, an easy one.
What is Human Nature? Besides a Michael Jackson song? JFC I don’t know. According to Wikipedia –

“Human nature comprises the fundamental dispositions and characteristics—including ways of thinking, feeling, and acting—that humans are said to have naturally. The term is often used to denote the essence of humankind, or what it 'means' to be human. This usage has proven to be controversial in that there is dispute as to whether or not such an essence actually exists.”

Truth be told, that’s a really good definition.

Are people mostly good or mostly bad? People have the capacity for both good and bad. I think there are some people that naturally can lean one way or the other but how someone grows up and their environment also plays a huge part in determining which way someone will land.

Try to draw out the source of the belief and why you believe that? Honestly, it is a combination of experience, observation, and a general gut feeling.

Are Human Beings special? We like to think that we are, don’t we? Human beings are a part of something special so by extension… Honestly, this question is kind of absurd.

Are we qualitatively different than animals, on a spectrum with animals? Why? I mean, we have opposable thumbs but so do lots of other animals. Also, humans are animals. This question and the last one both feel icky, like they are born out of this idea of human superiority. We are all part of the same world and play a part in its existence. Why isn’t that enough?

Do we have Free Will? Yes.

5. Beyond 42?
What is the meaning of life? Connection and service to each other.

Why do I believe this? Because it is the only thing that makes sense.

Does my life have a purpose and do I decide this or is it a pre-existing thing to be discovered? I would like to think that I have control over my actions.

6. This one is easy.
What does it mean to live a good life? It means that you live with kindness, compassion, and love and that you take care of the people in your life and the world around you.

What is the good life? I’ve always associated the phrase “the Good Life” with scenes from movies where people are lounging on some beach or somewhere else where they feel happy and content.

What can I do to make my life better and more in keeping with the Good Life? Try to live by the virtues and principles of kindness, compassion, fairness, and humility.

7. I also wrote about this recently in the post The Perfect Microcosm for Everything Wrong in this Country.
What is wrong with the world and is there hope? Selfishness, greed, and a lack of compassion are what is wrong with the world. As far as the other is concerned, there’s always hope, even if it seems impossible to see.