June 9, 2008

Pantheism and Suffering

By: James Poulos

Ross, talking about those crazy Singularitarians, channels a little Tocqueville:

the mere fact that the Singularity is inherently “escapist,” and bears a not-inconsiderable resemblance to Christianity, isn’t a problem with the concept. It’s the whole point.

As John Gray has also pointed out, we seem always innately to grope toward the concept of God. But that concept easily accomodates pantheism. Which inclines us I think to scramble or problematize science´s priority sheet. In a pantheist scheme of things, where everything is equally sacred, it would seem to be up to us to determine which suffering to go after first — possibly putting our anxiety over mortality over the agonies of the wretched. A nightmare for Gerson — but me too, for different reasons.