Making a case for primordial logic

Primordial logic is a natural force of unknown origin that is composed of energy, intelligence and emotion. The original idea of such a force evolved to become a non-theistic scenario of existence that attempts to explain the origin of the universe for the benefit of those who lack faith in religion.

The idea is based on the premise that — except for the foibles of man and the mysterious action of an unknown “first cause” — everything in the world makes sense because there is a logical reason why things are as they are.

The ultimate mystery of the universe is the origin of energy and the principles that govern its behavior, but in spite of the mystery, it seems evident that both matter and life are composed of energy that is governed by the intelligent laws of physics and the emotional fears and desires of a will to live.

If it is true that something cannot come from nothing, then we can assume that some form of intelligence and emotion must be omnipresent because they are the substance of matter and the essence of life, and they continue to be present within the laws of physics and the will to live.

In the same way religious explanations about God require a leap of faith, the equally non-scientific concept of primordial logic requires a person to imagine the presence of the basic principles of intelligence and emotion on the “emptiness” of space. Within that dark void — before the “beginning” — the fundamental bits and pieces of intelligence and emotion may have existed as an ever-present urge for change. After eons of time, the emotional frustration of an unfulfilled “urge” may have built up a head of steam, so to speak, and exploded in a Big Bang. In other words, the origin of energy may have resulted from the frustration of being in the paradoxical situation of “existing in nothingness.”

Perhaps there were rational bits of intelligence and impatient urges of emotion that came together and formed a synergistic union that gave birth to primordial logic and the explosive energy of the Big Bang.

But regardless of what brought it about, the energy of the Big Bang is influenced by the principles of intelligence and the nature of emotion. Part of the energy is governed by the intelligent laws of physics that form matter, and some of the energy is motivated by emotion, which is manifested as a will to live. Simply put, in addition to being the source of energy, the principles of intelligence and emotion govern the substance and behavior of matter and life.

In the Middle Ages, Thomas Aquinas summed up the highest thinking of the day when he identified the power and principles of the universe (which are the attributes of primordial logic) as being three persons in one god — the Father (energy), the Son (intelligence) and the Holy Spirit (emotion). From a religious point of view, the power and wisdom of God is beyond human comprehension, whereas the attributes of primordial logic — when seen from a secular point of view — can be understood by the mind of man and utilized in our pursuit of happiness.

The human mind reveals the cause and effect reasons why everything in the world makes sense, and our self-consciousness reveals emotional values that give meaning and purpose to human life. The omnipresent “urge for change” that brought about a “first cause” continues to be satisfied through the dynamics of matter, the evolution of life and the accumulation of human knowledge and emotional experience.

The difference between God and the concept of primordial logic can be better understood if they are likened to a giant magnet in the sky. Depending on one’s viewpoint, one pole of the imaginary magnet represents the Son of God — or the nature of intelligence — and the other pole represent the Holy Spirit — or the nature of emotion. The field of force that surrounds the magnet can be seen as the power of God the Father — or as the source and storage place of energy. The viewpoint of religion personifies the power and principles of the universe, whereas the secular viewpoint recognizes the same power and principles as being energy that is governed by the automatic and impersonal laws of physics and life.

In the physical world, matter is imbued with intelligence and is unable to stupidly ignore the laws of physics or reason, and in the world of nature life is automatically geared toward survival. However, through the achievement of self-consciousness, man is able to do all manner of stupid things that might even result in his own extinction. But even so, the mind of man has produced a spiritual realm of existence.

Self-consciousness gives man the means to accumulate intellectual knowledge and to experience an ever-expanding awareness of the emotional spectrum. Unlike its physical body, a human inner self is made up of thoughts and feelings that are not subject to the laws of physics. Therefore, a person’s lifetime of experience will always be a part of the spiritual realm of existence. The sum total of the intelligent knowledge and emotional experience that makes up a human inner self is preserved in the realm of the soul — perhaps as a member of the “Communion of Saints” that is advocated by some Christian denominations, or within a “collective consciousness” that is conceived of as a possibility by some modern thinkers. It remains to be seen.

Art Carney is a Wasilla resident.