Recovering the Awe of the Ancients

In a world increasingly obsessed with the alleged panacea of modern science, the less scientifically inclined can take heart. Indeed, science cannot solve everything. Science does tackle problems—intellectual puzzles that humans can theoretically solve—fairly effectively. Mysteries, however, baffle even the most advanced science. In a mystery, the problem encroaches on the data itself. Humans can never extricate themselves in order to attack the problem objectively. For this reason, science will never solve a mystery.

The French philosopher Emmanuel Levinas divides humans into two categories: totalizers and infinitizers. A totalizer desires to embrace all reality within himself and believes humans can solve everything if they try hard enough. An infinitizer, on the other hand, simply participates in being, recognizing his lack of control. He is instead driven by wonder. The totalizing drive of modern science, Levinas would argue, represents an incomplete view of the universe.

Some of the most fundamental aspects of human existence are mysteries. Philosophers and scientists, for instance, have struggled to establish anything at all about things as fundamental as consciousness. They will continue to attack this mystery unsuccessfully with their problem-solving methods.

Instead of yielding to this modern scientism, we need to regain our primordial wonder at these phenomena. Here Plato’s oft-quoted words ring true: “philosophy begins in wonder.” But as is often the case, I have to nudge myself back into the more practical realm to see this. We find similar phenomena in our modern society. Philosophers and economists since Adam Smith have marveled at the “invisible hand” in the market. The economy is far too vast for a totalizer to control, yet it allocates resources in a remarkably efficient manner. While the free market does have well-documented failures, it remains an incredible decentralized system. Granted, the market is clearly not a mystery as being and consciousness are, but it represents a system well outside the ability of a totalizer to control. Instead of trying to control it then, let’s simply marvel at its beauty.

In other words, let’s be infinitizers.