With the advent of modern high-performance space telescopes (viz., Hubble, Compton, Spitzer), man has discovered, what appears to be an infinitely, endless, Outer Space, composed of innumerable, vast galaxies, so remote from planet, Earth, that distances are mathematically calculated in thousands of “light years.” We have come to realize, that our expansive solar system, is relatively, miniscule, in comparison with the size of the partly observed, Universe; which, itself, seems to be but a part of an unimaginably, awesome, Multiverse. The recitation of physical factors, such as distances, dimensions and other such features, set forth in scientific articles, in this context, is so extravagantly, awesome, that, with a baseline of empirical knowledge, merely garnered from life on this terrestrial planet, one cannot begin to rationally, comprehend, or even, imagine, the indicated distances.
Since man’s knowledge is exclusively, acquired by his empirical experience, [John Locke], it follows, that he is not, experientially, nor, potentially, capable, of the appreciation or comprehension of such vast, outer space dimensional concepts. It would appear, that the “sentient,” Homo sapiens, was relegated or, limited, to the contemplation of terrestrial, matters. The realization that humankind’s capability to live by reason (those humans that extol and employ reason) appears to be handicapped by his limited, earthly thought (and experience), perhaps, describable as “earth-centric,” caused us to deem it appropriate and relevant to rethink the subject of human epistemology. We suddenly, realized that Locke’s empiricism, logically, can be applicable and relevant, only to man’s life experience on earth and further, if there are alternate, objective, sources of understanding, scientific, or otherwise, man has been remiss in their attempted application.
Humankind’s, apparently, earth-centric and consequently, limited, quest for wisdom and enlightenment, entails the eternally, ubiquitous construct of question and answer. The foundational, underlying, premise of the rational and empirical method of seeking information, by the initial imposition of the relevant question, is logical and ultimately, useful, in matters, empirically, accessible, by way of earthly inquiry. Logic, mathematics, experience, and reference to experts or reference material on the subject are among the useful ways of attaining the determination of questions, or, solution of problems.
Mankind, in its contemporary, confrontation by questions which are not capable of empirical, answers regarding, non- earthly, matters, historically, had, traditionally, turned to religious dogma, for answers. The institution of Religion has always been an important and comforting, fixture in Man’s society. But religion is not factual, and has, inappropriately, been, used, to fill in the blanks, where empirical inquiry lacked desired answers. We are told that the Earth and its flora and fauna were created by an “omnipotent” God in six days, such an “omnipotent” creator, inconsistently, requiring the seventh day to “rest.” Scientific research, instead, universally, dates the age of the Earth at upwards of 4,400,000 years. Prior to Copernicus, religion stated that, since man is at the center of the Universe (concluded, prior to the-Hubbell telescope) the Moon orbits around the Earth. History shows that heretics were dealt with death, torture, or imprisonment.
The theme and context, of this writing, are not the hapless, criticism of Religion, but rather the debunking of the confident, aphorismic assertion, that, for every question, there somewhere, or somehow, exists an answer. Such traditional, and currently, outmoded, assumption, in our present view, appears, to be a clear manifestation of the egoistic inclination of an arrogant, Homo sapiens; the latter, an admitted, “sentient,” (but limited) marvel, of Charles Darwin’s, “Natural Selection.”
Some fundamental, non-empirical, questions, like the origin and nature of the immense, Universe, inclusive of our Solar system, and the unfailing, energy source for Earth’s gravity, should comfortably, remain, acceptably, factual, without the empirical, availability, or, the neurotically and arrogantly, asserted, necessity, of explanation or answer.
-p
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