I rather like to be challenged. Opposition brings strength to my character
and my beliefs. I learn more about
myself and about what I believe in when someone else questions either one, or
else they express a belief that is different from my own. Often, I take for granted that what I know
about the world is all there is to know, and so it’s enlightening and exciting
to learn otherwise.
I’m
being challenged a bit right now in reading Sapiens:
A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari. It’s a fascinating book that looks at the
biological and evolutionary history of our species, trying to explain in purely
scientific terms why we humans—and not any other kind of humans—have made it to
the top of the food chain. I’m enjoying
it immensely, but frequently the author will express opinions that run counter
to my own viewpoint. One of the things
that jars me is the fact that Harari writes from an atheist viewpoint. It makes sense for a scholar, but it makes me
realize just how much my Christian background informs my worldview. I would bet that it informs your worldview,
as well, even if you’re not a Christian.
Take,
for example, the passage that I just read this morning, which explores the
Christian influence on the Declaration of Independence. Harari takes a look at the first line, that
famous “We hold these truths” quote.
Many of us who went to school in the United States will know that one by
heart. But Harari’s take on it is a bit
different. Try “We hold these truths to
be self-evident, that all men evolved differently, that they are born with
certain mutable characteristics, and that among these are life and the pursuit
of pleasure” (110).
Huh? What is that all about? Well, Harari points out that in the version
we know, there are many phrases that have nothing to do with biological
reality. He claims that without a
Creator to demand equality, equality itself is a myth. And in biological terms, he’s right—survival of
the fittest means that there are those who are more fit to live, and those who
are less. That is how our race has come
to this point. Equality and liberty,
says Harari, are created realities to help our society function in the way that
we want it to, much like religion, politics, and economics.
I
can see where he’s coming from, but I have to admit, it’s a little depressing
to think about. We already are having
enough trouble holding to those “self-evident” truths. If the myth of equality fades away, the
structure of our society could crumble away into chaos. But then, Harari talks about how powerful
myths are, changing the form and scope of society across thousands of
years. Myths—or in other words, ideas
that we can believe in—are what have brought us together, made it possible for
thousands or even millions of people to work towards the same goals. It’s going to take a little bit more than a
single scientific mind to change the subjective reality of equality.
I
would submit to you, and to Harari, that humans have evolved beyond the purely
biological. We have created, if you
will, a new reality of the mind. So many
people have put so much energy into ideals and dreams over the centuries, and
energy cannot be created or destroyed, can it?
Even though things like love and faith and peace cannot be touched, does
that really mean they aren’t real? I
think—I know—that there are things in
the world that science cannot explain.
There
is something else that Harari said that intrigues me. In his dissection of the Declaration’s first
line, he denies the existence of rights, saying that biology has no room for
such things. “Birds fly not because they
have a right to fly, but because they have wings” (109). Now, despite the fact that this line was used
in a critique of ideas that have informed my life and education, reading it
gave me something of a thrill, because I took it an entirely different
way. It points out that no one gave
permission for birds to fly; they were made for it—or else they became what
they needed to be in order to do it.
Within the analogy Harari has constructed, what does that mean for
humans? It means we don’t have a right
to equality or freedom—that’s what we were made for. That’s what we have become. And that, I think, is more true and real than
anything Harari is criticizing. The
evolution of our minds, the thoughts and ideas that we have created over the
centuries, are not a prison of false realities.
Rather, they are little by little setting us free, as we were meant to
be.
All of my thoughts today are based on chapter six, "Building Pyramids". Don't be surprised if I bring more of my interpretations to this blog
as I continue my reading. I would very
much encourage you to read the book yourself and would love to hear what you
have to think. Find it on Amazon here.
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