Creativity . . . the purpose of the universe?

In other posts (here, here and here), I have written specifically about the importance of creativity. Today, I want to try again. As the title declares, the questions I want to ask are:

• Is creativity the purpose of the universe?
  
• Is creativity our purpose?
  
• Is the universe fundamentally creative?
  
• If so, are we?
  

In this post I will share quotes from two writers, who I believe would have a wonderful time talking and exploring together, even though their they come from very different perspectives. I will share quotes from Dr. Stuart Kauffman and Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik.

Dr. Kauffman is director of the Institute for Biocomplexity and Informatics at the University of Calgary and is a professor in the departments of Biological Sciences and Physics and Astronomy at the university. More can be found out here.

The YU website has a short bio of Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik here. The last line simply says, "was the most influential figure associated with the spread of Torah in America, and he was singularly known as “the Rav.”

While I enjoy the holistic view of Dr. Kauffman, I must admit that I find the Rav's view more inviting and a more tangible invitation to create on my own and to turn my day-to-day life into one filled with meaning and creativity.

Stuart Kauffman from Reinventing the Sacred draft (a book to be released in May)

Thus, beyond the new science that glimmers a new world view, we have a new view of God, not as transcendent, not as an agent, but as the very creativity of the universe itself. This God brings with it a sense of oneness, unity, with all of life, and our planet — it expands our consciousness and naturally seems to lead to an enhanced potential global ethic of wonder, awe, responsibility within the bounded limits of our capacity, for all of life and its home, the Earth, and beyond as we explore the Solar System.

The third, rather astonishing theme that is emerging in this new world view is that the biosphere and human culture are ceaselessly creative in ways that are fundamentally unpredictable and presumably non-algorithmic or machine like.

I want God to mean the vast ceaseless creativity of the only universe we know of, ours. What do we gain by using the God word? I suspect a great deal, for the word carries with it awe and reverence. If we can transfer that awe and reverence, not to the transcendental Abrahamic God of my Israelite tribe long ago, but to the stunning reality that confronts us, we will grant permission for a renewed spirituality, and awe, reverence and responsibility for all that lives, for the planet.

Stuart Kauffman -- Investigations

'Forever Creative' -- "In this chapter I have been trying to say, argue, articulate the possibility that a biosphere is profoundly generative--somehow fundamentally always creative. The cornerstone of this dawning new conviction lies in the belief I now hold with some confidence that we cannot finitely prestate the configuration space of a biosphere." 135

Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik -- Halakhic Man

“Only man is capable of creative interpretation (hiddush), something which is beyond the power of angels, for since the Holy One, blessed be He, created them in a state of perfection, they need not and, therefore, cannot develop and progress. But this is not the case with man, for he progresses and his intellect gains ever-increasing strength. . . . The essence of the Torah is intellectual creativity. 82

Halakhic man is a man who longs to create, to bring into being something new, something original. The study of Torah, by definition, means gleaning new, creative insights from the Torah (hiddushei Torah). 99

Man’s task is to “fashion, engrave, attach, and create,” and transform the emptiness in being into a perfect and holy existence, bearing the imprint of the divine name. 101

If a man wishes to attain the rank of holiness, he must become a creator of world. If a man never creates, never brings into being anything new. anything original, then he cannot be holy unto his God. 108

The most fundamental principle of all is that man must create himself. It is this idea that Judaism introduced into the world. 109

And halakhic man, whose voluntaristic nature we have established earlier, is, indeed, a free man. He creates an ideal world, renews his own being and transforms himself into a man of God, dreams about the complete realization of the Halakhah in the very core of the world, and looks forward to the kingdom of God “contracting” itself and appearing in the midst of concrete and empirical reality. 137

If we accept that the universe is this abundant and creative realm -- then doesn't it make simple sense that that type of abundant creativity is key to each of us, to the human universe. Therefore, as one investigates ideas, theories, even religions--this notion of creativity and abundance and its nurturing, advocating, encouraging and teaching is fundamental.

What creates the opportunity for more creativity, more diversity, more abundance, more LIFE? This creativity is not simply poetry (the favorite of many philosophers, e.g Heidegger) or art, but the creativity in all of Life's areas -- creatively exploring new opportunities for growth.

With creativity, diversity, novelty as fundamental goods--freedom is another key -- because without freedom, we would not have the opportunity to explore new possibilities, new opportunities, new horizons.

I think the most important thing to remember is that this is how the universe works -- when we block this creativity, this newness, we run counter to life; we block our own creativity, we block the fundamental direction, urge, push of Life.

What are some of the keys to making this happen? Language -- language helps create new possibility, new ways of thinking and seeing by finding/creating the right word(s). Environment -- a rich (though not chaotic) environment creates new opportunities.

Moment to moment to moment -- looking for creativity, opportunity, possibility, growth.

Notes on nomadics

Notes on nomadics

focus on the creative
the new
the rhizome not the root

no set path
though all paths can be “raided” for necessities and treasures

constant movement
constant correction
constant rebirth

constantly making connections
new connections for new possibilities
new life

no authorities
no organization

love of the new
the possible of all the connections
that create the world new every moment

humility to the unknown and unknowable
surrender to the creative
embracing of the virtual and the unthinkable next moment

nomad poetics
new chiddushim

Copyright (c) Jeff Wild, 2008

Speak the World -- a poem

Speak the World

Can I be a voice for the world?
Can I be anything else?

Are we not all
a voice, really the voice
for the world?

I begin writing today,
after months of silence.

After months even years
of searching for other
means of expressing
who I am
and where I fit.

But I don’t fit in . . .

I don’t belong in any group:
Catholic, Buddhist, Jewish, New Age, Integral . . .

Not even Nomadic . . .

So, I can only speak me
and so speak the world.

Copyright (c) Jeff Wild, 2006

Omnibenevolence and Deleuze

In a former post, I discussed the idea of "omnibenevolence" as a potential for each of us.

There is a philosopher who I admired, named Gilles Deleuze, and while I believe that if Deleuze understood this idea as coming from traditional religion, he would either be very suspicious or simply reject it.

However, I wonder if "omnibenevolence" could be one of the possible "lines of flight," one of the experiments we are encouraged to live by Deleuze. Perhaps it is one of the ways we can be challenged to be more and discover more about ourselves. At the end of Todd May's wonderful book Gilles Deleuze: An Introduction, he writes:

Deleuze's ontology is not a resting place; it is not a zone of comfort; it is not an answer that allows us to abandon our seeking. It is the opposite. An ontology of difference is a challenge. To recognize that there is more than we have been taught, that what is presented to us is only the beginning of what there is, puts before us the greater task of our living. We have not finished with living; we are never finished with living. However we live, there is always more. We do not know of what a body is capable, nor how it can live. The alternatives of contentment (I have arrived) and hopelessness (There is nowhere to go) are two sides of the same misguided thought: that what is presented to us is what there is.

There is more, always more.

Perhaps this notion of "omnibenevolence" is part of the challenge to "recognize that there is more" and that "we are never finished with living" and along that same line of flight -- we are never finished with loving . . .

Mentioned in Rav Rosensweig's class? Okay, but where?

In a warm and friendly recent comment, I was told, "I happen to know that R' Rosensweig mentioned you to his class. Maybe you can hear it online. Best of luck to you." Sadly, the comment was from Anonymous.

Over the last week I have been listening to Rav Rosensweig's shiurim. I started with the ones from this year and have listened to them all except the most recent one on "Hechsheir Keilim."

But there has been no mention of me or this blog. Of course, I don't find that surprising. But if something was said, it would be fun to know what. If anyone knows what was said and when (and if it recorded), I would appreciate knowing.

Orthodox evangelization (Catholic and Jewish)

Along with my interest in Orthodox Judaism, I have a strong interest in Catholicism as well. In particular the work of Hans Urs von Bathalsar. One program that has a number of courses based on his work is the John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family. It offers some traditional, yet wonderful sounding classes--a few of which I have listed at the bottom of the post. However, very sadly there is nothing to listen to, nothing to download, except the academic catalogue, which describes the classes and the book list, which is interesting.

What I find so curious is that the John Paul II Institute makes a very explicit statement that one of its main points of its mission is evangelization:

"To develop a critical understanding of issues on marriage and family, biotechnology and ethics in light of Western/modern assumptions regarding the human person, as these bear on the nature and dignity of human life and the transcendental meaning of beauty, truth, and goodness, in a way that fosters a unity of theory and practice at the service of the Church’s 'new evangelization'"

Yet, it keeps its classes and its instruction to itself. What would be a better form of evangelization than sharing the insights and ideas from their program?

On the other hand there is is the unbelieveable Yeshiva University resource -- http://www.yutorah.org/, which I have written about before, that has thousands (over 14,000) of downloadable shiurim (lectures).

So if you ask me, YU is doing a far better job at evangelization than the John Paul II Institute.

Some John Paul II Institute classes:

JPI 922 - God, Giver of Life
This seminar examines the category of gift, a crucial concept for the thought of John Paul II. If gift is to be cogently adopted by any theological and anthropological reflection without falling prey to postmodernity’s criticism, an adequate elucidation of God, the giver of life, is required to retrieve the ontological and Trinitarian roots of “gift.”

The seminar pursues its goal, on the one hand, by exploring what it means to state that the Holy Spirit is the Person thanks to whom God himself is Gift (Dominum et Vivificantem, n.10), and, on the other hand, by addressing the issue of the generative potency in God and its difference from and similarity to his creative power on the other. The ontological and theological elucidation of gift is done with the aid of prominent ancient and contemporary theological figures such as Gregory of Nyssa, Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, Bonaventure, von Balthasar, and John Paul II.

JPI 930 - The Trinitarian Meaning of Human Suffering
This course takes as its starting point John Paul II’s encyclicals Redemptor Hominis, Dives in Misericordia, and Dominum et Vivificantem, and the apostolic letter Salvifici Doloris. The course attempts to advance a theological understanding of the meaning of evil and suffering. This reflection is set against the backdrop of the examination in the contemporary situation of the meaning of suffering. Besides the work of John Paul II, the other main authors examined in the course are Plotinus, Aquinas, Hegel, von Balthasar, and E.Mounier.

JPI 941 - The Mysteries of Christ and the Meaning of Time and History
A correct understanding of Gaudium et Spes, 22, is crucial for developing the adequate anthropology John Paul II speaks of in his writings. The contemplation of Jesus Christ, who reveals the mystery of the Father and his love, allows us to see fully a new image of man. In this regard, it is important to notice that this section of the pastoral constitution refers to the whole of the life of Christ, from the Incarnation to the Death and Resurrection of the Lord. Christ “has truly been made one of us, like us in all things except sin,” and that in turn means: He has assumed also human time and a part of human history.

This course focuses on how a consideration of the life of Christ opens a new understanding of human time and history. A theological category will constitute the guideline of our discussion: the concept of “mystery,” deemed by Joseph Ratzinger to be the most fruitful term of twentieth century theology. The course will draw from the understanding of mystery in Scripture and the Fathers of the Church, as well as from the Christology of some modern theologians (such as W. Pannenberg, J. Ratzinger, K. Rahner, and H. U. von Balthasar), in order to see the fruitfulness of a Christology focused on the mysteries of the life of Jesus. The different mysteries of the life of Christ, understood in their interconnection and development as an exodus of love and as the very dynamic of Jesus’ self-giving (cf. Deus Caritas Est 7; 12), will reveal to us the meaning of human history and the sense of time in human existence.

A "Torah plus 'X'" philosophy -- an interview with Rav Rosensweig

An interview with Rabbi Michael Rosensweig was published in the most recent edition of the YU Commentator, the official newspaper of Yeshiva College. Here is a link to the entire interview.

In it he discusses topics including religion's engagement with the world of secular knowledge, universalism and Jewish particularism, the doctrine of elu ve-elu divrei Elokim Hayyim [these and these are the words of the living God], the historical study of gemara or halakhah and contemporary Biblical criticism.

Below I include some selections from it that I felt described why I find Rav Rosensweig's vision so challenging, but yet attactive and spiritually energizing.

In describing a "Torah plus 'X'" philosophy, Rav Rosensweig states,

By that I mean two things. First, the foundational Torah component needs to take clear priority not only in a quantitative sense but because it is the raison d'etre of the entire enterprise. Torah values must motivate and direct the engagement of other knowledge and serve as the prism through which we assess other possible contributions, whether Madda, Hokhmah, Derekh Eretz, etc. Second, it is crucial that the perspective be one of "Torah plus." We should not merely be seeking permitted engagement that falls within the accepted confines of Torah law and that does not contravene its values. If that were the case then our investment of time and effort would be much more difficult to justify. Instead, we should perceive meaningful engagement through the prism of Torah and for the sake of Torah as stemming from and reflecting a much more ambitious commitment to Torah. We believe that the Torah's agenda is broad, that it addresses and encompasses all dimensions of life, and that with the proper filters and methodologies these interactions can enhance our understanding of both the texts and values of Torah. It is therefore not "Torah and" but an expanded "Torah plus" ideology.

Later in that same answer he declares,

A very chemical and physical view of the world, when overly narrow, creates an orientation that may pose challenges to the world of Torah particularly in terms of the central role of tzelem Elokim [image of God] and all that implies about man's essential spirituality and transcendence.

In regard to the humanities in this same answer, he says,

We may also better understand man's tumultuous nature, his flaws, the compulsions and impulses that are addressed by halakhic rules and principles. The effort to understand man's great spiritual potential along with his struggles and challenges is an endeavor to better comprehend the very concept of tzelem Elokim, namely, man's transcendence, uniqueness and creative capacity.

Regarding universalism and Jewish particularism he answers,

We should advocate a holistic halakhic approach, albeit one that perceives the halakhic agenda as broad and ambitious. Thus, we should view universalism through the prism of halakhic rules, laws and values from which a coherent approach will emerge. This way we will better determine what is demanded of us, and also what can add value to our spiritual lives.

When asked, "Does the doctrine of elu ve-elu divrei Elokim Hayyim open the door to postmodernism or postmodernist relativism?", Rav Rosensweig responded,

It absolutely does not. There is a general misconception with regard to the proper definition of elu ve-elu. It reflects respect for a range of values and perspectives on halakhic and hashkafic issues; however, this range is not unlimited. We are dealing with a broad yet concretely defined group of sources and ideas. The need to relate reverently to the views of opposing halakhic authorities on a given subject is especially crucial, as even apparently subtle or nuanced differences can reflect important differences in approach.

...Moreover, Elu ve-elu does not absolve one from the responsibility to come to halakhic conclusions, nor does it make a single conclusion any weaker. In fact the opposite may be true. The more you believe in multiple truths - if you see them as permutations of the same basic principle - the more you view the halakhic process of coming to a single, best normative conclusion as more authoritative. Decisive halakhic decision-making is designed to discriminate between elu ve-elu viewpoints. Thus elu ve-elu precludes any idea of relativism or a postmodernist perspective.

The Arukh ha-Shulhan describes elu ve-elu as a symphony, as opposed to a cacophony of discordant notes. It is part of a process that produces authoritative conclusions based on a sincere effort to penetrate the real intent of original sources. It certainly does not reflect a sense of arbitrariness, chaos or individual whim. Interpreting original sources is a complex endeavor and requires rigor and intense yir'as shamayim.

Of course he writes about this extensively in the essay "ELU VA-ELU DIVRE ELOKIM HAYYIM: HALAKHIC PLURALISM AND THEORIES OF CONTROVERSY," that I quote from here.