Two myths underlie Western identity: a Judeo-Christian myth of an overly intelligent universe and a material myth of a mechanical, unintelligent one.
Both myths contribute to a sense of alienation, but the latter offers the comfort of a dead universe over a living one with potentially oppressive standards.
insights INSIGHT
True Faith vs. Belief
Belief in God implies mistrust; true faith is openness to reality without knowing.
The highest form of faith is unknowing (Agonozia), because the ultimate reality is unclassifiable and beyond logic.
insights INSIGHT
Influence of Social Institutions
Social institutions, including time, money, and values, shape our identity.
These are agreements, not absolute truths, similar to language conventions.
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Picking up from our last episode, Alan elucidates faith versus belief, and how our individual existence is connected with the totality of the universe.
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From his houseboat in Sausalito, CA, Alan Watts explores:
The two great myths which underly our Western sense of identity: the Judeo-Christian myth of an overly intelligent universe founded by a cosmic king; and the material myth of a universe which is mechanical, un-intelligent, and empty
The problem of “believing” in God, versus the real attitude of faith which is being open to whatever reality is
Finding out who we are beyond social institutions like time, money, value, language, and survival
How you as an individual implies by your existence everything else in the universe
“The problem about believing in God, incidentally, is that believing is the wrong attitude. Believing is a form of mistrust, because it’s saying, ‘I fervently wish that you exist, and if you don’t, I don’t know what to do with myself.’ The real attitude of faith is not believing, but simply being open to whatever reality is, and to say you don’t know.” – Alan Watts
