第8章 宇宙の目的 n.7 - 唯一の実在としての神
ひとつの最後の慰めになる内省(One last consoling reflection)がある。即ち,神だけが唯一の実在であるということから,貧しい者は(自分が)貧しいことを気にすべきでないという結論が出てくる。「無用の贅沢のような,過ぎ去りゆく瞬間の実在しない影」にしがみつこうとすることは愚かである。(また)「貧しい者たちの実質生活水準(The real standard of the poor)は,富める者たちのそれよりもずっと満足のゆくものかもしれない」。飢えている者にとっては「唯一の究極の実在は,我々が神の存在によって示す(denote by)精神的あるいは人格的存在であることを想起すること(思い出すこと)は慰めとなるであろう」。 このような理論(説)によって多くの疑問が生じる。その最も明確なものから取上げてみよう。(即ち)一体,生物学が物理学や化学に,あるいは心理学が物理学に還元できないというのは -もし還元できないとしたら- どういう意味においてであろうか? |
Chapter 8:Cosmic Purpose , n.7From this point, we are ready to take the next step, from single personalities to God. "Personality is not merely individual. It is in this fact that we recognize the presence of God - God present not merely as a being outside us, but within and around us as Personality of personalities." "It is only within ourselves, in our active ideals of truth, right, charity and beauty, and consequent fellowship with others, that we find the revelation of God." Freedom and immortality, we are told, belong to God, not to human individuals, who, in any case, are not quite "real." "Were the whole human race to be blotted out, God would still, as from all eternity, be the only reality, and in His existence what is real in us would continue to live."One last consoling reflection : from the sole reality of God, it follows that the poor ought not to mind being poor. It is foolish to grasp at "unreal shadows of the passing moment, such as useless luxury. . . . The real standard of the poor may be far more satisfying than that of the rich." For those who are starving, one gathers, it will be a comfort to remember that "the only ultimate reality is the spiritual or personal reality which we denote by the existence of God." Many questions are raised by this theory. Let us begin with the most definite : in what sense, if any, is biology not reducible to physics and chemistry, or psychology to biology? |