The Transitioning Human Mind
To what extent can it be relied upon?
The Ship of Theseus
Plutarch, a Roman writer, wrote about the ‘Ship of Theseus’, with a view to engage in a deeper philosophical exploration. The story goes like this:
A man named Theseus owned a ship that was well known among the local populace, who simply referred to it as the ‘Ship of Theseus’. As time passed, parts of the ship were replaced with new ones. This went on for some time until the entire ship was rid of its old parts and replaced completely with new ones.
A man who worked for Theseus (we'll call him Simon) collected all the unwanted parts from the original ship and stored them in a safe location. When the ship was entirely replaced, Simon, who now possessed all the old parts of the ship, reconstructed the ship with the old parts.
The Deeper Questions
Plutarch posed the question: ‘how many ships of Theseus are there now, and which one should truly bear the title of 'The Ship of Theseus'?’
The one in possession of Theseus apparently deserved to be called that since he (Theseus) was the owner of it, and it is the one to which people would continue to refer as that. Yet the one in possession of Simon merits the title of the ‘Ship of Theseus’ too, as it is, undeniably, the ‘original’ ship.
There are deeper philosophical layers to this concept to ponder within this simple thought experiment, however since they have little bearing for us in this article, we will look only at what is relevant.
The Ever-changing Anatomy
Much like the 'Ship of Theseus,' the human body undergoes significant transformations too. Cells are destroyed and replaced all the time, until new cells completely replace old ones, and ultimately the entire body is replaced. We may very well then ask ourselves the same question: ‘Who is the real me?’ The one prior to the transformation, or the one after it?
While the body undergoes physical transformation, the mind experiences a similar process too, albeit in a non-physical manner. The mind continues to develop gradually, cultivating new ideas and concepts, all the while discarding old ones. Indeed, how many people, in their latter years, talk about their pasts, marvelling at the extent of their ideological and intellectual evolution, particularly in comparison to their earlier years.
Moreover, just as the individual mind experiences change and development, the collective minds of societies also experience a similar transition, but in a collective fashion. It is due to this reason that we see that no society is static in any aspect of its existence. In fact, throughout history, no human society has ever been stagnant in any sphere, whether in political beliefs, social values, or economic judgements.
If we cannot allow an ill-equipped individual to pass verdicts and make judgements on the smallest of matters in a courtroom, how can we rely on a society that isn’t fully developed yet?
The Human Inadequacies
The dynamism of human societies in all spheres of life suggests something very important. Societies are always in a state of development; they can never be characterised as complete and free from the need for further development. An entity that bears the above characteristic, i.e., is in a continual state of development, can never be said to be competent to make judgements on itself or others.
By observing historical data and societal tendencies, we can safely conclude that the future trajectory, in terms of being dynamic or stagnant, will be no different from the past; that is, we will continue to develop throughout the life of our existence. This only reinforces the incompleteness that is so inherent a part of our beings. And while we must acknowledge that we are not responsible for this deficiency in any way, there is no doubt that this is a flaw that blemishes our judgements and jeopardises our wellbeing.
The above indicates how poorly equipped we are in forming judgements, especially those that pertain to the fundamental aspects of our life and existence. If we cannot allow an ill-equipped individual to pass verdicts and make judgements on the smallest of matters in a courtroom, how can we rely on a society that isn’t fully developed yet? And that too on matters most critical to it?
The Impact of Direct Observations
Our paradigms are slaves to emotions and direct observations. Emotions play a significant role in shaping our perceptions and beliefs, impairing our judgement and influencing our decisions. Likewise, our direct observations, while valuable, can be limited and biased, as they are filtered through our subjective experiences and preconceptions.
Imagine walking down your local neighbourhood and witnessing a heinous atrocity unfolding right before your eyes. The horror and intense emotions that you will experience in that moment are incomparable to anything you might feel from hearing about a similar incident in another part of the country, or the world. The visceral experience of being a direct witness to such a tragedy is bound to be etched into your memory, haunting you for a long period of time. And even though both events are identical, the impact and reactions will be a world apart.
Paradigm Shift - The Child on the Train
Let's consider a scenario. You are travelling in a train, sharing the carriage with a few strangers. At one stop a man and a boy enter and take their seats in the same carriage. As soon as the train resumes its journey, the boy starts behaving in a rather annoying manner and moves around the carriage agitatedly with apparently no reason and disturbing the other passengers in the process. You notice that despite the obvious nuisance on the child’s part and the inconvenience caused to fellow passengers, the child's father appears totally unperturbed. After enduring the child's disruptive behaviour for what seems like an extended period, one passenger, overcome with frustration, finally speaks up. He bitterly scolds the man for his inconsiderate behaviour and criticises his parenting. Other passengers join in, echoing similar sentiments.
Compelled to respond, the man finally breaks his silence. He explains that his wife had recently gone to visit her parents, and a few hours earlier, he had received the devastating news of her sudden passing. He acknowledges the profound shock he himself had experienced but reveals that his 7-year-old son was struck dumb and had lost his bearings altogether.
Upon hearing this, the passengers who had previously been harshly berating the man and bitterly criticising the child just moments ago, now sincerely apologise to the man, and take their turns to console the grieving child.
In the above example, we observe a remarkable shift in the passengers' attitudes, undergoing a complete turnaround after being reminded of the 'actual facts’.
We are reminded as to how great a transformation can take place within the human mind through the introduction of a new development or a new piece of knowledge. It underscores the potential for flawed judgements in the absence of critical information and compels us to reflect on the fallibility of our perceptions, even when we believe ourselves to be unequivocally correct.
The Operation Theatre
Consider another scenario:
A rustic from a remote, undeveloped region of the world, unfamiliar with hospital settings, witnesses a distressing scene. He sees a man making an incision on a woman's stomach, unaware that the man is a qualified surgeon performing a critical, life-saving procedure. The woman lying on the table is a patient undergoing a caesarean section under general anaesthetic, a procedure that could mean life and death for both her and her unborn child.
We are reminded as to how great a transformation can take place within the human mind through the introduction of a new development or a new piece of knowledge.
The Reality
There is a common factor in both the above-mentioned scenarios: what initially appears to be the case at face value is actually not. A snapshot can never represent the whole story or convey the true complexity of it.
It is crucial to acknowledge the inherent weaknesses of human intellect and understanding. Despite our intellectual superiority over other creatures, we are fundamentally limited in all aspects of life. Our capacity for judgement too is clouded by inherent biases, shortsightedness, and ignorance. We are susceptible to fallacy at all times, unable to grasp the full truth of a situation. Given these inherent limitations, the question that needs to be asked is: why should we be entrusted to determine our own destinies?
This question prompts us to consider the implications of our flawed judgement and the need for humility in observing this world of ours and the realities within, no matter how uncomfortable they seem.
Who is Truly Fit to Judge?
Just as we are not the creators of ourselves or the sources of our fulfilment and satisfaction, we cannot arrogate to ourselves the role of creating the principles that govern us. Just as everything else we rely upon is not the result of our own creation, logically, neither should the fundamental regulations that govern us and our societies.
The truth is, in matters of governance too, as with anything else, we require an objective and external source to provide us with guidance. This is because, for such a purpose, we require access to comprehensive and perfect data that spans the entirety of human existence, from its inception to the end of time. We need to be able to perfectly analyse all variables across ages and aspects of life to arrive at sound and definitive judgements of what is right and wrong, and what laws would best serve a given situation. Until such comprehensive data - encompassing both the past and the future from our current standpoint - is made available to us, we cannot be deemed fit to make such critical judgements. Only the One who has provided us with all other aspects of existence and fulfilment can offer such guidance.
Just as we are not the creators of ourselves or the sources of our fulfilment and satisfaction, we cannot arrogate to ourselves the role of creating the principles that govern us.
Conclusion
The examples mentioned above betray the limitations of our capacity for comprehension and judgement, revealing that our perceptions are often marred by our narrow perspectives and vision. By acknowledging our own limitations and embracing humility, we can start to look for wisdom from a Higher Power; a Power that surpasses our finite minds and sees the entirety of existence across all eras; past, present, and future. Once we acknowledge this and are mentally prepared to seek this comprehensive guidance, we will be better placed to receive it and avail of it.
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