Page 8 - The Myth and the Moment

Morning

to my usual subordinate orbit, and the laws of conservation and the
state of California will be preserved. On Earth as in the Heavens: the
correspondence of microcosm and macrocosm shall prevail. But
which is which?
Another red light! Blast! These signals used to be synchronized for
thirty-five miles per hour. Entropy triumphs again in the mundane
sphere. In how many mechanisms holding the missiles in check are
tiny flaws slowly budding into blooms of concatenated catastrophe?
But The End doesn’t have to happen, does it, Senator/
Professor/Reverend Cleftnodule? No, my son, of course not;
nothing is pre-ordained but God’s will. But, sir, doesn’t the existence
of God presume the preclusion of nothingness? Naughty boy, go to
the foot of the class! We want proof, say the people: prove The End
is coming, and then we will act accordingly. Then we will ban the
bomb, create a world federation, love our brothers and sisters. And
here come the TV evangelinos: I say unto you, The End is coming,
so...save your own spiritual skin! Invest in the next world! Send your
tax-deductible charitable contributions to God’s broker today: seats
on the heavenly chariot are strictly limited; act now and I will include,
absolutionally free, this beautiful set of matched one-hundred percent
rip-stop nylon angel wings (one size fits all).
Ah, mythology! Necessary, say the apologists, the pseudoscientific
gurus of human nature and cultural imperatives. What if, as a thought
experiment, we eliminate all of humankind but one adult, already
socialized into no matter what patterns of language and behavior,
who suddenly finds himself on an island with no books, no tools, no
nothing, except plenty of food and shelter—and no physical dangers.
Of course, he comes into the situation with all of his irrational
beliefs. I say, since they will do him no good, he will give them up;
after some interval he will believe nothing but the evidence of his
senses. No superstitions, no metaphysical justifications for the power
structure (because there isn’t any), no self-denial based on post-
mortem rewards and punishment. So much for human nature. But
I’m assuming he can drop a lot of the intellectual and emotional
baggage he brought along. No good. Too bad; ruined the experiment.
Can’t do it with new-born infants: no one to give them the rudiments
of language. Of course, if the neurolinguists are right, that’s all hard-

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