Isaga, Montenegro
HARMONIZATION AND DETERMINISM VIS- A -VIS HUMAN RESPONSIBILITY AND FREEDOM
by Sofio Montenegro Isaga
“Harmonization is an integral part of the
cosmic evolutionary process.
It is one cosmic law and principle.”
Harmonization is when all things created find themselves moving in accordance with a pattern. The pattern is an ordained thing to which all must subscribe at. The Order in the Universe attests that there is an ultimate pattern. This is best described in the movements followed by the things, small and magnificent, without brain on its own. The solar system translates the harmony of the non-thinking objects. The different planets move on its own orbits and axis, avoiding a disastrous collision. This gives a scenic spectacle in the great sky , without shattering of one planet, no too much threat for both the small and big heavenly bodies. I am not moving away with the incidents that involve a meteor or meteorite hitting earth and other planets.
How could these irrational things maintain order? They don’t have senses to avoid the other. Only rational beings can maintain order in themselves and around them. It is one cosmic law and principle. The law speaks of the irrational things following a certain order. The principle of gravity for example is one great demonstration that provides explanation that there is something in the cosmos that provides ordering of things. This brings harmony at the highest level. But inside one planet like earth, there it seems a some kind of disorder. Volcanoes erupt, giant waves hit the shore, lighting burns the forest, snow freezes the sea and the like. Isn’t it that these are disorders? It is very obvious that those mentioned destroy the other things. Things are meant to grow, expand and multiply. Things are meant to be beautiful thus they should be protected. But natural disasters bring the other things in a truncated life. The harmony is being questioned here. How come that harmony exists when one part of the cosmos destroys the other? It is one perennial question in metaphysics and ontology. The answer is given. All things that are happening is part of the greater whole. Even the destructive movements of the aforementioned things are classified as part of the cosmic process. It is necessary to bring out balance of nature. So, is destruction part of harmonization just to bring balance of nature?
One great approach to settle this perplexing question is by qualifying the issue. It is always in “distinguishing” what is really in question that gives a clearer picture of the argument. In this particular concern, that is harmony(balance) through destruction, it should be cleared that taken in the perspective of cosmic mind, what is happening in the universe is part of the cosmic process. It part of the eternal law or natural law. It is written that volcanoes shall erupt in a given period even before the birth of humanity. This what a volcano is all about. It erupts. It is the limited mind of man who imposes a limiting understanding of what is happening in said issue. It is one sided. It is understood how limited the mind of man is, that he cannot contain the infinity of the issue. Once man is affected, he has the tendency to question what is happening. One concern is being measured by man’s limited parameter. So in the greater perspective, there is no destruction of one part of the cosmos. It is simply is. It shall come to pass. In the finite perspective, man would see a negative force that destroys the other parts of the cosmos.
The idea of harmony and determinism of non-thinking things is already settled. All things follow a certain pattern to achieve harmony. All things are determined to achieve harmony.
What about things that possess brain? I would like focus my discussion on man.
“determinism- man has no free will. Harmonization is
a cosmic law that pre-ordain a duty for all.”
If I say that man is an exemption to the pre-ordained tendency, then it is tantamount to saying that man is not under the great cosmic reality. He is not a part of the predetermined process. Neither I’m saying that man is not part of the cosmos nor he is part of cosmic process. On the contrary, I say he is part of it. Taken into the unqualified statement, man inside and outside is following a certain law and principle. This means that whatever man does is just a completion of what is ordained. I remember one discussion regarding the helplessness of man in his ordeal. If one commits rape, he is not responsible to it because it is the dictate of the cells of man. It is part of the cosmic process. Man must not be put behind bars because man is simply helpless but he only succumbs to the cosmic law and principle. No amount of responsibility should be borne by man.
If this is the case, a greater chaos surfaces. How come that no one should be held responsible in the said crime? No sane mind will think that no one is to be blamed in the misfortune suffered by the girl. There can, of course, be only one sensible conclusion:
We must deduce that many spirits of a low order may in conformity to some cosmic law — be combined to produce fewer entities, of a higher overall nature or status! Solely by recognizing the principle of fusion, as a vital and dynamic feature of the universe,may we escape an otherwise absurd situation.
If one man does something to another, naturally the later will in turn get even. A man kills a man. The relative of the latter will kill the former. It will goes on and on. A group of people gets afflicted. Negative energy and feelings will shroud the big part of the picture of man and cosmos. This is not harmony, definitely. Phenomenology tells that a man, affected by negative emotions and experience is breaking inside and outside. Certainly, harmony is fusion. It is combination of fragment to produce a system. It is compose of different elements that will later form one composite whole. It is seen to be good. It is pleasant to behold. There is peace and synergy. In this situation, every element seems to find its place in the cosmic reality. Then man should be classified as something more than those ordained by the cosmic law and principle in every detail of his existence. Man as an integral being is composed of different elements. Calcium makes man his bone. Protein builds his cells, tissues and organs. Different elements circulate in the body. These same elements are common in other entities especially animals. So man is just like an ordinary animal? It is precisely not. Man as an integral being possesses rational soul. He is more than a physical composite. Man is higher than the animals around. Man has intuition and intellect far beyond the reach of the other created animals. When a colony of termite attacks ones domicile, the said colony is just following the dictate of principle. Termites are made to eat wood. Termites exist by eating dried trunk or branch of the tree. The colony has no choice. It is ordained by the cosmic law and principle that to eat that kind of food. The fish has no choice but to swim otherwise it dies on the ground.
Symbiosis, a cooperative living together, is far more
fundamental than the struggle of the "survival of the fittest
." We depend on smaller lives -- cells, microbes, atoms
and they need us.
Therefore, because the physical and spiritual entity combined together man is able to exist higher that the millions of cells. Man has a choice to make or not to make. Man can destroy or build. Therefore a rapist must be put behind bars. Man chooses among choices. He is more than the inorganic things who just follow the dictate of cosmic pattern without question. In every detail, things which possesses nothing but physical cells must follow what is ordained unto it. When a boulder smashes a man into death, such piece of stone will not be sued in court. It is without mind. It shall roll down the hill and whatever comes in contact with it shall be crushed without question. It is one perfection of stone. It is one cosmic ordination.
Ancient farmers, women, and indigenous peoples, have
been domesticating and cross-pollinating plants since time
immemorial. Cross-breeding and taming of wild animals
were also done. Such human interventions have led to the
further development of biodiversity, complementing the
acts of nature.
Man in fact lays his hand on nature to make a bit of innovation. He can make the free flowing river a source of electricity by way of putting a device that will fractionally obstruct the free flowing of the river. He can transfer the other plants to the water reservoir to make the current stronger thus producing a bigger amount of electricity.
If man makes a choice in the entirety of the cosmos, he should be held responsible to whatever consequences of his act. If a man holds a knife and thrusts it to the stomach of the other fellow, he should be responsible to the consequence of his act.
The cells of his bone and muscles must not be blamed. It is an absurd thing to blame a mindless thing. Shall man shout at the hard stone where he trips at?
There are basically, forces that leave man no choices. Man must inhale and exhale. The pumping of his heart must follow an order. Beyond the allowable order, he shall cease from being a man. He becomes a mere corpse.
On the other hand, man may create situations. He can in fact improve the other beings. He does this freely. He intervenes at will. He makes harmony among the existing things. He protects the other created things.
Progress in a finite ecosystem cannot mean the absolute
ascendancy of one species. Progress must mean the achieving
of a creative symbiosis within the Home Place, where sympathy
and care are extended by the dominant species to the rest of creation.
When man exercises his freedom, he does not create chaos all the time. He creates further perfection of harmony in a relative degree. Man is not beyond the dictate of cosmic process. He is absolutely in rhythm with the cosmos. Of course, he provides a swerving path when he does harm to the other. The explanation is clear. When man makes a destructive act beyond the cosmic allowance, a disaster follows. This is the case of flashfloods, depletion of resources, acidity of rain and soil and global warming in general. Humankind has not yet woven the web of life. we are but one thread within it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together. All things connect.
Destruction is the absence of something. Therefore disharmony does not exist because it is the absence of goodness. Aesthetic goodness is not the issue here. It is the absolute existence that makes good. When man freely makes a tree into a piece of furniture, it is not destruction but an evolution in creation. Man partakes in the process of the cosmos. It is therefore beautiful because it is not destruction per se.
He becomes an element of disharmony when his freedom is used to exploit. Dave Foreman said once “ Our environmental problems originates in the hobbies of imagining ourselves as the central nervous system as the brain of nature. We’re not the brain, we are a cancer on nature.”
Man is determined to be good and to do good. If he follows this principle, a greater harmony is achieved. Man is ordained to protect the other fellow and the other creations alike. He plays a greater part in the web of life. he must not play God lest disharmony follows. Chief Luther Standing Bear said “ The Old Lakota was wise. He knew that man’s heart away from nature becomes hard; he knew that lack of respect for growing, living things soon lead to lack of respect for humans too.
ALL THINGS, WITHOUT EXEMPTION ARE UNDER THE COSMIC PROCESS. THERE IS NO DISHARMONY IN THE COSMIC PROCESS . ALL NATURAL COSMIC REALITIES ARE GEARING TOWARD A CERTAIN END. IT IS THE END WHERE EVERYTHING IS FINE BEYOND WHAT MAN’S MIND CAN CONCEIVE.