Emerson, Genius and the First Step
Ralph Waldo Emerson in his essay, Self-Reliance, puts forth the following:
“To believe your own thought, to believe that what is true for you in your private heart is true for all men, — that is genius.” [Ralph Waldo Emerson: Essays & Lectures. Library Classics of the United States, Inc.: New York, N.Y. 1983.Page 259.]
While it would be extremely presumptuous, ill-mannered, conceited and dull-witted for me to tout that I, myself, am a genius; I nonetheless believe wholeheartedly in the fact that the first source for gaining insight into the magnificence of reality (in its dark side as well as its bright side) is the truthful experiences of one’s own life. If there is genius in this moment, it resides in Emerson. He is the professor of this insight. I only agree and will follow the perception by trusting in the truth of his exclamation.
There exists much more commonality among human individuals than differences. Perhaps it is more accurate to say that what differences occur are more akin to nuances of similarities rather than outright differences. However, nuances are significantly critical. In this light, chaos theory must be considered when investigating human behavior. There are two aspects of chaos theory that have pertinence in our forthcoming reflection. The first is sensitive dependence on initial conditions. James Gleick in his text, Chaos: Making a New Science (1987, James Gleick. Penguin Books USA Inc, New York, N.Y. 1987, 1988) states on page 8:
“Tiny differences in input could quickly become overwhelming differences in output — a phenomenon given the name “sensitive dependence on initial conditions.” In weather, for example, this translates into what is only half-jokingly known as the Butterfly Effect — the notion that a butterfly stirring the air today in Peking can transform storm systems next month in New York”.
The second aspect of chaos theory is the nature of nonlinear elements. According to Chaos: Making a New Science, “nonlinear systems generally cannot be solved and cannot be added together.” (Page 23-24). Additionally, Gleick points out that the nature of nonlinear relationships contrasts significantly with linear relationships:
“Linear relationships can be captured with a straight line on a graph. Linear relationships are easy to think about: the more the merrier. Linear relationships are solvable, which makes them suitable for textbooks. Linear systems have an important modular virtue: you can take them apart, and put them together again — the pieces add up.” (Page 23.)
I am sure that the best minds of humanity’s intellectual resource will work to better contend with the apparent confusion of chaos but the process of struggling with the peculiarities and paradoxes of chaos issues have changed significantly in recent history. Gleick explains that many of humanity’s bright minds coped with chaos by ignoring it or rationalizing it away as “aberrations.” “Confronted with a nonlinear system, scientists would have to substitute linear approximations or find some other uncertain back door approach.” (Page 68.) Textbooks included “only the rare nonlinear systems that would give way to such techniques.” (Page 68.) Gleick describes the laborious training of science students to master the solving of differential equations and the outstanding contribution that calculus has provided to “post-medieval science.” But (and this is a big but), Gleick explains at the end of this page: “Most differential equations cannot be solved at all.” Gleick quotes Robert May, “who came to biology through the back door [but] started as a theoretical physicist …who did postdoctoral work in applied mathematics at Harvard.” (Page 69):
“Chaos should be taught, he (May) argued. It was time to recognize that the standard education of a scientist gave the wrong impression. No matter how elaborate linear mathematics could get, with its Fourier transformations, its orthogonal functions, its regression techniques, May argued that it inevitably misled scientists about their overwhelmingly nonlinear world.” (Page 80)
Gleick quotes May: “The mathematical intuition so developed ill equips the student to confront the bizarre behavior exhibited by the simplest of discrete nonlinear systems.” (Page 80.) The final analysis reveals that “only a few (bright minds) were able to remember that the solvable, orderly, linear systems were the aberrations.” (Page 68.)
So, the world, reality, is “overwhelmingly nonlinear” which means that solutions are very much more difficult than solutions of the linear type. More importantly is the statement that “nonlinear systems generally cannot be solved and cannot be added together.” (Page 23-24). To this we add that “sensitive dependence on initial conditions,” means that slight nuances could very likely result in very large output differences. These are critical points because I will begin my reflection with humanity’s ancestors that roamed among the animals of Earth like any other animal, in an environment absent of villages let alone cities. The initial condition of our ancient hominid ancestors before the onset of language and villages, is the starting point of this journey into contemplative reflection concerning agápē. I confess that I certainly do not have definitive knowledge of our ancient hominid ancestors before the onset of language and villages. However given the nature of chaos with its sensitivity to initial conditions and the nature of reality being replete with nonlinear systems, the human race has been able to perform all of the calculations and thinking necessary to transport humans to the moon for a little walk, investigate the environment and return home safely. Nothing ventured, nothing gained; but, caution concerning errors of thought and miscalculation is highly recommended.
The First Step:
While I did not live the experience of growing up in the jungles of humanity’s ancient ancestors, my birth was that of a warm-blooded mammal. Outside of the nuances of initial conditions of childbirth of these ancient ancestors, my birth as a warm-blooded land mammal is more similar than different from other land mammals, especially primate relatives. To minimize but not eliminate the effects of nonlinear elements or relationships upon our understanding of diverse realities, we can seek the most similar situation of those realities as the starting point for our reflection. In this case, the starting point is the birth of offspring, the birth of myself, my brothers and sisters and all other human children compared to the birth and offspring of our ancient, ancestral primates. We were not born complete adult primates. We were born, developed, grew physically and mentally, emotionally and psychologically to become mature adult primates or humans. While there are many similarities between our ancient ancestors, there are obvious differences in the initial conditions between ourselves and our ancient ancestors. This is an obvious fact by noticing the distinct differences between ourselves and all other primates walking the Earth at this time in history. Additionally, keeping Emerson in mind and his proclamation regarding genius, I begin with my birth as it is more alike than unlike other human births regardless of differences in time and place.
The time of day, the physical condition of my mother, the hospital in which the birth took place as well as small differences in biochemistry that occurs in human individuals at birth and many other particulars pertinent to my birth as being unique to my situation all play a role in the sensitivity to initial situations of my birth. There are many more such nonlinear elements and relationships that populated and affected my development and growth to the degree of maturity which I have achieved. While the interplay of these nonlinear realities influenced and contributed to the uniqueness that is me, the nonlinear elements of all humans do not refute the unmistakable perception that I am, in reality, a member of the human species. Hopefully my journey will balance the knowledge and understanding of the linear with the attempted awareness of the nonlinear.
In spite of the great difficulty to discern and delineate nonlinear matrices and their definitive effects at a given place in a given time, hominids collectively are all hominids. Question: How do all hominids breed? Do they all breed in the same way? The simple, quick answer is — Yes, all hominids breed in the same fashion; however, the selection of the mate may differ. Selection of the mate is a different issue than the physical breeding and birth mechanics. All males that breed have a penis and testicles while all females have a vagina and uterus and so forth. Both are required to join in the breeding process. There is also a biochemistry specific to the males as well as a biochemistry specific to females. The biochemistry of males and that of females differentiates males from females and vice versa. To minimize sensitivity to initial conditions, our starting point is the physical birth of the hominid. An added factor is that a male and a female must copulate to fertilize the female’s egg to establish a growing embryo. The female must mate with a male or the male must mate with the female.
Sidebar:
Modern science has pushed through these demands upon human conception. Artificial insemination, in vitro fertilization, sperm banks, and such “advances” in science have bypassed the need for the individual male and female to physically copulate to conceive a child. There are now alternatives to the “natural” process of conceiving, growing and birthing human babies. Additionally, the selection of a mate or partner has culturally morphed into LGBTQ+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer) partnerships. Acknowledging these contemporary shifts from the ‘traditional’ understanding of male-female partnerships, the above explanation did not take into account these new developments in human society. It should likewise be noted that the comment concerning the biochemistry distinction regarding males and females quite possibly is likewise specific to the LGBTQ+ population. Individuals within the LGBTQ+ population have stated fairly emphatically that their individual sexual orientation is not a matter of choice. Their sexual orientation is a matter of their biology. Two points lend credence to such an assertion.
First, nonlinear elements within chaos theory are considered to be present in large quantities in closed dynamic systems. The biochemistry within the human body is a major facet of its dynamic closed system and therefore potentially has a strong probability of a large amount of nonlinear elements. Second, the condition of sensitivity to initial conditions allows that slight alterations to nonlinear elements would have major consequences in altering sexual orientations and preferences due to any slight alteration in biochemistry and neurology. For simplicity, I am focused on the ‘traditional’ understanding of sexuality and breeding practices while being cognizant of exceptions to this position due to the application of chaos theory with its understanding of non-linearity and the sensitivity to initial conditions.
Please note, I mean no disrespect to any individual or group of individuals regarding sexual orientation or preference. This is not a religious reflection. This reflection is about human love. The issue of LGBTQ+ and human love will be addressed more towards the end of this reflection when enough groundwork has been established to support statements regarding such matters.
To reset through a brief summary statement: Our ancient ancestral hominid males and females who roamed the Earth like all other animals many, many hundreds of thousands of years ago before cities, villages, language, tools and so forth had to copulate to conceive a hominid offspring. At that point in history there was no science to deviate from the command for male-female copulation required for hominid conception. So, our initial conditions in which sensitive dependence resides is that of hominid birth.
The closed dynamic system of integrated systems of the hominid individual has aspects of its biochemistry and neurology common to all hominids regardless of the effects of nonlinear elements. One of these aspects is a feedback loop that is critically required for the individual to grow and develop into a healthy adult. In order to grow and develop, the individual’s biochemistry and neurology must accommodate the infusion of the energy required for the life processes of growth and development. Energy is obtained by the ingestion of food. The feedback loop stimulates the feeling of hunger which drives the individual to do what is necessary to obtain and consume food after which this feedback loop stimulates the feeling of satiation which ends the eating session. Disruption of this feedback loop puts the individual in serious jeopardy depending on the nature and severity of the disruption. Colloquially, we speak to each other of being hungry or being full. The universality of this feedback loop is that all living creatures must consume (take in some matter) which infuses the closed system of the body with the energy necessary to carry on the life processes pertinent to the individual. This type of feedback loop is commonly considered a drive that pushes the individual into action to address the issues of the feedback loop that are critical to the existence of the creature. Feedback loops of these types of drives persist until they are properly satisfied probably because they are so critical to sustaining life.
Another drive of equal importance is the sexual drive. Like the drive to feed, the drive for sexual satisfaction is critical for survival of the species and therefore is very strong in its command for action by an individual. If males and females do not copulate then the eventual death of all individuals through the natural course of events would mean the extinction of the human species. The birth of hominid babies is critically required to replace those hominids who must eventually die.
We, males and females, have a biochemical and neurological feedback loop that strongly encourages sexual activity. This activity does not take on full steam until the children’s physical bodies emerge from puberty. The female’s menstrual cycle and the male’s first wet dreams occur without the individual’s conscious decision. These occur because of some biological/neurological command that jump starts the individual into being potential breeders of more hominids. Individuals do not decide to become sexual beings. They are sexual beings. The decision-making characteristic of hominid sexuality is how the individual decides to contend with the sexual drive to make more hominids.
The notion of making decisions driven by the need to breed more offspring is the central focus of this reflection. The use of the word “decisions” implies thinking occurs in the decision-making process, therefore thinking becomes a required focus for this treatise.