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Divine Artistry and the Beauty of the Absurd A discourse on the flawed concepts of meaning and purpose
Written By Remnant
The quest to understand the meaning and purpose of existence has perennially perplexed and eluded humanity. But in all our incessant searching is it possible that we have missed one salient notion? Perhaps meaning and purpose are erroneous concepts, contrived by a captive race of the human order, in a desperate attempt to connect with essence and comprehend the infinite. As futile a task this might seem to be, we have proven relentless in our inquisition. It seems it is our birth right to wonder, to ponder, to ask, and yet the more we search the less we find. We are as children dancing on a razor blade of ignorance while writhing into the void. Still, we retain the hope of someday being adorned with wisdom and given the answers to our most fundamental questions; what is the meaning of existence, and what is our purpose? It is my intent to go beyond this banal line of interrogation and reveal the heart of the matter through an alternate perspective. I propose that these questions are flawed in nature. Perhaps meaning and purpose are only diversionary anomalies, produced from ignorance of a divine artistic design. It is from this sentiment I will attempt to apply a different method of scrutiny, to delineate a case for the divine artist and reveal that perhaps we have been misguided in our approach of using the fallacious concepts of meaning and purpose to understand human existence.
Who holds the artist responsible? Should judgment and critique be given a voice to protest artistic expression? When a painter paints a picture, does she have to have a reason? When a musician plays a composition, does it have to make melodic sense? When a poet creates a sonnet, must it come to a logical conclusion? Free flowing beauty in words, in pictures, and in sounds all bare witness that meaning is marginalized in regards to the infinite. When one is part of the infinite, one can never reach a true purpose or meaning, because in the infinite these concepts are terminally elusive. Meaning and purpose are bound by the limits of time, once time is removed from the equation there is no logical end, therefore no meaning or purpose. Once the concept of time is put into perspective, it becomes apparent that any idea of end purpose is rendered impotent. Now, imagine you are the painter, stroking the canvas in a visceral display of beauty in complete autonomy, bound by no restraints, free from any limits. What would your artistic purpose be? Perhaps there is no need for purpose or meaning in your creative endeavor, but rather to simply display beauty. Under the assumption that there is a universal creator the idea becomes vivid. I have drawn meager comparisons to human artistry, but the artist of whom I am focused on is divine. That being said, we move forward with the notion of deity being the master artist. What then if this deity choosing in a beautiful, yet terrifying and horrific display, created an indescribable work of art that is the universe, including the human condition, and all of the physical and metaphysical elements, making every creature on the earth and in sea and sky, every sunset, every mountain and awe inspiring landscape, every strand of DNA in all its complexity, the systems of order and chaos, the constellations and all of space and time, the tragic and the comedic, every palpable emotion, every concept and negation, every paradox and perception, every thought of consciousness and the faculty to communicate and comprehend. Indeed, this is a very short list and unable to suffice in portraying the magnitude of the divine artist. Comprehending the infinite with a finite perspective is an exercise in futility. So, how do we bridge the gap between the infinite and the finite mind in order to understand?
Enter the absurd. The more one examines creation and scrutinizes what is, the more the absurd becomes apparent in all things, fatally perforating the concepts of meaning and purpose. The absurd is the master stroke of the artist, through which true wonder is shrouded in mystery. Why do we debase our lives and existence with demands for meaning? Why don’t we beckon the questions of what is the meaning of meaning? What is the purpose of purpose? I propose that we are hybrid beings made of flesh and that which is infinite, being displayed on a multi-dimensional canvas that is stretched into eternity. This is the wonder to which we must concede, not in sacrificing reason and logic, but in the amalgamation of these within the creative design. Reason and logic are endowments that are merely the interface of creation unto itself and the creator, with which we are to perceive yet not understand, to touch but not to grasp, and partake as participants in the magnum opus that is existence. Through the vehicles of pleasure and pain, understanding and confusion and all that embodies the physical and metaphysical realms, we are made not only spectators, but also living-breathing works in the art of the infinite, an evolving creation that is painted day by day, minute by minute and second by second. But what is the art of the infinite? Doesn’t even artistry debase the divine artist, who defies classification? Doesn’t the divine artist exercise the freedom to annihilate even the very concept of concepts!? True artistic expression can never be fully realized unless the artist is operating under total autonomy, a statement that I’m sure most artists would concur with. Autonomy is essential in order for the artist to retain authenticity in their work. That being said, I propose that all of existence is merely a work of art, of which there need be no meaning or purpose attached. This notion should not make us feel disturbed, but awe stricken in the realization that we are participants in the greatest of artistic endeavors, which is evolving existence, continually made manifest before our eyes. So, is it not a practice of insanity to derive meaning and purpose from an evolving work of art!? Why do we question beauty delivered in the hand of the absurd? Perhaps because we don’t see the beauty in our narrow view of the universe, we are like the novice who tries to decipher the work of Van Gogh, Pollock or Dali. We see pain, suffering, chaos and horror as things in which need a remedy, and perhaps a remedy is part of the divine manifesto, which galvanize these impetus’s, thereby producing beautiful byproducts; such as empathy, benevolence and altruism. Through these examples we see the creative process at work even through our most loathsome experiences. However, this does little to ease our minds in regards to a loving and divine over seer, one who is supposed to be out for our best interests, and what of ethics and moral responsibility? Is the divine artist immune to moral and ethical scrutiny? I propose that the divine artist cannot be subjected to ethical and moral scrutiny, because from the artist the very creation of the ethical was originated; thereby nullifying its restraints over the creator. The artist can not be restrained by the very work he creates. Once again I will stress that unfettered autonomy can not be overstated. Everything that is, is, because of the autonomy the artist retains, including the most undesirable aspects from the human perspective, all of which resides under the ultimate creative jurisdiction of deity.
Now that we are aware of the imperative, which is autonomy for the artist, should we abolish art altogether; thereby thwarting the dangers and discomfort it can produce? Or, do we embrace the latitude of creativity and succumb to the absurd, venerating the artist, who resides in autonomous divine mastery? This writer is compelled to the latter.
I'm not sure what your purpose is for posting this essay as you did not provide any commentary.
For me, the entire essay is pointless as it accepts a 'divine artist' as a given and I do not. For the theist, I suppose it provides a convoluted rationalization for the problem of evil.
I'm not sure what your purpose is for posting this essay as you did not provide any commentary.
For me, the entire essay is pointless as it accepts a 'divine artist' as a given and I do not. For the theist, I suppose it provides a convoluted rationalization for the problem of evil.
Maia, I agree. From the title of the thread (A Discourse on the meaning and purpose of existence.), I assume it's meant to stimulate discussion on the subject. My two cents...
Existence does not need to be thought of in terms of meaning and purpose. Existence just exists for its own sake. Meaning and purpose are creations of the human mind. The human mind needs a reason for everything it sees and does and so it applies a meaning and purpose to all things and that includes existence. It does so only because man needs to satisfy himself in this way for his own ego needs as existence certainly does not impose any such thing.
(Too long, insufficient punctuation; did not read)
Besides he's not that author, Remnant is and by googling the title, this person seems to be a one post wonder on several forums, posting the same plagiarized piece.
Besides he's not that author, Remnant is and by googling the title, this person seems to be a one post wonder on several forums, posting the same plagiarized piece.
Yeah, I thought it was odd that someone would post an essay written by someone else with no commentary of their own. Was this just drive by preaching?
Yes, but it's a very accurate and colorful description, innit?
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and by googling the title, this person seems to be a one post wonder on several forums, posting the same plagiarized piece.
