The Principle of Unity of Causes and Monotheism

quality and intensity can be measured only by the quality and strength of the changes they have succeeded in impressing upon society. PRINCIPLE OF UNITY OF CAUSES OR MONOTHEISM Principle of Unity of Causes or Monotheism: The set of invisible universal Laws implies an invisible and unique Legislator. The principle of unity of causes or Monotheism is extremely interesting in its implications because it provides a purpose to the physicist and student of nature. It affirms that from the study of universal and invisible Laws it is possible, in some way, to trace back to the unique and invisible Legislator. In this sense, more than in any other, the word "implies" formulated by the principle should be understood. The Principle of Unity of Causes or Monotheism indeed certainly expresses how logical it is, from simple observation of the Universe, to deduce that there is someone, namely an intelligent being who has created this Universe. Arguments in this sense are many and all endowed with good sense. However, the Principle in question is not limited to this. The logical-rational demonstrations of God's Existence are as interesting as they are philosophically inconclusive. The fact that God's existence is logically demonstrable is desirable, but by no means necessary. Logic indeed is neither a sufficient nor necessary criterion for existence, but even less is it a necessary criterion. It is not enough to demonstrate the logicality of something to be sure that this something exists. Many things would be logical yet do not exist. Some events would be most logical yet do not happen. And it doesn't end here! Not only do many logical things not exist, but the world is even full of things that appear decidedly illogical or endowed with irrationality such as, for example, man himself. If logicality were a necessary condition to be able to exist, irrationality would not exist. It is enough to look around to understand that this is not the case. The principles of logic indeed do not create truth, but transport it. They start from some fundamental axioms and transport the concepts of truth from some propositions to other secondary propositions. If with the transport of the concept of truth there were also that of existence, we should certainly agree on which are those fundamental initial sentences that besides being indeducibly true are also indeducibly existent. In final analysis according to this naive method of seeing the world for which a thing exists only if I can demonstrate its logicality, it would be the fundamental axioms of logic that have the creative power over beings and, since the choice of these axioms is within certain limits at the discretion of the logician or philosopher who chooses them, in the end it would be he who is the creator of everything. Analyzing the question well, merely considering a logical demonstration of God's existence as sufficient to demonstrate his real existence means having already found one's own God: the fundamental Axioms of Logic or the Philosopher who chose them. The demonstration in itself therefore becomes useless. Finally, let us look around us, is the Sun perhaps logical? Are the stars logical? If these were not there, there would be thousands of very good and logical reasons to explain their non-existence. The sea with its depths is perhaps logical? And the clouds with their lightning are perhaps logical? From which axioms can the necessary existence of clouds be demonstrated? If there would not even be uniformity of views in defining what it would mean to logically demonstrate the existence of a cloud, imagine what sense it can ever make to claim to formally demonstrate the Creator himself of the Universe. But then what does the Principle of Unity of Causes or Monotheism mean when it says that "the set of invisible universal Laws implies an invisible and unique Legislator"? We must not forget that rationality is not intellect and even if Man cannot rationally demonstrate God with formal logic does not mean he cannot proceed further: "Reason does not reach the Truth, while the intellect is great and, after being led up to a certain point by discursive reason, is able to reach the truth." Corpus Hermeticum IX.10 The implication cited by the Principle of Monotheism is not a rational implication, it guarantees the possibility of tracing back to the contemplation of God starting from the observation of natural realities, as St. Bonaventure writes: "The mirror of sensible things allows us to contemplate God not only through them, as vestige, but also in them, in that he is found there with his essence, power, presence. [...] All these things are vestiges in which we are given to see as in a mirror our God. [...] If therefore all knowable objects can generate an image of themselves, it is evident that in them as in so many mirrors, one can see the eternal generation of the Word, Image and Son emanating ab aeterno from the Father." St. Bonaventure, Journey of the Mind to God. This Principle provides a purpose to the physicist and philosopher of nature. His work is not vain, but rather just. Not only by studying nature and the surrounding world will he understand more and more his own origin, but he will even come to glimpse, as in a mirror, his own Creator, so as to say with the psalmist: "The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament proclaims the work of his hands." Psalm 19 CREATION FROM NOTHING The All is in the All: At the base and beyond the Universe of time, space and change, lies substantial Reality, fundamental Truth; what the fundamental Truth is is unnameable, but the wise call it the All. In its essence it is unknowable. This Principle identifies the existence of a Transcendent God and is one of the most important principles from a practical-ascetic point of view as it provides direction to consciousness that wants to proceed toward Truth. Ascetic techniques are very useful, but more than those, direction is useful. Learning to run is one thing, deciding where to go is another. Similarly, meditative, respiratory, gymnastic, pictorial, theurgic techniques