Definition of Reality in Art
Scientists, such as Albert Einstein and Paul Davies, have struggled with one basic concept–causation. If the universe is rational and follows certain laws of physics, then the laws must have been conceived by a higher intelligence. Somebody had to create the design of the universe. Faced with these questions, scientists have left the world of empirical knowledge and entered the world of intuition and imagination.
Einstein said In an interview with George Viereck, printed in The Saturday Evening Post (October 26, 1929): “I believe in intuitions and inspirations.” Later in the interview, he continued: “Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.”
In a 1936 letter to a schoolgirl, Einstein again tried to explain that Mind comes first and then come the physical laws: “Every one who is seriously engaged in the pursuit of science becomes convinced that the laws of nature manifest the existence of a spirit vastly superior to that of men, and one in the face of which we with our modest powers must feel humble.”
Late in life, Einstein gave an interview that articulated more clearly his view of Mind as the Creator:
“We are in the position of a little child entering a huge library filled with books in many languages. The child knows someone must have written those books. It does not know how. It does not understand the languages in which they are written. The child dimly suspects a mysterious arrangement of the books but doesn’t know what it is. That, it seems to me, is the attitude of even the most intelligent human being toward God. We see the universe marvelously arranged and obeying certain laws but only dimly understand these laws. Our limited minds grasp the mysterious force that moves the constellations.”
Paul Davies, a theoretical physicist and cosmologist and co-founder of the Australian Centre for Astrobiology, summed it up this way:
“…the universe has not only given rise to life, it’s not only given rise to mind, it’s given rise to thinking beings who can comprehend the universe. Through science and mathematics, we can, so to speak, glimpse the mind of God…”
Coming from an entirely different point of view, Vaclav Havel, a poet, playwright and the first President of the Czech Republic, made this point in an address to the United States Congress on February 21, 1990:
“I shall therefore limit myself to a single idea. The specific experience I’m talking about has given me one great certainty: consciousness precedes being, and not the other way around, as the Marxists claim.”
In Brigadoon, Alan J. Lerner questioned whether reality is derived solely from the evidence of our material senses or whether there was an unseen reality that was beyond the physical world. Was the world real or was Brigadoon real?
In his libretto for the musical Man of La Mancha, Dale Wasserman posed the problem of determining truth and questioned whether the evidence of our material senses is real. The knight errant puts on his make-up and asks us to enter into his imagination and see him.
What a wonderful exploration we are entering into. Next Wednesday we will read how Somerset Maugham approached the issue of reality.