* Note: From an essayist to a theologian, philosopher, educator, my father Gilberto Stevao, and to a linguist, teacher, educator, my mother Maria José de Lima Stevao.
David Deutsch writes a book entitled "The Beginning of Infinity" and I would like to bring light to "The Infinite in the Beginning" as a philosophical essay.
In the majority of the chapters of his book several meanings on his idea about "the beginning of infinity" are encountered, such as, but not limited to: a) Creation of knowledge, b) The mysterious universality to which the genetic code jumped, c) A window on infinity, d) The ending of the ancient aversion to the infinite (and the universal), e) Mini-enlightenments like those of Athens and Florence were potential beginnings of infinity, f) The rejection of bad philosophy, g) Biological evolution was merely a finite preface to the main story of evolution, and h) The unbounded evolution of memes.
He unmistakably discusses
theories, philosophers, Karl Popper among several others. Philosophically
discusses the earthly seasons, dangerously adventures himself into discussing
creation, creationism, and neo-Darwinian theory, quantum physics applied on
interference and multiverse, evolution of creativity which shows an
absorbing aspect of an unquiet mind.
God is infinite and
eternal, characteristics which we only can imagine but never truly scientifically measure it because we reside in a finite vessel containing both eternal and
infinite, soul and spirit, which was expressed this way: "then the dust will
return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it."
Ecclesiastes 12:7.
Because He created
everything centered in Himself from His infinite knowledge, I put forward the
comprehension that everything which is infinite in itself has His characteristic
of infinite extent.
Not everything was
created with the principle of infinity but what was created for eternity has
the principle of infinity in itself. What is finite which He created
serves to bring the counter notion of an infinite reality. With this idea I
mean exactly what is written in Isaiah 40:14: "Whom did the Lord consult to enlighten him, and who taught him the right
way? Who was it that taught him knowledge, or showed him the path of
understanding?"
Who is
capable of creating mathematical and physical infinite aspects which Deutsch
conveys as a raison d'être? Only who
is infinite in itself, capable of using the same
principles of endlessness found in Himself reiterated in "…and your years
will never end." Psalm 102:27.
So
the beginning of the infinite is only found in God (Elohiym - God the Father, the
Son, and the Holy Spirit) who together created the finite and the
never-ending from an eternal perspective of infinity.
God created human beings in
His image and likeness. Our infinite way of abstraction about infinity and aptitude
to discussing it per se is
an infinite representation of the Creator.
‘This is Earth. Not the eternal and only home of mankind, but only a starting point of an infinite adventure. All you need do is make the decision [to end your static society]. It is yours to make.’ [With that decision] came the end, the final end of Eternity. – And the beginning of Infinity wrote Isaac Asimov in 1955 in his novel The End of Eternity.
David Deutsch and Isaac Asimov are constrained
in their rationale or logic mind that man was created for finitude only breaking
the barrier of eternity when adventures himself out of his static condition.
Both insisting in a
possibility of the unlimited growth of knowledge in the future, seemed to remove
the existence of the concept of eternity inserting the perception of infinity
which can only exist within the eternity framework. A solid modifier, a meme
using his own wording, with no infinity in itself.
Now, the only way to
terminate the notion of eternity is getting rid of God from the human mind
because a finite vessel with his predetermined power could never bring an end
to what is eternal let alone destroying God from real existence. Unless if that
mind uses the infinity yearning of knowledge to take out of equation the only authority
in eternity which is represented by God.
David Deutsch ends his
dense book with this very paragraph: "Many people have an aversion to
infinity of various kinds. But there are some things that we do not have a
choice about. There is only one way of thinking that is capable of making
progress, or of surviving in the long run, and that is the way of seeking good
explanations through creativity and criticism. What lies ahead of us is in any
case infinity. All we can choose is whether it is an infinity of ignorance or
of knowledge, wrong or right, death or life."
For
sure what lies ahead of us is the eternity which will be infinite. Infinity
without eternity and its Creator cannot exist or co-exist because they are
mutually inclusive. Before us is presented life and death; eternal life or
eternal death, leaving us the option to ignore the knowledge of Jesus Christ
and His redemptive power for a saved eternity, a real infinity of days created
by God.
Choose eternal life from the infinite in the beginning of all things which is centered in Jesus Christ because "In the beginning was the
Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He
was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was
made that has been made. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the
Father, full of grace and truth. " John 1:1-3, 14
P.S.: For those willing to read David Deutsch´s book "The Beginning of Infinity" you can acess it at https://docs.google.com/gview?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.pdf-archive.com%2F2014%2F06%2F18%2Fthe-beginning-of-infinity%2Fthe-beginning-of-infinity.pdf&embedded=true
