Idea at the House, Sydney Opera House
Religion For Atheists by Alain de Botton
Summary
Alain kicked off the talk by suggesting the underlying reason of atheists could/should learn from religions.
In the last 10 years, the atheists took those people believes God exists so seriously that they think they are having intellectual error and so they need a intellectual corrective.
However, confessed as a atheists, Alain believed that questions about whether God exists or not is not the most interesting one. The greater question is where and how we are going to live a good life. Usually the atheists will keep strong hold of not to step any foot into religions and vice versa. But Alain suggested a different strategy - a pick and mix approach. We can simply select the best bits from religions and make use of them for a better life.
It is based on a rationale that religion is merely a cultural product. And so it is nothing wrong to choose among them like any other cultural products like music, literature, etc. He thought it is natural to rifle through the buffet of cultures and so do religions.
The first thing he wanted to draw our attention is the area of education. The purpose of education.
It is often the politicians will say education is to learn skills for living. Sometimes we will hear another claim rather. That is education can make us a better human being. But it seems we usually fail to meet this claim as education institutions like universities do not believe they are offering ethical guidance and life advice. It is because they think people knows how to live, and education in the secular world is suspicious of the questions of relevance.
But in the religions, it is totally different. They think from the beginning that we are in trouble. And this is why very often they will call us "children" and they believe we need guidance and help throughout our life. In other words, they affirm our "fragility".
Alain showed that it is very different in the way religions deliver knowledge. In the secular world, when we deliver knowledge, we will offer a lecture. But for religions, they will give a sermon. This aim if sermon is probably to give life advice that could change your life.
He then moved on to another aspect of education and that is the delivery mechanism of education. He argued that religions are supremely successful machine of education in terms of several ways.
First, they worked on our nature of being forgetful. There is a term in ancient Greece which called 'karsia', meaning the weakness of will. Religions know that we don't actually lack of knowledge but the will to stick to and act upon. Thus they emphasis on repetition. For example, believers will need to pray three times a day But in secular world, we are less stick and it is sterile by repetition.
Secondly, religion manage our calender and it is relate to our inner self rather they business or social life. There are different rituals in each religion that remind us some important psychological ideas. And ritual is social event that its ultimate goal is to lead to inner transformation. While in modern society, there is obsession of spontaneity. We believe things will happen naturally.
Thirdly, Alain found it is important to be a good public speaker. In religion, they invest a lot in "overty", especially the Pentecostal church in southern America. It is important to be a good public speaker to get the good idea across.
Fourthly, religion knows we are not just reasoning machines but sensory creatures. They deploy our body, in terms of physical and psychological, for a lesson. The very good example will be the elegant and calm tea ceremony in Zen Buddhism.
Alain then compared another important of religion with the secular world, which is art. He said in the 19th century, the art world has adopted a approach of "art is for art sake" and though art should not attempt to change the world.
[to be continued]
Religion For Atheists by Alain de Botton
Summary
Alain kicked off the talk by suggesting the underlying reason of atheists could/should learn from religions.
In the last 10 years, the atheists took those people believes God exists so seriously that they think they are having intellectual error and so they need a intellectual corrective.
However, confessed as a atheists, Alain believed that questions about whether God exists or not is not the most interesting one. The greater question is where and how we are going to live a good life. Usually the atheists will keep strong hold of not to step any foot into religions and vice versa. But Alain suggested a different strategy - a pick and mix approach. We can simply select the best bits from religions and make use of them for a better life.
It is based on a rationale that religion is merely a cultural product. And so it is nothing wrong to choose among them like any other cultural products like music, literature, etc. He thought it is natural to rifle through the buffet of cultures and so do religions.
The first thing he wanted to draw our attention is the area of education. The purpose of education.
It is often the politicians will say education is to learn skills for living. Sometimes we will hear another claim rather. That is education can make us a better human being. But it seems we usually fail to meet this claim as education institutions like universities do not believe they are offering ethical guidance and life advice. It is because they think people knows how to live, and education in the secular world is suspicious of the questions of relevance.
But in the religions, it is totally different. They think from the beginning that we are in trouble. And this is why very often they will call us "children" and they believe we need guidance and help throughout our life. In other words, they affirm our "fragility".
Alain showed that it is very different in the way religions deliver knowledge. In the secular world, when we deliver knowledge, we will offer a lecture. But for religions, they will give a sermon. This aim if sermon is probably to give life advice that could change your life.
He then moved on to another aspect of education and that is the delivery mechanism of education. He argued that religions are supremely successful machine of education in terms of several ways.
First, they worked on our nature of being forgetful. There is a term in ancient Greece which called 'karsia', meaning the weakness of will. Religions know that we don't actually lack of knowledge but the will to stick to and act upon. Thus they emphasis on repetition. For example, believers will need to pray three times a day But in secular world, we are less stick and it is sterile by repetition.
Secondly, religion manage our calender and it is relate to our inner self rather they business or social life. There are different rituals in each religion that remind us some important psychological ideas. And ritual is social event that its ultimate goal is to lead to inner transformation. While in modern society, there is obsession of spontaneity. We believe things will happen naturally.
Thirdly, Alain found it is important to be a good public speaker. In religion, they invest a lot in "overty", especially the Pentecostal church in southern America. It is important to be a good public speaker to get the good idea across.
Fourthly, religion knows we are not just reasoning machines but sensory creatures. They deploy our body, in terms of physical and psychological, for a lesson. The very good example will be the elegant and calm tea ceremony in Zen Buddhism.
Alain then compared another important of religion with the secular world, which is art. He said in the 19th century, the art world has adopted a approach of "art is for art sake" and though art should not attempt to change the world.
[to be continued]
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