Counterfactual
History (ἱστορία), as the Greeks defined it, was 'knowledge acquired by investigation' or 'that which is seen into'. It was the counterbalancing principle, though equally valued, to Aletheia (ἀλήθεια, 'that which is not forgotten, that which is not lost'). History is the active principle, it seeks to delve deeper so that more can be added to Aletheia. This latter word is at present most often translated as 'truth'.
Sometimes, however, you catch people thinking about 'what might have been' or 'what may yet be'. Neither of these things are related to either historia or aletheia. Such thoughts are sometimes called 'counterfactuals' because they do not go according to established facts, and actually go counter to the facts as we know them.
The reason I mention this is that I recently caught myself thinking along those lines. On Monday 17 Mar 2008, I was told that my contract would not be renewed, and the reasons given, as established by various other parties, were seen as vague and unjustifiable. Oddly enough, the evidence shows that on Sunday 16 Mar 2008, I had just posted on this blog an outline of the morning devotions I had intended to give on the morning of Tuesday 18 Mar 2008.
It will probably never be known if that was the precise breaking point or not. But just imagine, what would have happened if I had actually delivered those devotions on Tuesday morning, 18 Mar 2008? Would there have been interesting consequences? Would lightning have fallen from heaven?
We will never know; we can never know. But one thing to me is certain: whatever happens will always have happened for the best, in this world which is only possible world, as far as we can tell.
Why the certainty? Why the diminution of angst? Some things must be taken on faith; it is not too farfetched to reduce all things to the quality of faith simply because we can never directly know everything. Those are the limitations of both historia and aletheia — they cannot encompass all things; we can never know all that there is to know, or seek out all that we would like to know.
For me, trained as a scientist and a professional member of scientific organisations, trained in epistemology and amateur scholar of many disciplines, it still boils down to one irreducible statement. That statement begins, "Credo in unum Deum, Patrem omnipotentem, factorem cæli et terræ, visibilium omnium et invisibilium..." — "I believe in one God, almighty Father, maker of heaven and earth, all things visible and invisible."
Sometimes, however, you catch people thinking about 'what might have been' or 'what may yet be'. Neither of these things are related to either historia or aletheia. Such thoughts are sometimes called 'counterfactuals' because they do not go according to established facts, and actually go counter to the facts as we know them.
The reason I mention this is that I recently caught myself thinking along those lines. On Monday 17 Mar 2008, I was told that my contract would not be renewed, and the reasons given, as established by various other parties, were seen as vague and unjustifiable. Oddly enough, the evidence shows that on Sunday 16 Mar 2008, I had just posted on this blog an outline of the morning devotions I had intended to give on the morning of Tuesday 18 Mar 2008.
It will probably never be known if that was the precise breaking point or not. But just imagine, what would have happened if I had actually delivered those devotions on Tuesday morning, 18 Mar 2008? Would there have been interesting consequences? Would lightning have fallen from heaven?
We will never know; we can never know. But one thing to me is certain: whatever happens will always have happened for the best, in this world which is only possible world, as far as we can tell.
Why the certainty? Why the diminution of angst? Some things must be taken on faith; it is not too farfetched to reduce all things to the quality of faith simply because we can never directly know everything. Those are the limitations of both historia and aletheia — they cannot encompass all things; we can never know all that there is to know, or seek out all that we would like to know.
For me, trained as a scientist and a professional member of scientific organisations, trained in epistemology and amateur scholar of many disciplines, it still boils down to one irreducible statement. That statement begins, "Credo in unum Deum, Patrem omnipotentem, factorem cæli et terræ, visibilium omnium et invisibilium..." — "I believe in one God, almighty Father, maker of heaven and earth, all things visible and invisible."
etched with acid at 10:43:00 am
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