Philosophy of Idealism: 3 Objective Realities
In the last post, we named the idea of the universe “Logos.” That idea can take a few different forms.
The Creator Model
This model starts with God - someone who speaks reality into being. It says that God spoke Logos, creating something that was distinct from God. It’s like your debate case: your idea, manifested by you, but it isn’t you.
“In the beginning was the one who is called Logos. Logos was with God and was truly God. From the very beginning Logos was with God. And with Logos, God created all things. Nothing was made without Logos. Everything that was created received its life from him, and his life gave light to everyone.” John 1:1-4 (CEV - but we restored the word Logos)
Since the universe is distinct from God, it is conceivable that some things could happen in the universe that aren’t good/aren’t God’s will. Nevertheless, the universe arose from an idea - which means ideas are a more fundamental form of reality than the observable universe.
Does that mean that everyone who embraces this model is an idealist? No! But this model clearly moves us toward idealism.
The Monadic Model
Monadism holds that everything - the universe, and anything else beyond it - is a single indivisible entity. In other words, monadists believe in the “oneness of all things.”
“Where could matter be placed if it existed apart from God? Would it not be but a confused mass, unless it were ordered? And if it is ordered, by whom is it ordered? The energies which operate in it are parts of God. Whether you speak of matter or bodies or substance, know that all these are the energy of God, of the God who is all. In the All there is nothing which is not God.” - The Corpus Hermeticum, Yates translation, Quote n°3653
Since God is All, everything that we experience is an extension of God. In this model, Logos goes beyond the Prime Cause. It is the ongoing true nature of everything. The material is a dim reflection of the truth, which can be understood only in terms of ideas. Thus, it is almost impossible to be a monadist and not be an idealist.
The Simulation Model
The Simulation Model is technically compatible with the other two, but let’s examine it as its own idea. In this model, the whole of your experience is an artificial simulation that you experience as real.
This is a fun concept to which we could devote many posts. For now, here’s the key to understanding it in terms of what it means for idealism and Logos:
“Forty years ago, we had Pong, two rectangles and a dot … That is what games were. Now, 40 years later, we have photorealistic 3D simulations with millions of people playing simultaneously, and it’s getting better every year. And soon we’ll have virtual reality, augmented reality. If you assume any rate of improvement at all, the games will become indistinguishable from reality.” - Elon Musk, 2016
Here’s the mind-melter.
If it is possible that simulations could become indistinguishable from reality, then it is impossible to prove that we’re not already in such a reality.
The existence of a simulation implies the existence of a truer reality that hosts the simulation. That reality needs its own model. But the reality of a simulation is that everything was put there by an impoverished form of Logos. The designer of the simulation had the idea first, and then coded it into being for you to experience.
That means that everything you perceive is an illusion, and that computer code is a more fundamental form of reality. The ideas that are expressed in that code are the prime reality - the Logos of the simulation. And that means idealism is the best way to understand the universe, with Python perhaps coming in as a close second.
Earn Your Beliefs
This post skimmed some deep topics far too quickly to do them justice. If you find any of them new or interesting, we encourage you to go deeper. A big part of growing up is trading childish acceptance of simple answers for a mature worldview rooted in honest pursuit of the truth.
So don’t shy away from this stuff, or find a shortcut to get back to your original beliefs without doing any work. Don’t say: “That doesn’t fit into my current views, so I refuse to learn about it.” Adults earn their beliefs. So: ask hard questions. Read books that challenge you. Have honest conversations with people of different viewpoints. Seek guidance from your parents and respected mentors. Grow into an adult whose beliefs are worthy of respect. That’s what debate is all about.
There’s still lots to come in this series. Stay tuned.