I recently had to spend some time in a children’s hospital and
as a result thought about suffering. I witnessed suffering in the very brief time
spent in the hospital. I think that what I witnessed wasn’t intense or
prolonged suffering but suffering nonetheless. Intense and prolonged suffering
does happen. Moreover, can suffering be more intense then when it is a child
suffering?
If one is a materialist or non-theist, one can make sense of
suffering. Pain and loss are built into a material world and can’t be
extracted from a material world.
However, once an omnipotent and benevolent being is
considered, suffering cannot be understood. Why? Because that being could
prevent suffering calling upon omnipotence and benevolence.
But now for a minute, consider understanding suffering as an
exercise in psychology and rationality. After exiting the hospital I remarked
to my wife about suffering and she explained to me about how some people make
sense of suffering. For example, some view their own suffering as a result of
their own misdeeds – a personal karma if you will. I thought about this and the
irrationality of it and while people may frame their experiences to help them
function in the world, I can’t help but wonder, what is the intellect for?
Is the intellect and rationality reserved only for the easy
stuff – the mathematics, physics, and unemotional aspects of life? Once things
get emotionally difficult we are to abandon the intellect and rationality and
instead opt for a “whatever floats your boat” ethos?
I think I know what I think but I am wondering what you
think because if I knew what you thought, maybe I would think differently.
What do you think?
RELATED:
My post on Leibnitz and the problem of
suffering.
My post on Karma and Just World Hypothesis http://heavylevity.blogspot.com/2014/10/karma-and-just-world-hypothesis.html
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