Reference: Postulate Mechanics (PM)
Ours is a knowable universe because we can come to know it by sensing it. We are also a part of this universe because we can sense and come to know ourselves.
If we are a part of this universe then how did the fundamental postulates of this universe come about?
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The Postulates
How the fundamental postulates of this universe came about can only be answered as follows:
- The universe created itself, or
- The universe has always been there.
These are possible postulates that attempt to explain the unknowable.
We come across the “religious” belief that God created this universe. However, God happens to be a part of the knowable universe, because God is knowable. This essentially means that the universe created itself. This is a variation of the first postulate above.
The answer from Kantian philosophy is that the ingredients of this universe exist as “thing in itself” independently of human perception, sensation, or sensory experience. This answer reduces to the second postulate above that the universe has always been there.
Phenomenology says, “What is sensed is the thing itself as experienced, not an inner proxy, but precisely as given in intuition—within limits.” This also reduces to the second postulate above.
Science says, “Sensations are effects of an underlying mind‑independent physical universe whose structure we infer.” This also reduces to the second postulate above.
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The Fundamental Postulate
For the universe to create itself, there must have been an earlier version of the universe. God could be an earlier version that transformed itself into the current universe. This adds the idea of a cyclic universe; but essentially it is also a variation of the second postulate above. Therefore, the inevitable conclusion is that the basis of universe has always been there. The postulates arising from this basis generate sensations. This supports the Kantian answer that posits “thing in itself.”
We may conclude,
The basis for the universe has always been there. How it was created initially is unknowable.
The Vedas assert rightly that the universe has neither a beginning nor an end.
The basis of the universe gives rise to postulates that generates sensations. As these sensations assimilate, it makes the universe perceivable. Considerations arise during assimilation that make the universe real to us.
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The Knowable Universe
The knowable universe is the outcome of the way we sense, assimilate and consider in response to the ever present basis. This basis is inherent in us as well. So, it influences us externally as well as internally.
In the ancient Vedic religions, such as, Hinduism, the Nirākār Brahman uses Māyā to arise as Sākār Brahman. The Nirākār Brahman is considered to be a reality without attributes. Māyā is considered to be the process that generates attributes. And Sākār Brahman is considered to be the reality with attributes. Thus, the Postulate Mechanics parallels the Vedic religions. .
In Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam) God is postulated as the source of all creation. God is then assigned the attribute of omniscient (all-knowing) among others. But God itself is presented as a mystery.
We come to the conclusion that,
From the basis of the universe arise postulates that give meaning to the universe in the form of sensations. The sensations assimilate, during which considerations are formed. From considerations arise perception and concepts of the universe.
These postulates are inherent to the universe and also to us. As sensations may assimilate differently from person to person, different perceptions and concepts of the universe may arise.
We may not know the postulates, but our considerations can help us trace back to discovering those postulates. As we discover the fundamental postulates we come to know the universe and ourselves so clearly that all our aberrations drop away.
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Considerations
The major concepts introduced in Chapter 1 are CREATION, GOD, VEDIC RELIGIONS, and ABRAHAMIC RELIGIONS. These concepts are defined in Glossary: Postulate Mechanics.
- The basis of this universe is eternally present.
- From this basis arise postulates.
- The postulates provide meaning in the form of sensations.
- Sensations assimilate, during which considerations are formed.
- From considerations arise perceptions and concepts.
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