Cosmology within its set definition is the examination of the universe involving all of its aspects. It is in fact a necessity to examine events that are associated with the development of the modern day world. The modern world is convoluted with a sense of humor, enveloped with antagonistic and regurgitated patterns that are not only meaningless, but all seem to point towards a heavy emphasis on providing more nutrition to the industrial machine. This industrial machine is simply the capitalistic nature of the modern world. Torn from its roots, the modern complex is fixated on production. The left hand does not know what the right hand is doing and therefore is focused on the production of production. It is automated and largely expected to be followed as the way society should conduct its daily life.
The ultimate goal is to produce more, sell more and buy more. However, the mechanical universe that is at the core of modern society has its roots far into the moving history of the human world. In order to understand it, it is best to know how certain aspects of this mechanized world evolved into being from previous cosmological notions.
The Babylonian Cosmology (1900 BCE) saw the world as a spatial connection between Heaven and Earth. The Babylonian deities, being born from the primordial ocean goddess, Tiamat, dictated the way the world was seen. More importantly, the Babylonian chief god, Marduk (male) dominating Tiamat (woman) would serve as a focal point for the Babylonians on how they were to treat gender. More so this cosmology is expressed in Hammurabi’s Code of law in 1900 BCE, defining that women for the most part were treated a little higher than slaves. Tiamat representing the female gender is expressed as something that man must dominate. The Babylonians saw the planets in a form of plurality, considering them to be their deities, displacing their focus of Earth. 2
The Atomist Cosmological view contains that the universe is simply made up of two factors, atoms that are seen as tiny seeds populating the universe and the infinite span of existence, more appropriately referred to as the void. This philosophy, in its natural conception refers back to philosophers Leucippus, 5th century BCE and his student Democritus. Leucippus is the earliest Greek in history to have developed the theory of atominism. Leucippus and his pupil Democritus theories are jointly recorded for the most part and extend into interpreting the world through a series of individualized seeds (atoms), which at times form clusters. Atoms are in a sense indestructible and appear in a variation with respect to size. They move through the void connecting and disconnecting from one another often bouncing off of each other and spiraling further into the void. This theory in concept is representative of how humans, perhaps a larger cluster of atomic composition bounces, connects or disconnects from other clusters (humans) within society. 3
Metaphysical cosmological view will dictate that the world and the universe is a sum (total) of everything within it. The Greeks for the most part did not differentiate between historical/physical cosmology and a metaphysical one. There are simply things that fall beyond the reach of a scientific explanation. Certain aspects of origin, such as questioning how the universe commenced, are perhaps elusive within their explanations. Origin stories still dictate that the Babylonian War God Marduk destroyed Tiamat and from her destruction the Earth, the moon and all other things came into existence. This cosmological view indicates that Tiamat, being a representation of the mother goddess of nature is something to be dominated. Perhaps extending itself to more modern behaviors of humans trying to control and dominate the Earth through machines and other mechanical endeavors. On the other hand the Hebrews claim that God, Yahweh simply thought, and thus existence came into being. To question even the origin of these creators of the universe can lead into blasphemed dead ends. Science however welcomes the questions and gladly does its best to answer them. 3
However, the rise and triumph of a Mechanistic Cosmology prior to the Industrial Revolution was the cause of this evolution in society. The Mechanistic Cosmology, through modern science came through Sir Isaac Newton’s essay, Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy. Newton, was able to dominate the realm of science leading the Scientific Revolution. This is important simply because it implied that God created the universe and everything in it as a perfect mathematical machine. Everything could be calculated and nothing was left to uncoordinated chance. Though this philosophy clashed against Theologians and theories found within creation accounts, the idea that God was dead and that modern science was the new successor was adopted for the most part. This ideology was essential in the continuation of mechanizing all aspects of the world. If everything could be calculated through mathematics, then everything should be organized within a similar representation. Thus, the rise of organized industry found its place within the modern society. 6
The Big Bang event was the event that led into the very creation of all that is known. Associated with the aforementioned Atomist Cosmological view found that in the nothingness of the space, there was an explosion, which marked the creation of the universe. Atoms then continued to expand rapidly and creating everything within the universe.
In further analysis, one can contrast a sense of dynamic thematics that run rampant throughout these theories. The atom theory developed by Greek Leucippus and pupil Democritus holds much ground in theory. One can connect this directly to the Big Bang Theory in terms of seeds (atoms) spiraling throughout the expanding universe bouncing and connecting with one another. The same can be held with on of the earliest creation accounts from the Babylonians with the destruction of Tiamat forming the planets (Big Bang). The metaphysical cosmological view is in essence a fail safe, in regard that modern science or logic has not been able to define or find solution to questions, the metaphysical net will catch it stating, that there are things that cannot be explained. In relation to the principals and ethics of the modern world, these fundamental theories are the psychological basis of how the modern day human conducts its daily life.
The rise of the Industrial revolution in the 18th century greatly affected the former complex society by complicating it a little more. This being the first stage of capitalism changed the way the world viewed agriculture, technology and transportation amongst many other facets. The introduction of industry affected society more profoundly on a very integral focal point, which would be taking manual labor and turning it into a mechanical based system. The transition from manual into mechanical was seen and experienced on all levels including transitioning from manual tools to mechanical ones. The spread of industry sprawled through Europe and North America during the 19th century and eventually would consume the world in an automated reign of mechanical terror. The new way of the world was quickly becoming the only way of the world. This mechanized view of the world began to affect the treatment of the worker. 4
History has elaborated on the slave and master dynamic from the early era of Mesopotamian culture, Ancient Egypt and even more recent times with the Cotton States of North America. The dynamic of the employer and employee was no different. The employer is the owner, the master while the employee must do the demands of his/her master so to speak. Though it was not as obvious as its previous incarnations, the flawed relationship was still there. The workers during the rise of industry dealt with very poor working conditions, long days and reduced wages. Intellectuals such as Karl Marx, with his infamous political ideology of socialism inspired many to rise against the industrial machine. Though propaganda, government and other intellectuals would refute Marx ideas, the main ideology behind his socialist view was in a sense an equalitarian society, where the workers would run the factories in a co-op style effort. Before the Neolithic Revolution, such a society existed when both man and woman hunted on equal ground. Neither woman nor man dominated the other because they both practically conducted the same activities; they hunted to ensure the survival of the species. It is only when agriculture entered the hypothetical world stage that the woman, and in turn lesser men (those too weak to hunt or fight) were subjugated in working on maintaining their newly found cities. 2
Cosmologically, this is the way the world was being developed, clusters of atoms being piled together within factories in order to produce more and live less. Marxism was received and adopted by many, and in turn rejected by most. Capitalistic endeavors, having a good handle on media insisted that existence in socialistic based nations produced a poor quality of life. Socialism having evolved into communism was adopted by Russia through the Bolshevik Revolution, Cuba, North Korea, North Vietnam and The Peoples Republic of China through Mao Zedong. However, none of these societies embraced the true ideology that Marx proposed. None of the aforementioned societies have a system in which the workers truly run the factory let alone determine the outcome of his/her life.
In further analysis to the mechanistic nature of modern society, one can see how the thematics all combine together. Democritus along with his teacher believed in the value of atoms. The atoms scientifically can be seen through one lens, but can be acquainted to its representation of humans in their environment through another lens. Atoms for the most part are sporadic and uncalculated within their actions. Though there are patterns and rhythms within their behavior, it is simply an observation in control. The modern day man/woman has been placed under an ideological control that separates them from values that are profound to daily life.
In contrast, Peter Maurin a Catholic Social activist of the early 20th century provided a true account of Marxist ideology. Maurin exercises the thought of a green revolution in which he believes that humans should not only run the factories, but they should exercise personal and religious thoughts at the work place. This concept incorporates the idea that work should not be separate from the other aspects of human life. The reason why society has become mechanized and empty is because of separation, separation of home from work, of religion from work and so on. Maurin believes the human should work much closer to the Earth going back to a more involved angle of manual labor. For the most part this concept is not far off of what is actually needed. As the modern day society rotates closer to more empty space, the solution of how this needs to be dealt with can easily be packaged and sold as yet another product of the industry machine, therefore defeating the purpose of the solution. 5
The modern day society is a train without breaks. Eventually the tracks from under the ride will disappear and perhaps that will be the halt it needs in order to go back to more organic and less mechanical principals. This is not to say that industry is bad or evil. It is the way that it is seen and interpreted that is problematic. On one hand the concept of producing more is a problem. The idea that the modern man/woman is always buying something is a forced idea that has been formulated through media. The retail store year is based around Holidays that are supposed to have a symbolic meaning beyond capitalistic endeavors. These true meanings have been dressed, pushed and manipulated publicly in order to induce a sort of feeding frenzy for industry. Of course, industry provides job opportunities for the worker, which has been the plight since the 18th century and even before that. However, returning to a more organic and less cosmetic way of life would not only incorporate a sense of connection with the work being produced, but it will keep separation between humans at a minimum.
There should be a more profound connection between production and its outcome. The meaningless interaction of selling a product with no other purpose but to acquire financial stability is an empty act. It is unsatisfying within its end result and will only amount to more production. It is a cyclic mechanical back and forth without substance. If there is no meaning behind the act of production, then production and its end result is as well an empty shell that at best represents a workers thoughtless nature. Human origin in all its vastness holds a degree of answers and deep psychological roots that have formed history all the way to modern society. Within the same respect, modern society has the ability; through analysis and pure common sense to adopt a new pattern of living away from its mechanical platform.
Endnotes
1 Barker, Graeme. The Agricultural Revolution in Prehistory: Why did Foragers become
Farmers. 2001.
2 De Mieroop, Mark Van. A History of the Ancient Near East ca. 3000 - 323 BC. 2006.
3 Kahn. Charles H. Anaximander and the Origins of Greek Cosmology. 1994
4 Weightman. Gavin.The Industrial Revolutionaries: The Making of the Modern World.
2010.
5 Day, Dorothy. Sicius, Francis J. Peter Maurin: Apostle To The World. 2004.
6 Newton, Isaac. The Principia: Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy. 2010.
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