The ULTRA Project
Stuart Fickler, Ph.D.
… contemplating the natural world and its awe-inspiring wonders leads one to love of God. -- Maimonides
The most incomprehensible thing about the world is that it is at all comprehensible.-- Einstein
In the last article, I introduced what might be called “Rambam’s Paradox”. After an exhaustive and carefully constructed argument that HaShem is totally unknowable to the human mind, Maimonides then moves on to conclude that the ultimate purpose of humanity is the acquisition of knowledge of HaShem. How can we know anything about the unknowable?
As is often the case the resolution of this paradox lies in the use of words and the categories they generate. Would the paradox be less paradoxical if I said HaShem is unknowable, but comprehensible? This statement, in fact, applies to the every day business of science.
As a scientist, I start with the assumption that reality exists. However, this assumption cannot be proven. Reality is the totality of all that exists. At this moment, we do not know anything that approaches that total. I would venture a guess, based on the current state of scientific knowledge, that we know less than five percent of the possible total. Nonetheless, there is no sense in pursuing science if we do not assume the existence of reality. So we continue to acquire knowledge with the expectation that we are approaching reality. As long as the models we produce are supported by experience, we have reason to presume that the universe is comprehensible and we are moving in the direction of acquiring greater knowledge of reality.
In the Guide for the Perplexed, Maimonides asserts six primary attributes of HaShem: 1) HaShem exists; 2) HaShem is incorporeal; 3) HaShem is One; 4) HaShem is intelligent; 5) HaShem creates; and 6) HaShem governs. All other characteristics that are attributed to HaShem flow from these six. These attributes will be the subject of much discussion in future articles. For now, I would like to focus on the first two.
The basis for the assertion of the “Unknowable G‑d” is the incorporeal nature of G‑d. Since we are physical beings, an absolutely incorporeal being is beyond our capacity to comprehend. But, if this is the case, what sense is there of even trying to assert the existence of something unknowable. There has to be a point of contact, a basis for relating to that “unknowable entity”.
Maimonides contends that that point of contact is the same as that used by science: HaShem’s creation. If it is not possible to know the creator, it is possible to acquire knowledge of the creator through the creation. To appreciate this approach, we need only think of the number of scholarly works devoted to analyzing Shakespeare through his plays.
We have now resolved Rambam’s Paradox, but we have raised a new question. How do we extract the information that we need from the creation?
During World War II Germany and Japan used an encoding device called Enigma. The Allies responded by establishing the ULTRA Project which successfully monitored and decoded enemy transmissions. The problem of both science and Judaism in dealing with HaShem’s creation is very similar to the ULTRA Project.
If we go back to the figure, Epistemology 101 (click here - PDF), we see the starting point for knowledge acquisition in science is observation. For Judaism the starting point is revelation.
In recent years, Professor John Wheeler and his associates have proposed a concept of an “information universe” in which all of the elementary elements of the universe are viewed as “bits” of data. These various “bits” are then assembled into “messages”. These “messages” are the physical components of the universe. The role of science is to “decode” these “messages” in order to describe the processes and relationships within the physical universe. In this way we move from observation to modeling, as shown in the figure.
Judaism has predicated its search for truth on revelation, specifically, the Sinai Revelation. The Talmud tells us that the “The Torah speaks in the language of men.” (e.g. Yevamoth 71a). But, we know that “the language of men” is dynamic, changing with changing experience and perception. Then, in whose language is Torah written? If it is written in the language of Sinai, how can we extract the truths contained within it after thirty four hundred years? This has been the challenge to prophets, sages and commentators in their efforts to give each generation a meaningful “model“ of its relationship with HaShem. We presume that the Torah contains “messages of truth” and strive to “decode” these “messages”. Maimonides adds another dimension to this “ULTRA Project”. He asserts that the “key” to this code is to be found in HaShem’s creation.
If Judaism and science are seeking to “decode messages” in the same creation, why do we need both revelation and observation?
to be continued...
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