A Stream of Thought Inspired by "Hitchhicker's Guide to the Galaxy" (2005)
When I read Douglas Adams I am always moved. Moved by the insight he has into humanity, culture, and the things that we do that don’t make sense. However, I am also moved to a sadness. Much like with other similar satirists Pratchett and Whedon, I am sad that these men let the inconsistencies of human culture cause them to reject deeper truths.
But, when it comes to the film adaptation of “Hitchhiker’s,” I find the sad parts to be diminished. Sure, there are still biting critiques of religion. But I find the satire of religion to be fair game territory. After all, religion has always been mankind’s failed attempt to get back to God. Religion is ripe for satire and derision. Where it gets taken too far is when a deeper divine truth gets tossed out with the silly attempts to get to that divine truth. When the baby gets tossed out with the bathwater.
All of these absurdists contradict themselves eventually. The attempts to say that reality does not make sense and that it is useless to try to find meaning don’t hold up. Even the absurdists themselves have to admit that there is design and a sense of meaning in reality. Musk says that the order is evidence that we all live in a simulation of reality. Dawkins sees the design of reality as evidence perhaps that an alien intelligence created us. They’re just obliged to find ways to say the design cannot be evidence of a prime mover. Why? It has a lot more to do with the evils found in mankind’s religious designs than any logical demand to reject a creator.
In “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” Adams pokes fun at organized systems of religion multiple times. And yet, the whole story boils down to the idea that the Earth and life was a system designed to discover the question. It is all created to discover the meaning of life. Circular logic to be sure, but undeniable understanding that the meaning to life is found in the design and existence of life itself.
Ever since we decided to reject the Creator and His answers to meaning, humanity has been on a quest to discover a meaning. And all religion, philosophy and satire has come up short. The best we have to offer is the idea that we should just stop seeking and enjoy life. Therein lies a deeper truth. We should stop seeking to define our own meaning and simply live the life that we have been given.
When we turn back to the idea that we are mere creature and not creator we discover the freedom of life as it was intended to be lived.
But, when it comes to the film adaptation of “Hitchhiker’s,” I find the sad parts to be diminished. Sure, there are still biting critiques of religion. But I find the satire of religion to be fair game territory. After all, religion has always been mankind’s failed attempt to get back to God. Religion is ripe for satire and derision. Where it gets taken too far is when a deeper divine truth gets tossed out with the silly attempts to get to that divine truth. When the baby gets tossed out with the bathwater.
All of these absurdists contradict themselves eventually. The attempts to say that reality does not make sense and that it is useless to try to find meaning don’t hold up. Even the absurdists themselves have to admit that there is design and a sense of meaning in reality. Musk says that the order is evidence that we all live in a simulation of reality. Dawkins sees the design of reality as evidence perhaps that an alien intelligence created us. They’re just obliged to find ways to say the design cannot be evidence of a prime mover. Why? It has a lot more to do with the evils found in mankind’s religious designs than any logical demand to reject a creator.
In “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” Adams pokes fun at organized systems of religion multiple times. And yet, the whole story boils down to the idea that the Earth and life was a system designed to discover the question. It is all created to discover the meaning of life. Circular logic to be sure, but undeniable understanding that the meaning to life is found in the design and existence of life itself.
Ever since we decided to reject the Creator and His answers to meaning, humanity has been on a quest to discover a meaning. And all religion, philosophy and satire has come up short. The best we have to offer is the idea that we should just stop seeking and enjoy life. Therein lies a deeper truth. We should stop seeking to define our own meaning and simply live the life that we have been given.
When we turn back to the idea that we are mere creature and not creator we discover the freedom of life as it was intended to be lived.
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