About six hundred years ago, the European civilisation went through a process of rebirth (renaissance), paving the way for modernity. One of the reasons why the Renaissance period (12th–16th century) brought a progressive cultural change is in the revival of ancient ideas which sparked the spirit of enquiry. In any environment filled with diversity of ideas, one could listen to his own intuition and reason when choosing a theoretical framework through which to gaze upon the world; one could try out or experiment with what works and what is practical, therefore worth keeping and cherishing. Thus the renewed ideas from the Antiquity were the fuel for the Renaissance humanists to rethink the world as well as engage in further self-discovery.

Today, in 21st century, we might be in need of a new renaissance. Some of the ideas which have helped us make the modern world have become inadequate and too constrictive – they lost their vitality to give a deeper meaning to human life. There are two well established theoretical approaches to the nature of the world and our place in it which we, I believe, have to question if we are to evolve and bring peace, justice and prosperity to all. These two outlooks in need of re-examining are mechanistic science and orthodox religion.

Most people know about these two paradigms and seem to be trapped in an illusion that that is all there is, and everybody should choose one or other to live and even die for. But what if there is more? What if the truth is in the middle? What if the solution is something new - the new which at the same time is something old which should not have been forgotten, yet it is?

The new outlook that can unite science and religion is based on a proposition that the Universe is conscious in a way that we might not be able to comprehend. The nature of consciousness is to seek itself out; so the Universe divides itself into a myriad of entities, known and unknown, and in the each fragment of itself is looking for meaning. Through quantitative and qualitative division Cosmos unfolds its infinite potential; human beings, whose consciousness is a part of the cosmic consciousness, are agents of creative expression of this potential. From this viewpoint scientific need for rational order is satisfied, but also religious quest for subjective fulfilment is met too, for there is profound conscious unity in apparent diversity. This is a pantheistic approach – a middle path between science and religion.

Both mechanistic science and orthodox religion have many theoretical problems as well as ethical. If one wants to derive good excuses for unethical actions from these two worldviews it is rather easy; which is hopefully illustrated in the next dialogs:

The rationalisations stated above might seem to be very naïve and comic at times, yet they, in more or less explicit manner, can often be heard in discussions or chats, not just among the ‘lay’ people, but also amid well educated. Ironically, the academic establishment, can easily fall into ideological rigidity and be antithetical to new approaches to the nature of reality even though they present themselves to be the custodians of logic and reason. History teaches us that logic has never been of primal importance to man - it has always been subordinated to ideology. Ideology in turn is a matter of power, faith and taste.

“Every man takes the limits of his own field of vision for the limits of the world.“ - Arthur Schopenhauer

History also teaches us that humanity can never be at rest - through art, culture, religion and science it always seeks either to stimulate its imagination or put the result of its imaginative powers into practise. We dream great and impossible ideas and then straggle to see it realised; hence when there is no vision to follow, no frontier to conquer and nothing to fuel the enthusiasm, society falls into a deep crisis. In such circumstances usually the leaders are expected to provide a new vision and sense of purpose, or at least recognise and support the people or trends in the society which can offer this vision.

So what can inspire our politicians today to be better people, to speak more truthfully, and serve humanity selflessly? Religion does not seem to inspire them enough, while science is ethically neutral - there appear to be a moral vacuum. Maybe a new breakthrough, a new perspective on the world could awake the greater enthusiasm for improving the world; in fact can man really live without his ideals taking new fresh forms when the old forms have lost their vitality?

One new form or vision which might inspire human virtues is the idea that the Universe is conscious and that we are a meaningful part of it. The concept of the Conscious Universe can provide a new moral ground and unite science and religion, offering the best of both worlds, yet it is not the end of human quest for knowledge but rather a new chapter. Just as the revival of Plato’s texts in the Renaissance helped question established thought and initiate new philosophies, so the revival of the ancient notion of the Conscious Universe might trigger a new renaissance.

Christian Bodhi, January 2004