Gods/Truth/Discworld

Hogfather question

Terry Pratchet, author of the ridiculously successful Discworld series, let a movie be made of Hogfather. In the story Hogfather, the Discworld's winter solstice patron (The Hogfather) was threatened, and Death himself, along with his grandaughter Susan had to save Hogwatch (Christmas/Yule).

Discworld being roughly analagous to English folklore seen through ten-pint beer goggles, the Hogfather's mythology was shamelessly mined from the Yule-father Odin, including his evolution along with the holiday that is his, and the importance of myths to humanity.

Mythology can be summed up as lies that teach truths. It is important to believe in things that don't exist. Things like justice, mercy, truth. If we do not believe them when they do not exist, they never will.

Did the stories in our own mythologies actually occur as events involving humanoid corporeal beings performing as the myths describe? I honestly doubt it. Stories and rituals are symbols for complex ideas that are reduced into a form that can be grasped, that they may be taught. The truths they teach are important, but they are not real. You cannot find an atom of justice, a molecule of mercy. They are not real. They are lies that we must embrace if we are to be humans, and not just chimpanzies with atomic weapons and bioengineered plagues to throw at each other from opposing trees.

It is an interesting idea, and certainly raises some issues which are worth discussing. I do feel, however, that it also illustrates the problem on relying solely on scientific materialism as the only means of understanding reality. Abstract, culturally loaded terms like "justice" or "mercy" are not going to be quantifiable, because they are by their very nature subjective and based on the recognition that something, generally an action, is best described as being "just" or "merciful". They are descriptions of something, rather than things in and of themselves. To further complicate things, "justice" and "mercy" can be observed and so can other abstract ideas, again through the actions and histories of humans. Does this mean that they necessarily exist at an atomic level, of course not, because they are ideas or concepts. Of course, one could then appeal to neuroscience, in which case they would exist as electrical impulses and neurochemicals; thereby having physical existence, and at a microscopic level.

With regards to the reality of myth, well myth isn't history (well it can be based off of historical events, but that is not necessary), and the problem of it only arises when one tries to conflate the two.

The most deadly combination in all of religion is a poet who pens an allegorical metaphor, and a literalist fundamentalist who accepts it as a statement of direct fact.

That would certainly be true.

John T Mainer wrote:The most deadly combination in all of religion is a poet who pens an allegorical metaphor, and a literalist fundamentalist who accepts it as a statement of direct fact.

I've never felt so sure of having read much truth before reading this...