With free will,judgement becomes permissible. Yet with the
'death of god',and with the denial of objective standards of morality,judgement
has to evolve. A common metaphor for life is that it's a game. However this
view of life in relation to judgement I would argue is still stuck in the
psychology of objective judgement. For a game has rules,and thus there is a
logical necessity in judging how one succeeds in a game. Life is just not like
that,it has no rules,it has no winners in the objective sense. So you may well
ask: 'If a game is not a suitable metaphor for life,then what is?' I
will argue that instead of thinking of life as a game,we should think of it
instead as a narrative.
Life like a novel starts with a blank page. This should not be seen as a
Lockean denial of genetics, for every narrative owes a debt to the influences
that came before it,however a narrative cannot be fully determined by the
past,a narrative by its very nature must distinguish itself from what came
before it. This is because if a narrative is identical with another
narrative,there is no sense of identity. Thus if we are looking to write a
story,we must try and distinguish it from others. If we don't distinguish our
story at least in parts,we end up with the idea there is one single story,and
thus arrive back at the objective psychology. In contrast with the game as a metaphor for life,a novel
starts with no pre-ordained rules. This idea will pose no problem for many
religious believers. Believers have understood this view of life for centuries.
However for believers,an all powerful God is the author,who orders and creates
the story of your life. I reject this view,and argue that what one must do is become
the creator themselves,and thus the author of their own story.
This view of life has its own
internal morality. For if you see your life as 'your novel',you must make every
judgement against that fact. A life much as a book must one day be read,must
one day be judged. So all your choices must be made against this backdrop. An
example of this may be in your choice of lover. Under this view,you should
choose the lover that if a person was able to read,and thus judge your life,you
would be proud to have as part of your story,when it is looked upon. This of
course is not an easy path,it may be full of thorns. However just as any good
reader should not judge a book until it is finished,one should not judge a life
until it is finished. One is always able to change,to evolve ,to grow. Yet this
should not be seen as a passive philosophy. Nobody knows exactly when they will
die,so this 'life writing' should be put in an order you are proud of,as soon
as you can. Think of those people that you want to be major characters,and who
should have nothing more than a minor walk on role. To err is to be human,they
say. I say by creating you chose,exactly what you want a human to be.
Now this view of life is dangerous. It requires people to take
responsibility of their own being. To become their own fate, to make it your
puppet. Without rules,it can often feel as if the ground is shaking. This is nothing more than writers
block; a block that only effort and existential bravery can overcome. However
with this danger comes the opportunity for great beauty. You are free. You
create your own story,you choose what to put in,what to leave out. You choose
who you want to spend time with,and those people that are not worth your time.
It also lets you escape from the cold cruelty that objective judgement can
bring about. Yes others will read your story, and they may pick it apart as a
hyena does a carcass. However let them pick,for if you are proud of your
story,what does it matter?
All the major monotheistic religions talk of a book of life. The book
that will evaluate your life. These religions got it all right,apart from in one major respect,the book is
not written by an all powerful God. It is written by you,and only you.
By Lloyd Duddridge
