on certainty 233

233. If a child asked whether the world was already there before my birth, I should answer him that the earth did not begin with my birth, but that it existed long, long before. And I should have the feeling of saying something funny. Rather as if the child had asked me if such and such a mountain were higher than a tall house that it had seen. In answering the question I should have to be imparting a picture of the world to the person who asked it.

If I do answer the question with certainty, what gives me this certainty?

I would say to the child that I don’t know

I would say other people believe that the earth existed before I was born –

and I am happy to accept what they say

I would mention that there are various theories about the age of the earth and about its origins –

but that no one can say for sure what the situation is –

I would tell the child there are scientific theories and religious views on this matter

I would also tell the child that it is to its advantage to understand these various accounts of the earth –

and the various pictures of the world that people have proposed

and that it should make up its own mind on these matters –

and keep an open mind

© greg t.charlton. 2010.