The Hexaemeron, Plato, and Ecology

 

    In The Hexaemeron, St. Basil writes that ' they [Basil's opponents] think . .  that in the divine creative activity the plan of the world was produced by the wisdom of the Maker of all things, but matter was appropriated to the Creator from the outside and a composite world came into existence , having its fundamental matter . . . from the outside, but receiving its plan and form from God' (Basil 2022, 21-22). By my lights, this views accords with some kind of Platonism. On this view, the form is imposed onto matter, which can never match up to the ideal. Later, and in contrast, St. Basil writes that 'the arts come into being later than the materials introduced . . . wool existed first, and the art of weaving came afterward . . . God, however, before any of the objects now seen existed . . . at one and the same time devised what sort of a world it should be and created the appropriate matter together with its forms' (Basil 2022, 22). This view is St. Basil's Christian perspective on the nature of the created world. Rather than the ideal world being imposed on the material, where the latter can never match the glory of former, the material world is created by the Creator with the forms in mind. On this view, there is no need to place the two poles of creation against one another. Form and matter are joined in a divinely ordain marriage. Now, what is the significance of this view with regard to ecology and religion? 

    To answer this question, I will first reflect on the project of philosophy. Going back to its beginnings in the west, I invoke Plato's allegory of the cave. For those unfamiliar, this allegory tells of prisoners in a cave who are made to believe that shadows cast on the wall of the cave are reality. Breaking free from his chains, one prisoner ascends to the surface and sees the sun. Then, he brings his knowledge back down to his fellow prisoners who kill him. From this allegory we learn that Plato's initial vision of philosophy was one where the philosopher undertakes the necessary steps to behold reality as it truly is. Is this not fundamental in both ecology and religion? How can an ecologist operate under falsehood? How can the religious seeker turn away from the truth? We are all seeking to see reality as it is. Now we ask; is the Platonic view of creation helpful? On the Platonic view, one must 'ascend' to ever more abstract forms of thinking before seeing reality as it truly is. Having done so, the philosopher is prepared to lead his fellow prisoners out of the cave (that is, to take up power in society as a philosopher-king). If, however, the truth is not reducible to abstractions, this view becomes dangerous. For, imagining abstractions to be the only truth, one misses the flesh of reality. On the Christian view (as formulated by St. Basil) one need not climb out of the cave, for the cave was made by the Creator for good reason. The Christian need only discern the will and wisdom of God. That is, one must recognize that the Creator has not designed a world which is incapable of rising to the occasion of His intentions for it. Thus, for the Christian, the world is not a disordered mockery of the ideal world, but is imbued with profound meaning at every level. The Creator has made all things for a unique and good purpose. There is no need to reject the material in favor of an imagined, ideal world. 

    The impact of our religious convictions on our relationship to nature, our bodies, and the world of inanimate matter are hereby shown to be enormous. For, if we imagine the material world was, at the beginning of time, provided to a Creator who imposed forms not fit for that matter, how can we do anything but imitate the primordial creative act? If, instead, the material world was brought into being alongside the forms, how can our imitation of the primordial creative be anything but a careful reflection on the unique role all members of the grand, cosmic body play in hymning the Creator of all things? 

 

Standing before Your mystery, Lord 

Oceans of awe drown my soul 

For what is it that You have made? 

A heart weeping tears of blood! 

These fall into the river of my contemplation, 

flowing ever on

 

Ever before me, You, call me into being 

Have I known a day without You? 

Ever before You, I, call you into my life 

How could I live without You? 

 

Holy, Holy, Holy 

Creator of All 

Gratitude beyond words for 

My body and soul!

Here on this Earth

 

The rivers of Paradise overflow in my heart, 

When you say my name! 

 

 

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