At eight years of age Helen Keller had some deep questions that she wrote down for her teacher:
“I wish to write about things I do not understand. Who made the earth and the seas, and everything? What makes the sun hot? Where was I before I came to mother? I know that plants grow from seeds which are in the ground, but I am sure people do not grow that way.”
Later Helen and her teacher had intriguing conversations about God. Helen was full of penetrating questions: “Who made God?”...“What did God make the new worlds out of?” “Where did He get the soil, and the water, and the seeds, and the first animals?" "Where is God?" "Did you ever see God?” I told her that God was everywhere, and that she must not think of Him as a person, but as the life, the mind, the soul of everything. She interrupted me: "Everything does not have life. The rocks have not life, and they cannot think." It is often necessary to remind her that there are infinitely many things that the wisest people in the world cannot explain.”
[Excerpt From
The Story of My Life / With her letters (1887-1901) and a supplementary account of her education, including passages from the reports and letters of her teacher, Anne Mansfield Sullivan, by John Albert Macy.]
How wondrous that children exhibit such deep awareness, curiosity and critical thinking. That exciting spark of human consciousness is the precursor of science, art and religion. IMO Helen was very lucky to have had a teacher who encouraged and fostered inquiry rather than resorting to mental coercion.
17
Enjoy being online again!
Welcome to the community of good people who base their values on evidence and appreciate civil discourse - the social network you will enjoy.Create your free account
4 comments
Feel free to reply to any comment by clicking the "Reply" button.There was a quote of Helen's, I wish I could recollect it. That quote held so much importance for me. Her life story should be be required reading for every human being. Not that I have read her whole biography, but I did learn some about her. You can compare her contemporaneous blindness and deafness to the human beings inability to fully understand God.
Flowerwall
Level 7
Aug 21, 2019
0
You have given me something to ponder—I think you are on to something.
Most of her books are on Gutenberg Press—that’s where I got mine. There’s the movie “Miracle Worker “ about her life that’s highly acclaimed. I’m afraid to watch it because I think Hollywood, as usual, did a hatchet job on her Alabama family, especially her father.
@WilliamFleming You think I am on to something then? Well it's a very weird place I am in right now. I am agnostic, but feel I am growing in belief. It's strange to be here.
I have seen movies about her or atleast one. It's just been quite a while. Hopefully soon I can go back to reviewing more about her.
I hope they did an honest portrayal of her family too, but isn't that an older movie? I should remember more. I think it's okay though. If you get a chance to watch it I would be interested to hear what you think. Let me know.
@Flowerwall OK, I will.
I respect your courage and openness. Growing in understanding is a very good thing but I personally don’t think belief is very important.
I'm coming across the idea a lot recently that consciousness creates reality. I first read it in William Blake's poetry. Then Iain McGilchrist chose the topic for a book he is now writing. Kant, if I understand properly, also talked about reality being a manifestation of how we think.
brentan
Level 8
Aug 20, 2019
1
It happens that I am in the midst of reading “You are the Universe”, which I think promotes that idea. I haven’t gotten to the good parts yet.
For me it’s a very exciting idea for some reason.
i have a selection of Blake's poetry. i keep trying to somehow get to the right level of conscientiousness to fully appreciate him.
I just learned about a new Donald Hoffman book that you might enjoy:
It’s one I have to read!
@WilliamFleming I must add it to my Wish List. Blake led me to the guys he disagreed with (Locke, Bacon, Newton etc.) and I couldn't help thinking he and Kant had something in common, this idea that reality is perception. I must admit I'm in awe of Blake because he explains himself in allegory and metaphor which is always the poet's M.O. to reach past physical reality into the metaphysical realm. I'm grappling with Kant at the moment to see how the distinction is tackled from the rationalistic approach.
@brentan Because you were talking about Blake I downloaded some of his works from Gutenberg Press. I’m having trouble relating somehow. Poetry is not my thing, but maybe if I spend more time I’ll begin to experience his poems on a deeper level.
Kant is dense and hard for me to read. If you find some pertinent passages though I would enjoy looking at them.
Speaking of poetry, Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman is full of metaphysical thoughts boldly expressed.
@WilliamFleming LOL. Blake is really 'out there' with his inspirations and personal mythology but I love the world he has created. They say that you really understand something if you can explain it simply so if that happens with Kant (wish me luck!), I'll post on it. All I know so far is that his Critique is a response to the question how things are conceived in the mind - through the senses, reason, intuition and maybe more. I'm reading and looking at YT videos by a Professor Robert Paul Wolff, an 82 year old with anecdotes from his life adding colour to the lectures.I'll take a look at Leaves of Grass. Is it a single poem or a collection of poems?
@brentan Leaves of Grass is a collection of related poems. I might have spoken too soon here, but my memory from 25 years ago is of a an exuberant affirmation of life where Whitman speaks from a universal perspective, proclaiming himself to be all that there is. I think that idea might have come from Transcendentalism which had been popular earlier.
Now, in reading critiques I think I might have mischaracterized the book. Whatever.
@WilliamFleming No prob. I'm dipping into it already.
I I don’t know much about Helen Keller. And I tend to be a skeptic, perhaps too much; but what if this whole Helen Keller thing was just a big Grift? I’m sure if it was it would’ve been debunked by now, but what if ... haha it would make a great plot twist at the end of a movie.
LucasfromGR
Level 6
Aug 20, 2019
1
She had some uncanny abilities, and like you I tend to be skeptical. But her case is well documented. It’s hard to understand how she could have written such vivid descriptions of nature as a blind person—imagination I suppose.
Helen said "I would rather walk with a friend in the dark. Than walk in the light alone." People are the answer for mankind. Not some imagination of an all powerful being.
Puzzlement
Level 5
Aug 20, 2019
2
Enjoy being online again!
Welcome to the community of good people who base their values on evidence and appreciate civil discourse - the social network you will enjoy.Create your free account
Share this post
Categories
Agnostic does not evaluate or guarantee the accuracy of any content. Read full disclaimer.