Also reason is a lie; for there is a factor infinite & unknown; & all their words are skew-wise. (AL II:32)There is a belief, an underpinning of Modernity, that it is possible to know everything. This belief seems to underline scientific inquiry. Faith in this idea is what empowers Scientism (by which, I refer to the faith-based reliance on science that dominates US Society). Logically, this goal is only possible if there is a finite universe containing a finite number of things and that time (or more accurately, change) is also finite. If any of this is false, it renders it impossible to know everything. Infinite space would mean that there are always new areas to discover, new places to learn about. Infinite things would also give us an eternal source of new things to discover. Finally, infinite potential for change would mean that even those things which are understood now could, and probably would, change so that they are once again, in whole or part, unknown.
However, this should not be taken as an injunction against knowledge, merely as a caution that what we know is not, nor could it ever be, the sum total of all knowledge. Neither should this be taken as a disincentive to understand what is traditionally held to be unknowable. As an occultist, we are constantly dealing with the unknown, with the hidden. Understanding of the known gives us the tools to understand the unknown.
In the mathematical formula x2-4=0, x is unknown. -4 and the factor 2 are both known. These can be used to determine the unknown element x. We know that x2-4 = (x+2)(x-2), thus x must equal (-2,2). We assume that this is true because, if we put either value into the formula, it resolves to true. I.e., (-2)2-4=0 and 22-4=0. Likewise, we can assume that if our premises for the unknown are correct, they will integrate well with that which is known.
This is why the Magus must be learned in Logic and familiar with the basics of science and various other branches of learning. This is why Crowley cautions us against mysticism, and why we are enjoined toward skepticism (q.v. Book of Lies, especially NA & ME). These tools and attitudes provide us with the basic blocks for crafting a coherent and consistent worldview from which we can utilize the unknown to martial the known toward the manifestation of our will. This allows us to bypass the worst vagaries of both Religion and Science.
I would like to conclude with some practical advice. Learn Logic. Unless one has formally studied Logic, it is unlikely that one can utilize logic. What passes for logic in Modern society contains little of actual logic. Also study the practical division of logic known as Critical Thinking. As with Logic, this is another area where people believe they know it, but fail miserably. There was even a scientific study that demonstrated this fact. One should analyze both one’s beliefs and reactions. Extreme reactions toward challenges to one’s beliefs are often indicative that it is faith-based rather than a knowledge-based. Likewise, an inability to explain one’s beliefs indicate that one is unaware of why one hold said belief. Finally, realize that all of these things are provisional. Just as science is always overturning hypotheses and theories, so to should one be open to having one’s premises overthrown. Remember that nothing is gained by clinging to falsehood, and that every overturned falsehood brings you one step closer to the truth.
I would like to conclude with some practical advice. Learn Logic. Unless one has formally studied Logic, it is unlikely that one can utilize logic. What passes for logic in Modern society contains little of actual logic. Also study the practical division of logic known as Critical Thinking. As with Logic, this is another area where people believe they know it, but fail miserably. There was even a scientific study that demonstrated this fact. One should analyze both one’s beliefs and reactions. Extreme reactions toward challenges to one’s beliefs are often indicative that it is faith-based rather than a knowledge-based. Likewise, an inability to explain one’s beliefs indicate that one is unaware of why one hold said belief. Finally, realize that all of these things are provisional. Just as science is always overturning hypotheses and theories, so to should one be open to having one’s premises overthrown. Remember that nothing is gained by clinging to falsehood, and that every overturned falsehood brings you one step closer to the truth.
