The Church of Scientology claims to be a "philosophical religion." Critics have called it a cult. A famous 1991 Time Magazine article on Scientology by Richard Behar, The Thriving Cult of Greed and Power, was awarded the Gerald Loeb Award for distinguished business and financial journalism, the Worth Bingham Prize and the Conscience in Media Awards from the American Society of Journalists and Authors. [1] In more recent times religion critic Richard Dawkins, author of The God Delusion, has used the word “gullibiligy” in describing Scientology. [2] Its claims he said are "purely made-up." Dawkins’ word gullibiligy has not yet made it into the standard Oxford dictionary, but the meaning seems to refer to a practice that is inimical to reason. While I certainly side with Dawkins on the gullibiligy front, I cannot agree that Scientology’s core philosophy is "purely made up." In fact, the "philosophy" at the core of Scientology is not fabricated. It’s very old - and there’s nothing wrong with that. There are plenty of tried and true philosophical ideas floating about in world culture. Many of the great ideas that lay at the root of modern institutions are built on successful philosophical platforms.
My problem with scientology’s philosophical basis is that this "Church" does not acknowledge its sources. This is intellectually dishonest. As I will argue below the philosophical basis of scientology is based on the ancient philosophy of Stoicism with several unsubstantiated detours. Scientology is not a philosophical religion. Scientology is a distortion of Stoicism.
I just finished writing a book, The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius: Selections Annotated and Explained. [3] This book has absolutely nothing to do with Scientology. It has everything to do with the ancient practice of Stoicism, an intellectually defensible philosophy with roots in the best of the great Greek philosophers beginning with Socrates and Plato right on down to the Romans Seneca and Epictetus, and of course the emperor Marcus Aurelius who captured the best of Stoic thought in his famous Meditations. Because those original meditations are presented in no particular order, there is no obvious philosophical coherence in their presentation. So, I've reordered (and rewritten) the key passages as a handbook on Stoicism. In doing this the reader will discover that Stoicism rests firmly on the bedrock of reason.
The Stoic argument is centered on the notion that morality comes not from divine authority, or faith, or "revelation," but from a close study of nature - a study that makes strong demands on reason. Three principles of Stoicism come from this study of nature: first, we as human beings are social; second, our core humanity resides not in our physical bodies but in our psyche or mind (or soul or "spirit"); and third, the psyche is distilled from what stoics call the active principle of the universe, an intelligence that is all pervasive, perfect, and inherently good and beautiful. [3, p 234] This last principle implies that the human psyche is effectively "invincible" when we live according to nature. The active aspect of nature is called Logos. Stoics live well when their activities are directed away from the self and outwardly, toward others. Stoics describe these activities using the word "virtue." Virtuous activity is what life is all about, and it is virtue that makes us happy. There’s much more of course, but this is the core idea.
I was surprised a few months after sending this book off to the publisher when I stumbled upon a Scientology website. [4] What I discovered was a distorted version of Stoic philosophy. Here are my top ten reasons for this conclusion:
10. It was the etymology of the word "scientology" that grabbed my interest. [4] This compound word is derived from the Latin sciare (to know) and the Greek Logos (reason or truth) Scientology means "knowing reason." But "knowing reason" is what Stoicism is all about. [3, p xx]
9. Scientology maintains that "human capabilities are unlimited, even if not currently realized." [4] This clearly has its origin in the "invincibility" principle of Stoicism. [3, p xxxii]
8. Elsewhere I read that, “Scientology holds man to be basically good, and that his spiritual salvation depends upon himself and his fellows and his attainment of brotherhood with the universe.” [4] This idea is based almost literally on the social principle of Stoicism: that humans are social because we are all connected through and derived from Logos (also referred to in Stoicism as universal intelligence) and that Logos is good. [3, p xxix]
7. Scientologists assert that their creed "is not taken on faith." [4] In other words scientology maintains, just as Stoicism did, that it is reason, not faith, that drives the search for truth. [3, p xxvi]
6. Also central to this "religion" is the position that "thinking for yourself" is essential. [4] But it was the Stoics who first maintained that "right thinking (opinion)" was one of three powers (along with desire and action) that are solely independent of external interference. [3, p 12-13]
5. Scientology also maintains that a lack of knowledge and awareness about the self, or lack of "clarity," leads to "unhappiness." [4] For Stoics "unhappiness" comes from living in opposition to nature (because it is through nature we come to truly know ourselves using reason). [3, p 132]
4. The practice of Scientology involves a process of "clearing." Practitioners describe clearing as the removal of "harmful three-dimensional sensory images, or engrams, from the mind." [4] Stoics do the same thing. But what a Stoic clears from the mind is not an engram but "ignorance," and that's done by developing what Stoics call "true opinion." There's nothing secretive or mystical about this form of Stoic clearing. It's called "meditation." [3, p 172/3]
3. There’s more. Influenced by the principles of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard, the substance abuse program called Narconon (not associated with Narcotics Anonymous (NA), or is it related to Nar-Anon) was founded by William Benitez, in 1966. [5] The famous Serenity prayer of Alcoholics Anonymous (which is recited in all AA meeting) reflects a strong Stoic influence. [3, p 190/1]
2. Scientology uses a process called "auditing" which is designed to rid one's soul of traumatic experiences. But auditing in Stoicism (although that word is not used) involves what stoics would call removing false opinion.
1. The process Scientology calls "Dianetics" is a methodology designed to alleviate unwanted sensations and emotions and irrational fears. [4] This seems essentially the same result that is at the base of the Stoic mind-set and responsible for the popular image of the Stoic as detached, unemotional and indifferent to pain. [3, p 203]
Of course there are striking differences between the philosophy of Stoicism and the “philosophical religion” of Scientology. The most obvious difference is the cost of entry. Stoicism is free (unless you count the cost of a book). Stoicism is also completely open. There are no “secrets.” Stoicism is also atheistic. There is no transcendent God (the divine in Stoicism is in nature) and there are no churches. Stoicism is also egalitarian and cosmopolitan and non-hierarchical. Stoicism encourages, in fact demands, free and open and fair democratic debate. A Stoic will never launch a law suit over a philosophical difference or engage in barratry, the practice of bringing repeated legal actions solely to harass. Stoics have nothing to lose. There is also no afterlife in Stoicism: no heaven, no hell, and certainly no reincarnation – and most importantly, there are no mythologies, no aliens, and no galactic fantasies.
Stoicism is not a religion. It is a philosophical orientation with spiritual consequences. The Stoic approach to living is not contingent on the belief in a God. Stoicism offers happiness without God, joy without heaven and love without religion. Stoicism is a natural philosophy rooted firmly in critical thinking and reason - and reason is rooted firmly in the laws of nature and physics as understood in the ancient world. The qualitative aspects of those laws, particularly the laws of thermodynamics and Stoic cosmology, retain their validity today. The methods of Stoicism can be applied to address personal, political, and environmental challenges of the 21st century. Genuine happiness in Stoic terms does not stem from reputation, material success, the pursuit of physical pleasures, or the avoidance of pain. Stoics do not need E-meters, Dianetics, auditing, or clearing to address the practical challenges of today's world. A Stoic can approach such challenges using her own capacity for right reason to develop innovative approaches toward war, climate change, mental health (anxiety and depression), anger management, aging, illness, death, and addiction (sexual, drug and alcohol).
[1] The Thriving Cult of Greed and Power. Time Magazine. May 6, 1991 page 50. Special Report (cover story)
[2] Scientology. Wikipedia. Retrieved on Jan 19, 2008
[3] McNeil, Russell. The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius: Selections Annotated and Explained. Skylight Paths Publishing Oct 2007
[4] Church of Scientology Official Web Site. Retrieved on Jan 19, 2008
[5] Narconon Web Site. Retrieved Jan 19, 2008
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Scientology: misappropriated Stoicism
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Contribute to Amazon Discussion on Stoicism
There are three discussion topics available:
1: The relationship between Stoicism and Buddhism
2: Stoic Morality rooted in Physics
3: An Interview with Russell McNeil about the "Meditations of Marcus Aurelius"
4: Book Review
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Zoroaster (c 660 BCE-c 600 BCE)
Zenobia Queen of Palmyra (c 231 CE-c 271 CE)
Queen of Palmyra, one of the heroines of Antiquity. Her native name was Septimia Bath-zabbai, a name also borne by one of her generals, Septimius Zabbai. This remarkable woman, famed for her beauty, her masculine energy and unusual powers of mind, was well fitted to be the consort of Odainatti in his proud position as Dux Orientis; during his lifetime she actively seconded his policy, and after his death in A.D. 266-7 she not only succeeded to his position but determined to surpass it and make Palmyra mistress of the Roman Empire in the East. Wahab-allath or Athenodorus (as the name was Graecized), her son by Odainath, being still a boy, she took the reins of government into her own hands. Under her general-in-chief Zabda, the Palmyrenes occupied Egypt in A.D. 270, not without a struggle, under the pretext of restoring it to Rome; and Wahab-allath governed Egypt in the reign of Claudius as joint ruler with the title of king, while Zenobia herself was styled queen. In Asia Minor Palmyrene garrisons were established as far west as Ancyra in Galatia and Chalcedon opposite Byzantium, and Zenobia still professed to be acting in the interests of the Roman rule. In his coins struck at Alexandria in A.D. 270 Wahab-allath is named along with Aurelian, but the title of Augustus is given only to the latter; a Greek inscription from Byblos, however, mentions Aurelian (or his predecessor Claudius) and Zenobia together as Augustus and Augusta. When Aurelian became emperor in 270 he quickly realized that the policy of the Palmyrene queen was endangering the unity of the empire. It was not long before all disguises were thrown off; in Egypt Wahab-allath began to issue coins without the head of Aurelian and bearing the imperial title, and Zenobia's coins bear the same. The assumption marked the rejection of all allegiance to Rome. Aurelian instantly took measures; Egypt was recovered for the Empire by Probus (close of 270), and the emperor himself prepared a great expedition into Asia Minor and Syria. Towards the end of 271 he marched through Asia Minor and, overthrowing the Palmyrene garrisons in Chalcedon, Ancyra and Tyana, he reached Antioch, where the main Palmyrene army under Zabda and Zabbai, with Zenobia herself, attempted to oppose his way. The attempt, however, proved unsuccessful, and after suffering considerable losses the Palmyrenes retired in the direction of Emesa (now Horns), whence the road lay open to their native city. The queen refused to yield to Aurelian's demand for surrender, and drew up her army at Emesa for the battle which was to decide her fate. In the end she was defeated, and there was nothing for it but to fall back upon Palmyra across the desert. Thither Aurelian followed her in spite of the difficulties of transport, and laid siege to the well-fortified and provisioned city. At the critical moment the queen's courage seems to have failed her; she and her son fled from the city to seek help from the Persian king; they were captured on the bank of the Euphrates.
Among the traditions relating to Zenobia may be mentioned that of her discussions with the Archbishop Paul of Samosata on matters of religion. It is probable that she treated the Jews in Palmyra with favour; she is referred to in the Talmud, as protecting Jewish rabbis. The well-known account of Zenobia by Gibbon (Decline and Fall, i. pp. 302-312 Bury's edition) is based upon the imperial biographers (Historia Augusta) and cannot be regarded as strictly historical in detail. An obscure and distorted tradition of Zenobia as an Arab queen survived in the Arabian story of Zabba, daughter of Amr b. Zarib, whose name is associated with Tadmor and with a town on the right bank of the Euphrates, which is no doubt the Zenobia of which Procopius speaks as founded by the famous queen. - Malaspina Biography
Books from Alibris: Zenobia
Zeno of Citium (333 BCE-264 BCE)
Jan Dismas Zelenka (1679-1745)
Zelenka was a court musician in Dresden for most of his career. Except for brief periods of travel during which he studied or participated in music research, he served as a double bass player in the court orchestra and later aided the ailing Kapellmeister in his duties. Upon the death of the Kapellmeister, the position was awarded to another musician, an event that led Zelenka to feel disillusioned by the lack of recognition he had received for his acheivements. He was a skilled contrapuntalist and a creative harmonic composer. His works are marked by extremely precise dynamic directions and some contain the unusual notation for crescendo that describes each progression in intensity, for example the words "piano", "forte" and "piu forte" written under one instrumental note. - Malaspina Biography
Sheet music: Jan Dismas Zelenka
Abul Qasim al-Zahrawi (Abulcasis) (936-1013)
Abul Qasim Khalaf ibn al-Abbas al-Zahravi (known in the west as Abulcasis) was born in 936 A.D. in Zahra in the neighborhood of Cordova. He became one of the most renowned surgeons of the Muslim era and was physician to King Al-Hakam-II of Spain. After a long medical career, rich with significant original contribution, he died in 1013 A.D.
He is best known for his early and original breakthroughs in surgery as well as for his famous Medical Encyclopedia called Al-Tasrif, which is composed of thirty volumes covering different aspects of medical science. The more important part of this series comprises three books on surgery, which describe in detail various aspects of surgical treatment as based on the operations performed by him, including cauterization, removal of stone from the bladder, dissection of animals, midwifery, stypics, and surgery of eye, ear and throat. He perfected several delicate operations, including removal of the dead foetus and amputation.
Al-Tasrif was first translated by Gherard of Cremona into Latin in the Middle Ages. It was followed by several other editors in Europe. The book contains numerous diagrams and illustrations of surgical instruments, in use or developed by him, and comprised a part of the medical curriculum in European countries for many centuries. Contrary to the view that the Muslims fought shy of surgery, Al-Zahravi's Al-Tasrif provided a monumental collection for this branch of applied science.
Al-Zahravi was the inventor of several surgical instruments, of which three are notable: (i) an instrument for internal examination of the ear, (ii) an instrument for internal inspection of the urethra, and (iii) and instrument for applying or removing foreign bodies from the throat. He specialized in curing disease by cauterization and applied the technique to as many as 50 different operations.
In his book Al-Tasrif, Al-Zahravi has also discussed the preparation of various medicines, in addition to a comprehensive account of surgical treatment in specialized branches, whose modern counterparts are E.N.T., Ophthalmology, etc. In connection with the preparation of medicines, he has also described in detail the application of such techniques as sublimation and decantation. Al-Zahravi was also an expert in dentistry, and his book contains sketches of various instruments used thereof, in addition to a description of various important dental operations. He discussed the problem of non-aligned or deformed teeth and how to rectify these defects. He developed the technique of preparing artificial teeth and of replacement of defective teeth by these. In medicine, he was the first to describe in detail the unusual disease, hemophilia.
There can be no doubt that Al-Zahravi influenced the field of medicine and surgery very deeply and the principles laid down by him were recognized as authentic in medical science, especially surgery, and these continued to influence the medical world for five centuries. According to Dr. Cambell (History of Arab Medicine), his principles of medical science surpassed those of Galen in the European medical curriculum. [Adapted from Personalities Nobel]
Books from Alibris: al-Zahrawi (Albucasis)
