Inspiration
Theists often look to their religious books or to prayer for “divine inspiration,” a way to recover an uplifting feeling and a sense of purpose in their lives. Atheists understand that there is no such thing as divine inspiration, but that feelings of well-being and purpose are quite real. What should the Good and Moral Atheist look to for inspiration?
Of course, there are many things that might give us inspiration, and each individual will find different values in different sources. But there are some common themes that provide inspiration to all people, and may be particularly powerful for the Atheist. We will list some of these here, for the Atheist to look to when inspiration is needed.
The Innate Goodness of Humanity
Regardless of the day-to-day struggles and conflicts and injustices in the world, humanity on the large scale has made impressive strides toward a good, just, and fair society. Once the rule of countries was at the whim of despots and their families, now most countries elect their leaders. Once genocide was a common tactic, now it is bemoaned, shunned, protested, and even prevented by force of arms. Once slavery was common, now it is almost eradicated. Once women were chattel and second-class citizens, now in many countries they are the equals of men. Once the starving and suffering and afflicted were ignored, now mankind gives billions in anonymous charity. The march toward worldwide human rights and freedom continues inexorably forward. One day in the not-too-distant future, that American ideal of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” born of the Enlightenment, will be available to all the people of the world.
And beyond the great strides of humanity as a whole, there are the individual triumphs of goodness in the face of evil. Former slave Harriet Tubman risked imprisonment or death for personally helping free over 300 slaves from the Southern states in the United States in the mid-1800s, then again risked her life as a spy for the North to help defeat the South and end slavery in the U.S. for good. Oskar Schindler risked his life and spent his fortune saving approximately 1,200 Jews from death in Hitler’s concentration camps during World War Two. Paul Rusesabagina, a Hutu managing a hotel, saved 1,268 Tutsi from genocide by sheltering them in his hotel during the 1994 civil war in Rwanda.
Every time evil arises, the spirit of humanity comes alive in the form of a Tubman, or a Schindler, or a Rusesabagina. The true strength of the goodness of our nature always shines through, and although we have setbacks, we continue in our progress toward a worldwide society completely absent of wholesale horrors such as slavery and genocide. With common effort, we will soon reach that noble goal. From the smallest of everyday kindnesses to the wondrous acts of the heroes of humanity like those mentioned above, we can all take comfort in the innate goodness of humanity.
The Wonder of the Universe
Since the earliest times, man has been awed and inspired by the stars. Now, with much greater understanding of how the universe works, and with pictures of the surface of Mars and galaxies and celestial dust clouds available at our fingertips, has the luster gone away? Not at all. More than ever, man seeks to view and know the planets and the stars, and to spread the race out into the cosmos. Man has set foot on the moon, and our creations have touched Mars and a moon of Saturn, but still we yearn for more.
One of our biggest questions, of course, is: Are we alone? If the universe is infinite, certainly not. But will we ever meet our fellow creatures somewhere, out among the stars? Will they look anything like us, will they think like us, will we be able to communicate with them?
Although we can see much more of the universe now than ever, still there are countless wonders out there for us to find. Dreams of such knowledge in the future certainly inspire us all. We all dream that one day our children or grandchildren or great-grandchildren will live on another world, and that our distant descendants will explore and spread out through the vast reaches of space, to see more and know more than we ever have.
The Beauty of Nature
There’s a reason that artists learning their trade often end up painting such natural scenes as mountains, lakes, or wildlife. The intense beauty of such simple things moves us. Whether it’s the majesty of a snow-capped mountain against a blue sky, the fury of a lightning strike on the plains, the fierce presence of a lion, or the delicateness of a bird-of-paradise flower, nature unfolds before us in a way that tugs at our very being. We are awed by the power and complexity of natural processes.
Why would a rational person forego the conveniences and protection of a modern home to instead go pitch a tent in a forest? We do this to “get back to nature,” to remind ourselves of the sights and smells and sounds that our modern life has sheltered us from. We build parks and nature preserves and zoos, we section off forests and wildlife areas from development, all to keep the mystery and wonder and pristine charm of nature alive and protected from our own disruptions to the environment.
“I think that I shall never see, A poem lovely as a tree.” Although the rest of his poem pays homage to a fictitious god, the first lines of Joyce Kilmer’s poem “Trees” certainly ring true in the hearts of all humanity. We all feel, deep down, the awesome beauty of nature.
The Enormity of Evolution
What an amazing engine of the history of the world is evolution, the force that gave us life! Each and every one of us is the culmination of four billion years of evolution. Our lineage can be traced back to early hominids, back through a common ancestor with monkeys, back to the first mouse-sized placental mammals, back through ancestors that looked progressively more and more reptilian, back to sea creatures first developing lungs, and back before they developed lungs at all and lived only in the sea. Before that, you can trace us back from complex animals to rudimentary animals to multi-celled organisms and back to single-celled organisms. At each step along the way, every single one of our ancestors survived to maturity and had offspring.
If just one of those early ancestors had failed to survive or reproduce, the entire history of the earth would be completely different. We are completely dependent on their past successes, just as our descendants will be dependent on our genetic legacy. Evolution ties us all in an unbroken chain to that very first strand of RNA. We all come from a tree that ultimately narrows down to a single root. How magnificent is that history that we all share!
The Thirst for Knowledge
Some philosophers date the first appearance of true Homo sapiens to that first hominid who stood up, looked up at the stars, and thought, “Why are we here?” The query, unsolvable at the time, has spawned countless religions and philosophies, all in the name of wanting to know the answer to a question.
Our thirst, our undeniable need for knowledge has been indelibly stamped upon our genetic code. We revere our scientists, who answer our questions about the physical world. We pay homage to and tithe to our philosophers and religious leaders in our quest for knowledge about the metaphysical. Our political leaders debate about the answers to the problems of our society. We hire teachers in every locality, for education of children in the knowledge of the day is mandatory almost worldwide.
And our culture is driven by the quest for knowledge, as well. We read and watch science fiction, and try to extrapolate the technology of the future. We consume historical movies and books, learning about history while we are entertained. We support enormous “how to” industries which teach us things as varied as foreign languages, furniture making, and the art of stained glass. If we enjoy drinking wine, we may go further and learn the different varieties, the histories of the different types of wine, and practice differentiating between wines. If we find pleasure in watching birds, we might soon progress to buying a book on birdwatching, so that we may know the species we spot in our binoculars. If we are enchanted by the night stars, we may very well end up buying a guide to the constellations or delving into astronomy, in order to know more.
It is that very thirst for discovery that encouraged Marco Polo to journey to China, that set Columbus and Magellan to sea, that drove Lewis and Clark to explore the wilderness, that sent Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay on their quest for the peak of Mt. Everest, and that propelled Yuri Gagarin to space and Neil Armstrong to the Moon. It pushed Salk to develop a vaccine for polio, Marie and Pierre Curie to discover radiation, Edison to invent the electric light bulb, Einstein to formulate the Theory of Relativity, and Crick and Watson to deduce the structure of DNA. That intense curiosity marks us as human, and all of our discoveries and explorations spring from it.
The Miracle of Birth
The power of the image of the birth of a child is quite a human trait. Few other species have females that suffer as much or labor as much to bear children, due to our unique larger cranium—allowing us to reason—combined with our upright posture. So we value an already special event even more, and invest special significance in each and every birth, celebrating that day annually thereafter.
And our infants are so much more helpless than those of almost any species. They arrive completely dependent on us for their every need, capable of only expression. Their small hands grasp reflexively, and their heads turn to seek food, but even rolling over is a feat that it takes many weeks to learn. They must be watched at all times, and we come running to soothe them and take care of them whenever they cry out. They are small, soft, cute, and helpless to do anything but hold on tight to our heartstrings.
We see in a baby the awesome potential of a future adult, with the ability to understand and shape the world around them. We know that pregnancy and the process of birth can be difficult, and the efforts to raise children involve a great sacrifice. Yet still we have children, satisfying our undeniable urge to procreate and love and pass on our genes. Children are the ultimate expression of the future, rolled up into a tiny bundle of the love of their parents and family. Babies are precious, and although there are no such things as supernatural “miracles,” certainly birth well deserves the title of a “natural miracle.”
The Power of Love
What is love? That question is one for the ages. We now know that the good feelings we have when we are with the ones we love are partially the result of oxytocin, a chemical that our body releases when we are touched or loved. But knowing that in no way changes the ephemeral nature of one of man’s greatest mysteries.
Love is one of the most powerful forces we know. The love of a mate drives some to abandon their fortune, their throne, their culture, or even their family. In others it inspires great works. Unrequited love can drive some to insanity, and others to create art and literature of haunting sadness. The richness of a life with a partner in a loving relationship is one of the most sought-after goals in every culture. Our love for our children goes far beyond our genetic legacy or our instincts, and most of us would unquestioningly lay down our lives to save them.
Some day we may better understand the chemical pathways and cortical reactions that correspond to love. But we may never fully understand or be able to describe the sheer intensity and necessity of love, the love of family and friends and mates, or the greater love for humanity. Love and friendship make life worth living, gives meaning to our efforts and achievements, and lets us take time away from the hustle of the day to share a moment, a word, a touch or an embrace, with another person whom we care about.
Conclusion
The seven concepts mentioned here certainly can provide inspiration for anyone, and will have special meaning for the Good and Moral Atheist. We hope that you will read these passages in times of need, and be reinvigorated with the spirit of humanity and the awesomeness of nature.
