Chapter 1: Nature's Chaotic Symphony

The notion that nature adheres to specific "laws" stems from a dated deistic analogy. Early modern scientists, in their quest for hidden principles that could elucidate natural phenomena, generally assumed that the universe was not a natural entity but rather a colossal machine created by an intelligent designer. Only under such a premise would it be accurate to state that there are laws of nature, akin to the purposes we assign to tools and artifacts during their creation.

For example, a shovel is designed to dig. If the handle breaks, it fails to meet the "law" of its intended function. This expectation is normative and is based on the purposes defined by either the designer or the user. Similarly, humans can also deviate from social laws, much like a shovel can malfunction. These laws are teleological, meaning they possess a normative quality.

Artifacts reflect our intentions, making them quasi-social entities bound by their designated functions. If we extend this analogy to the natural world, it would imply the existence of an intelligent designer behind nature itself. This notion aligns with early modern deism, which posited that God created the universe and set it in motion, leading it to adhere to a predetermined blueprint.

To uncover the laws of nature, one would essentially be attempting to decipher the mind of God or to reveal the foundational design behind celestial bodies, molecules, and organisms.

Section 1.2: Nature's Private Language

What, then, is nature engaged in if it isn't following predetermined laws? Can we expand our understanding to grasp the non-human aspects of nature's creativity? Ludwig Wittgenstein’s idea of a private language may shed light on this. He argued that languages exist in a public domain, as the meaning of symbols is derived from social interactions. This assumes that individual speakers exist within a community of others, leading to the emergence of shared conventions.

We could create a language with made-up symbols, but such meanings would lack societal validation. There would be no collective pressure to enforce these meanings, as they wouldn't stem from a social context.

This analogy suggests that, from an atheistic viewpoint, the natural order resembles an individual inventing a private language. There is no overarching environment compelling nature to conform to any norms; it is shaped solely by the elements, forces, and initial conditions at play.

Imagine a universe growing in isolation, much like a wild child. Would it be subject to laws? No, as that deistic metaphor would falter. Without a pre-established ideal for nature’s evolution, there is no authoritative directive for nature to conform to any specific path. This absence of lawfulness defines the essence of "wilderness."

At the core of nature’s physicality lies a chaotic realm: a vast expanse of virtual particles influenced by quantum mechanics, teeming with infinite potential and countless trials and errors leading to stable forms like molecules, solar systems, and stages of cosmic evolution.

Photo by Jeffry Surianto, on Pexels

Chapter 2: The Wildness of Nature's Creativity

What we are attempting to grasp is the concept of genuinely wild creativity—an existence devoid of laws, norms, or external guidance. However, nature has evolved organisms that offer a perspective and standards for how intelligent beings might seek to reshape the natural world. Yet these standards are human constructs, and it is a peculiar arrogance to assert that humanity speaks for the universe.

Indirectly, nature may be developing laws through the evolution of minds capable of understanding its processes and what can or should be. However, these aims do not directly influence the natural order, nor have they governed the universe's ancient epochs of lifeless expansion.

To comprehend lawless creativity, one must grasp wildness. Despite nature appearing orderly to scientists and in our daily lives, the underlying reality is one of profound lawlessness and unrestrained creativity. The perceived order is, in some aspects, an illusion, a product of our limited perspective. We tend to overlook the randomness, the accidents, the trials and errors, and instead focus on overarching patterns, driven by our ambition to harness nature’s raw power.

Wildness is foreign to us as we strive to civilize ourselves—an endeavor that often comes at the cost of acknowledging the more chaotic aspects of our existence. We often exhibit our wildness during childhood, when our understanding is minimal, and our disregard for social norms is high. It's during play that we learn and explore.

Perhaps the universe also learns by experimenting, generating possibilities through quantum fluctuations, and testing various combinations across countless solar systems and cosmic cycles (as suggested by Roger Penrose's cyclical universe model).

The sheer intensity of this creativity, resulting in an array of outcomes, would defy any simplistic laws or models we might propose to encapsulate the essence of nature. Instead of a fixed essence or intrinsic mathematical form, we encounter a wild child at play.

In "My Wild Child Video Sessions - Spring Birds," the spontaneity and unrestrained nature of creativity are vividly captured, echoing the themes discussed.

Scientia damnat. Ars redimit. I compile my writings on Medium into paperback and eBook formats, available on Amazon. Feel free to explore them for more insights into my work. The latest addition is "Questing for Epiphanies in a Haunted House," which features 99 recent articles spanning various topics.