Material Witness

I'm reading this book about the history of western music--a topic that's not too overly broad... :) It specifically concerns, however, the progression of our methods for tuning instruments over the years. As it turns out, the greatest obstacles to developing our present tuning system was not placed by musicians or scientists, but by philosophers and theologians. These opponents of our modern system (called equal-temperament) were motivated by a strong adherence to tradition and a sense of mysticism coupled with this pervasive notion that God / nature were required in some way to correspond to each other through the language of mathematics. Anything that did not fit into their predetermined mold was not just considered undesirable, but irrational or completely heretical.

Now, I know you're probably not getting a very good portrait of this whole struggle from my poor summary, but bear with me as it brings me around to an important point. (If you wish to hear more of the struggle, read the book Temperament by Stuart Isacoff.) Why is it that we as humans require that everything fall into our little mold? For generations, humanity has struggled to cope with that which we do not understand. This problem has plagued our churches and our academies, has been the source of endless struggle and war, and has perhaps been one of the most formidable blockades to progress that we have ever encountered.

This problem is the great enemy of both the faithful and the cynic. It has bound the thoughts of both the least and the greatest of the thinkers. And it seeks to destroy me. Even now, as I write, I become that man. It is something that no man desires in times of gentle reflection to be, but does inevitably succumb to upon the challenging of their ideals. My prayer for myself is that I will always have the presence of mind to grasp those things which challenge my ideals and to withstand those blows to my ego that might otherwise crush a lesser man.