Abstract

"Cosmos or Chaos: Theodicy, Love, and Existential Choice," explores in detail the social-psychological dimensions of cosmology and the tension between the ideas of cosmos and chaos in the history of Western thought, as these are manifested in philosophy, science, "pure" reason, and religion. In the process, the author seeks to provide the foundation for a viable existentialist social ethic, drawing upon the works of Camus, Sartre, Bergson, Unamuno, Dostoevsky, and the teachings of Theravada Buddhism. ;The dissertation is divided into six parts. Part One establishes the conceptual framework of the project. Here a connection is made between the theodicy problem and the "cosmos compulsion," the often desperate human need to believe in the existence of an orderly and coherent universe and to deny the chaos in nature, society, and the self. Part Two traces the themes of cosmos and chaos in early Greek philosophy, beginning with the pre-Socratics and culminating with the synthesis offered by Aristotle. An analysis of modern and post-modern science follows in Part Three, highlighting in particular the faith-driven thought of Albert Einstein, the correspondences between the insights of thermodynamics and process philosophy, and the parallels to be found between existentialism and quantum theory. Superstring theory is dismissed as yet another vain, quasi-religious attempt at a "theory of everything" influenced by the cosmos compulsion. So-called "chaos theory" is discussed in depth and revealed to be somewhat of a misnomer. Part Four is comprised primarily of existentialist critiques of reason, logic, mathematics, language, and systematic thought in general. Part Five more closely focuses on the theodicy problem, first through an examination of its historical class nature, then with a critical review of the different responses to theodicy offered by existentialist thinkers, both religious and atheistic . This is used to make normative pronouncements and to articulate an existentialist social ethic, leading to Part Six, which examines how cosmos and chaos take shape in the various types of love, concluding with an appeal to the synthesis of eros and agape presented in the works of Dostoevsky