September 26, 2005
To: Bruce Fitzwater
       Shelly Richardson
       Kay Olson
       CSJournal editors

re: Do ideas think?

In the question in the June Journal regarding whether ideas think, there is an embedded fallacy which is not adequately addressed (in my view, admittedly) in any of the three answers. The questioner deserves, I feel, a more direct and accurate answer.

The question:

In her writings, Mary Baker Eddy indicated that men and women are ideas of God. But ideas do not think; they are what we think about. For example, the equation 2 x 2 = 4 does not think, but is the basis for right thinking. So if men and women are the ideas of God, how can these ideas think?

There is a fallacy in the statement, "But ideas do not think...." A more accurate statement would be, "Certain kinds of ideas do not think." Yes, it is true that equations, as one kind of idea, do not think. Principles, concepts do not think. Stones do not think. But the highest idea, man, as a different kind of idea than things or concepts, does think. And he or she does so by reflection of God, divine Mind, the source of all things real. Just as man exists only by reflection.

Consider the following statement from Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, our textbook, by Mary Baker Eddy, p. 502:

The universe reflects God. There is but one creator and one creation. This creation consists of the unfolding of spiritual ideas and their identities, which are embraced in the infinite Mind and forever reflected. These ideas range from the infinitesimal to infinity, and the highest ideas are the sons and daughters of God.

Does this not suggest to the listening thought that all things in God's spiritual universe, the only real universe, are constituted of spiritual ideas, including things, concepts, entities, creatures, persons, whatever can be conceived of that is good?

Isn't this supported by the definition of idea which she quotes with approval from Noah Webster on p. 115 of the same book:

Idea: An image in Mind; the immediate object of understanding.

In other words, is not idea whatever we can understand or perceive, including entities that think? Do not the very actions of being conscious, perceiving, understanding, involve thinking? If the ideas called men and women do not think, then neither are men and women capable of consciousness or understanding.

Consider also the following statements from our Leader:

p. 475:
Man is idea,... the conscious identity of being...

p.123:
Divine Science, rising above physical theories, excludes matter, resolves things into thoughts, and replaces the objects of material sense with spiritual ideas.

And, p. 295:
The universe is filled with spiritual ideas, which He evolves, and they are obedient to the Mind that makes them.

And from her book, Miscelaneous Writings, p. 104:

In Science all being is individual; for individuality is endless in the calculus of forms and numbers.

Doesn't this statement apply to persons, creatures, things, concepts, and, yes, different kinds of ideas?

From her Unity of Good, p. 24:

God and His ideas--that is, God and the universe-- constitute all that exists.

From Science and Health, p. vii:

The time for thinkers has come.

And p. 128:

A knowledge of the Science of being ... raises the thinker into his native air of insight and perspicacity.

To the answerers: I thought you might be interested to see this.

To the editors: If you feel any of this would be helpful to the questioner or to your readers, please feel free to forward it to him or her, or to use it in the Journal.

Paul Kautz