The Garden of Eden – All of Prehistory to Modern Humans Represented by a Single Event (with God’s Direct Human Governance Yielded)
The story of Adam and Eve represents the conclusion of all of prehistory in a single event.
Before modern humans, hominid thinking was shaped by the garden (and God)–in other words, nature. Then, humans acquired SELF-awareness via SELF-control (AKA free will). At this “moment,” objective thinking became possible (as represented by Adam and Eve with a bite from the apple), and humans were empowered to create civilization. Humans emerged from the garden.
Unfortunately, God’s garden alone (so far) produces SELF-control and reason; not civilization. As humans leave the garden for civilization, God’s learningframework was left behind. That is, the tree (source) of knowledge (objective thinking) remains unhelpfully in the garden. Thus, civilization eventually and necessarily falls because civilization has reduced or eliminated the struggle for survival–the struggle for survival being God’s learningframework. And this, of course, was the purpose of civilization.
Thus, humans are not fallen; their civilizations, because they are human-created and without the tree of knowledge, are.
From God’s perspective (I can only imagine), humans remain unable to duplicate the tree of knowledge (that which produces objective thinking). As a result, cognitive immaturity eventually tears down what “the tree of knowledge” had momentarily enabled. Societal collapse follows–occurring, on average, every 340 years. (Societal collapse).
For a time, humans struggle where their reason and free will are once again recovered. Eventually, humans begin civilization anew.
Modesty (in the Garden of Eden) arises with SELF-awareness. SELF-awareness demands SELF-control. SELF-control is FREE WILL.
SELF-control (free will) was needed to resist the temptation to take a bite from the apple. Humans momentarily failed. However, in doing so, humans also became SELF-aware of their failure and thereby gained responsibility for themselves (Free Will / AKA SELF-control).
RE the Bible, God clearly set this up.
Bad habits (established by God) enabled Adam and Eve to take a bite from the apple. This particular transgression produced SELF-awareness and the need for SELF-control. How clever is that?
SELF-control makes possible SELF-governance. At this moment, civilization became possible … and humans emerged from the garden. This is evolution. However, one could also say that this was God’s will. That is, regarding the Bible, God directed it.
The story is brilliant. A single event accurately encapsulates hominids’ jump from pre-history to modern humans. Who could do better?
Knowledge of Good and Evil.
Good and evil are the visible symptoms of the awareness initially gained due to the Tree of Knowledge and then later lost. The capacity to contemplate objective truth is not something one “sees” explicitly–except that civilization is created.
Once humans leave the garden (into civilization), individuals lose the immediate connection to objective reality (i.e., consequences), and their minds can wander off into irrationality, mental illness, and, potentially, malevolence (evil).
Humanity cannot, at this moment, duplicate God’s learning framework. Consequently, they will acquire knowledge of the good and evil of chaotically developed brains.
It’s happening now (postmodernism).
