The Wise King Solomon: The First Existentialist©
By Albert Amao S
It
is a striking revelation
that contemporary European existentialists have largely overlooked King
Solomon's profound and unique insights into the meaning of human existence. He
could rightfully be hailed as the world’s first existentialist. His magnum
opus, Ecclesiastes, is a foundational text and could be deemed the bible of
existentialism. It grapples with profound questions about the essence of human
existence that modern European existentialists have often struggled to
understand, offering a unique perspective that contrasts contemporary European
existentialism. These questions encompass the purpose of human existence, the
meaning of power, our destiny after death, and more.
However, the concept of ‘true existentialism,’ as I have expounded in my work, A Solution to a Pointless Life, is not merely an ideology of lamenting the absurdities of life and the sense of mortality. It is a powerful and liberating opportunity to pursue a meaningful purpose within the understanding that we are integral parts of a Cosmic Consciousness unfolding in conjunction with other human minds. This concept, deeply rooted in King Solomon's existential insights, offers a unique and inspiring perspective on the meaning of life.
King
Solomon reigned in Jerusalem from approximately 970 to 931 BCE and was well-known
for his wisdom, power, and wealth; thus, he enjoyed all the luxuries that life could
offer. Yet, this abundance also carried a darker side, a paradox that Solomon couldn’t
himself grapple with: After all, what is it all about? As the saying goes,
every coin has two sides, and in Solomon’s case, his blessings led him to despondency about the very
meaning and purpose of life. Solomon
was disturbed by the sense of mortality and the transitory nature of
everything, and he questions himself, is it worth struggling and suffering in
life? He concluded that life is meaningless and “chasing after the wind.”
“Meaningless! Meaningless!”
“Utterly meaningless!
Everything is meaningless” (Eccl.
1:2, NIV).
Said king Solomon.
His
insights regarding the nature of reality and the meaning of human existence
continue to resonate through the ages. His book Ecclesiastes, penned
about 3,000 years ago, is an exceptional existentialist treatise.
In my book “The Art of
Deception is the Rule of Life,” I scientifically and logically demonstrate that
we live in a world of deception or illusions. Our reality can be defined as the
systematic inducement of false beliefs by the ruling elites. Life is an
illusion or a mirage.
When Solomon requested
wisdom from Yahweh, he was granted more than he bargained for. Along with
wisdom, Yahweh bestowed wealth, power, fame, and all worldly pleasures on Solomon,
provided he remained faithful to Yahweh.
This
verse enclosed the kernel of European existential philosophical concerns. The
authoritative rendition of the Bible, the King James Version (KJV), reads:
“Vanity of vanities, everything is vanity” (Eccl. 1:2); this translation is a
euphemism and sweetened verse. Perhaps this is why European philosophers and
thinkers did not pay much attention to it.
The cautionary message
is akin to the intriguing mirage of life offered to us: a world of disorganized
and disarrayed phantoms created by people’s minds. This is not a far-fetched
statement; modern scientific theory, notably quantum mechanics, states that we
live in a world of probabilities and that our beliefs are crucial for
materializing our personal world. This reflection on the nature of our reality
is an essential aspect of
existentialism.
It
should be noted that I don’t necessarily agree with Solomon’s pessimistic
viewpoint; what I am doing is pointing out that the concerns that arose by the
European existentialists after the Second World War were “nothing new under the
sun.” (Eccl. 1:9). This sentence can be considered the root of the dialect
doctrine and existentialism, demonstrating the enduring relevance of his
wisdom. For a deeper exploration of these insights, I invite you to delve into
my book, A Solution to a Pointless Life.
Such
reflections take any human to the need to understand the human condition on
Earth. Perhaps a parallel between Solomon and Faustian mythology can give us insights
into this problem.
In
contrast to Solomon’s story, we have the Faustian bargain tale. According to
German mythology, the Faustian myth tells the story of a learned man named
Faust. He has devoted most of his life to accumulating as much knowledge as
possible from reading books. Now, he desires to enjoy life with material
possessions, beautiful women, and the ability to perform magic. He made a deal
with the devil through Mephistopheles, exchanging his soul for twenty-four
years of power and magical knowledge. At the end of the twenty-four years,
Faust realizes that he has wasted his time and attempts to reverse his deal
with the devil. However, he fails and is ultimately dragged to hell.
The moral of the
Faustian bargain is that Faust had paid too high a price for something that was
not worthy, realizing that what they received in return was far less valuable
than they initially perceived. Similarly, King Solomon was granted power,
wisdom, and wealth, but these were only vain and transitory illusions. Ultimately,
Solomon realized they were “meaningless,” chasing after the wind.
This parallel
underscores the kernel point of their deception. Both have been deceived and
misled by the mirage of the world and have lost their opportunity to develop
their souls and expand their awareness. In my book The Art of Deception is the
Rule of Life, I demonstrate that human civilization’s progress has been based
on deception, lies, and hoaxes, which I call “noble lies.” Competition based on
deceptions and technological advances has been the engine of human
progress.
Solomon,
probably in the later year of his life, reflecting on his achievements in life,
concluded:
12 I, the Teacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem. 13 I applied my mind to study and to explore
by wisdom all that is done under the heavens. What a heavy burden God has
laid on humanity! 14 I have
seen all the things done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing
after the wind.
In both cases, in the
end, comes the realization of the ephemeral nature of things and, consequently,
the disenchantment of life.
Philosopher
existentialist Albert Camus, reflecting on the meaning of life, considers life
full of “incongruencies” and contradictions. He contemplates suicide as an
alternate solution.
In
the end, Solomon recommends, “There is nothing better for
people than to be happy and to do good while they live; enjoy your meal and
drinks, and find satisfaction in your work, (Eccl. 3:13)
In
any event, the message is crystal clear for those who can read between the lines.
I interpret this as everything in life is an enticement, an illusion, a deception,
and ultimately, a vanity. I repeat: The real purpose of human existence is to
raise our awareness and expand consciousness; in that way, we help God in his
knowledge of himself. He is the only actor and doer acting through humans. For
more about it, check my book, A Solution to a Pointless Life.
King
Solomon’s wisdom was not derived from books but mainly from his life
experiences. It is also worth reiterating that he was not just a wise king but
also a man of immense power and wealth; his harem included 700 wives and 300
concubines (1 Kings 11:3). His wives hailed from diverse backgrounds, including
the daughter of Pharaoh and women from Moabite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite
(1 Kings 7:8; 11:1). Thus, he enjoyed all the goodies that life could offer.
However, at the end of
his life, he became pessimistic because he realized that he would not be able
to enjoy life rewards forever; he concluded that the destiny of humans is
similar to the animals: “Surely the fate of human beings is like that of the
animals; the same fate awaits them both: As one dies, so dies the other. All
have the same breath.” (Eccl. 3:19).
Solomon failed to
consider that life is transient and temporary and that every facet of our world
is a tapestry of two sides (happiness and sorrow, joy and tribulations, etc.).
This duality can be likened to the heads and tails of a coin. In essence, signs
of blessings can bear their counterparts, signs of malediction or curse. The
sign of a blessing can be either a genuine boon or a curse, contingent on the
viewpoint and interpretation. A clear example is scientific technology, which
has blessed us with all the goodies modern humans enjoy. However, the same
technology is taking us to the danger of dehumanization with the introduction
of artificial intelligence and the upcoming robots that overcome and display
humans as creators of their world.
In my book A Solution to a Pointless Life, I concluded that there is no
universal meaning of life set for everyone except the meaning you give. This
meaning could be positive or negative. Therefore, the meaning and definition of
your life are in your hands. Humans are, by nature, creatures of awareness and spiritual growth.
The
Life-force Principle has a dual nature for the evolution of Universal
consciousness. At times, this force acts as both an adversary and a redeemer. I
have discussed this subject in detail in previous works. The same idea is expressed
in an old Rosicrucian saying, “Demon est Deus inversus,” which translates to “The
devil is God upside down.” This adage suggests that the Universal Principle or
life force can be manifested as benevolent at times, and at other times, it can
create sorrow and misery. Hence, the same Life force creates both good and
evil. There are not two entities, one creating good and the other creating
evil.
Unfortunately, I cannot
elaborate further on these metaphysical intricacies due to space constraints.
For more information, refer to my previous books: A Solution to a Pointless
Life, Chapter 5: “The Theory of Theodicy,” and Beyond Conventional
Wisdom, Chapter 8: “The Adversary and the Redeemer.”
The core concept is that
we should develop our
abilities and gain control over our impulses to become masters of ourselves and our futures. Engaging in
regular meditation, reflecting on our experiences, and participating in
spiritual practices can help us achieve this goal.
For further information, visit: www.amazon.com/author/amao
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