Here's a philosophical argument (albeit, possibly, a facetious one) that involves a pair of syllogisms ... but it requires a
very brief introduction.
On my way to the train station this morning, I saw a man holding up a sign that said "God Loves You. God is Love." *shrug* Fine. No harm in that. Certainly better than the alternative.
But it inspired me to ask this pair of syllogisms:
Premise 1. God is Love.
Premise 2. Love is Blind.
Conclusion 1. Therefore ... God is blind?
And if we accept this conclusion, it prompts the second syllogism:
Premise 3. God is blind.
Premise 4. Lionel Richie is blind.
Conclusion 2. Therefore ... Lionel Richie is a god? *shrug*
With a certain generosity of spirit, we might say certain Lionel Richie fans view him as a deity (though not because of his blindness). But if we accept that, then we can go a step further and ask: is there a relationship between ocular prowess and spirituality (not to mention divinity)?
After all, some religions certainly appear to think so. There is a school of thought that says that by losing our sight, we acquire a "second sight", or a window into otherworldly matters. Be that as it may, when some people go blind, their other senses become more acute to compensate. (This isn't magic, but neuroplasticity -- i.e. the brain
rewires itself, reallocating visual processing areas to enhance hearing, touch, and smell, leading to more efficient use and heightened awareness of details. Thus, it creates the
perception of heightened senses as they rely on these skills for navigation and daily tasks, a process that can be trained
Coming back to folklore and religion, some gods are normally depicted as blind or half-blind. The Norse Höðr (who unknowingly killed his brother Baldr) and the Greek concept of Themis, goddess of justice (often blindfolded) are two cases. Notably, the Norse god Óðinn (Odin) sacrificed an eye for wisdom.
If we ignore gods and turn to kings, we find even more parallels:
- The Hindu king Dhritarashtra's blindness influences his tragic story, a common archetype for flawed rulers.
- The mythological Greek king Oedipus blinds himself in horror of his misdeeds, thus gaining wisdom.
- In Shakespeare's
King Lear, both Lear and his ally Gloucester gain wisdom -- Lear through his madness, and Gloucester through his blindness.
It's possible to find an much more recent example: Logically, Clark Kent shouldn't be able to see without his glasses. But he only becomes Superman when he takes them off.
So, is there any validity at all to this hypothesis? Let's discuss!
