Making the Unreal Real

Professor Sheldon Solomon

Professor of Psychology at Skidmore

This is the recap of a talk given at the July 14, 2002 CDHS monthly meeting.

Sheldon Solomon, Professor of Psychology at Skidmore, returned in July to continue a conversation he began with us last summer. His intriguing topic, "Making the Unreal Real", addressed humanity’s unique talent for symbols. Having a deep interest in evolutionary psychology, he discussed the nature of symbols, why only humans have them, and how important it is to be aware of their positive and negative consequences.

Animals communicate through signs which never change. Humans use language which requires symbolism. Symbols are arbitrary and we can change them and create new ones. Solomon says the ability to make symbols stems from our absolute passion for forms. He argues that, although we use symbols to transmit information, they are mainly the expression of our love of forms (and we form the world around us rather than accept it the way it is).

Symbols serve an emotional function and are made possible by our consciousness; our unique awareness of our existence and mortality. We are haunted by our mortality and status as lumps of flesh and blood no more enduring than other animals. We use symbols to express this awareness, commune with others, and transcend the physical universe.

We also create culture to get similar relief from what would otherwise be a constant bombardment of unpleasant thoughts. Culture gives us feelings of value and self-worth. The main psychological function of religion is to promote belief in an afterlife. Solomon suggests that if we believe Spuhler’s argument that there is a connection between culture and symbolization and Becker’s claim that awareness of death influences much of human activity; then both culture and symbols constitute a process for transcending death.

When considering the evolutionary cause for symbols, Solomon says we should avoid a unidimensional approach. Expecting to find a single cause is not likely in our complex world. Consciousness is a product of the unique neurological anatomy of the human brain. We can begin to trace the sequence of events that led to the development of consciousness and symbols, and learn about their nature, by studying the work of Ernest Becker, Susanne Langer, J.N.Spuhler and others. From this, one gets the sense that humans are a highly improbable development.

Through a multi-faceted evolutionary process, including unlikely accidents and coincidences, the human mind emerged. The advent of upright bipedalism and use of hands as sense organs (what we’ve learned from our hands have entered our language as metaphors: "soft", "rough", etc), most likely had roles in sculpting the human brain. In addition to this, the brain is the product of a gradual reorganization; a "shifting, or more direct connection, of limbic functions to the forebrain". Essentially, the front part of the brain took over the back part and areas connect and interact in ways other creature’s brains cannot. Langer makes the point that, because of our big brains, we have more incoming information than we can process (this links up with Freud’s idea of dreams as a way of dealing with unfinished business). She suggests that the first symbols may have been something like dreaming while awake (the origin of imagination and originally involuntary). Solomon summarizes it as "Symbols are originally based on physiognomic vision (abstracting from the concrete) but culminate in artistic expression (concretizing the abstract) and consequent creative alteration of physical environment".

As an example, Solomon related a personal story. During a family outing, his wife found a stick which resembled a joyously dancing figure. Appearing when it did, it represented to her the immensely enjoyable time they were having. Later, after bringing it home, their children began making sculptures to represent new versions of this happy, dancing, and uplifted person the stick symbolized. Through photographs we were able to see the evolution, from sticks to sculptures, of this uplifting symbol.

Although symbols are quite liberating, we run into trouble when we take them too literally. The consequences of this can be dire. The symbolism of religion is designed to transcend nature in order to touch the immortality we yearn for; but it can lead to oppression and tyranny. Solomon stressed that we have to find ways to retain the benefits (intellectual inventiveness, communion) of symbols while avoiding the evil and intolerance that arises when cultures with different symbol systems clash with each other. Solomon saw it as a hopeful sign that people are getting together to have discussions like this one and he closed with a quote from Bob Marley: "If you know what life is worth, you will live yours here on earth".

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