The Order of Things

James Schall, the well known author and professor at Georgetown University, inquires about the differing orders found in the cosmos, the human mind, the city, the human corpus and seeks to reflect on the unity of these orders. In a world in which the presence of mind and order are denied, presumably in the name of science, in favor of chance explanations of why things are as they are, it is surprising to find that, in area after area that is open to the human mind, we find a persistent order revealed. At first sight, this recurrence can be explained by chance occurrence, but after a point, the sense that behind things outside of our theories thee is, in fact, an order. This order can be traced in the various areas that are open to the human mind. Two wonderments follow from such considerations. First, order does appear at the various levels that are experienced in every day life. Second, the various particular orders seem to be witness to a common good in which each has some reasonable place. Aquinas had said that the order within the cosmos pointed to an order outside of is, since the cosmos cannot be the cause of its own internal order. Philosophers have long inquired about the curious fact that the order of things implies not only a jejune relationship of one thing to another, but a hint that the universe is created in a certain abundance. Why is the universe and the things within it not only ordered but, within the order and above it, a beautiful order? It would be sufficient for its function, Samuel Johnson said, if the peacock's tail were an un-splendid brown or black, but in fact it is an amazing display of beauty that is wholly unnecessary, yet somehow fitting for its purpose. Not only is there an order in things but the human mind seems attuned to this order as something it delights in discovering. This relationship implies that there is some correspondence between mind and reality almost as if they were intended to go with one another. The Order of Things explores these questions. It relies on common sense and the experience available to everyone. It concludes that it requires more credulity to disbelieve in order than to experience it. Finally, it wonders that if there is a source of order, what it is like? In this sense, it is not surprising that the revelation of the Godhead is itself in terms of an inner order of Persons.