Help! My Heart is Full of Pony! - Philosophy of Cutie Marks, Pt. 2

Philosophers of the late middle ages and early modern era sought what we call the macrocosm within the microcosm - a unity between universe and self.

17th century mathematician, Gottfried William Liebniz, for example, saw in the cosmos an "interconnection or accommodation of all...things to each other," and theorized that "each simple substance is a perpetual, living mirror of the universe." The science and mathematics backs Liebniz up on that, (between the billions of examples of recurrences of the Fibonacci sequence in nature, and the Law of Gravity stating that all objects in the Universe exert force on one another, not to mention Carl Sagan's famous observation that we are all made of stardust).

Mystics and romantics go one step further and anthropomorphize these forces to find meaning in them. They look inward for revelations about the nature of the Universe, and outward seeking signs of humanity in the cosmos.

Historian, Matthew Fox, for example, in analyzing themes and symbols in the visions and writing of Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1176), says that "we of the twentieth century, who have unleashed the cosmic powers of the atom but lack cosmic moral sense and cosmic psychic understanding, need desperately a psychology of microcosm/macrocosm."

I think he's right.

We have been culturally trained to devalue any of our passions that cannot be directly monetized. In the process of looking at the world this way, we invariably devalue ourselves.

I believe that the deep cultural void this creates is a big part of the appeal of cutie magic. A simple fantasy that our humble contributions to society (and to the world) might somehow be recognized and appreciated on a higher level. A unity between passion and purpose; internal and external.

Discuss.
-Sprocket

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Comments

[Reese]

I think this one's a bit tricky given how many different interpretations and versions of what cutie magic is there are. It's an interesting idea, though, one I don't recall thinking of and had to think on a bit here, but yes, the idea that, whatever society thinks, this talent/interest/goal of great personal significance is solid enough that the abstract manifests in the physical. Or... something like that. You're good at phrasing these things, generally. :)
But in any case, yes, while it's not an idea without problems (the commonly-brought-up question of other interests, skills, and goals besides the mark-producing one, for example; for another example, a proper societal appreciation of the importance of cutie marks, and sufficient society resources, are still needed to avoid a situation of "That's great, but spend most of your time on this other thing you don't like anyway or we starve."), I can see appeal in it too. Certainly, I think it can be a good part of a larger system supporting and supported by it.

...I still feel like I don't quite agree with something in your post, though, which I don't seem to currently be able to pin down. Possibly the connection between the appeal noted in the last paragraph and the issues noted in the previous ones? But I think I do agree with that...
And heartsongs keep prodding my mind here as if they have some particular importance to this topic, but I'm not sure exactly what there either.

...Possibly it's that I do see so many situations in which cutie marks alone wouldn't help? But... even in a setting where a particular pony's cutie mark is ignored and they have to do something else, they still know that they have that mark, and recognition by the magic bestowing it, likely a comfort and thus not insignificant. And where it's the mark-bearer rejecting the mark, well, that's not society failing to acknowledge what it represents (though that might be a contributor to the internal rejection), but the pony themself.

...Yeah, I don't know, and I'm afraid I've enough other things to do tonight that I'd probably better be moving on.

Definitely has provoked thought, though! :)