Amor Fati, Memento Mori, and the Impossibility of Miracles

Draft script:

I have mentioned in this space—probably too frequently for your patience—the Latin phrase, amor fati. This phrase means love my fate. It’s an order from me to me or, in your case, from yourself to yourself. The calendar on my telephone reminds me twice each day: amor fati. The reminder comes each morning and each afternoon.

Amor fati describes an attitude of accepting and even embracing everything that happens in life. It indicates one must embrace suffering and loss, along with favorable events. Amor fati indicates we cannot erase our past. Rather, we must accept the good and the bad. We must have the strength to handle the mistakes we make, along with our acts rooted in wisdom.

An old story provides an example of amor fati, especially in light of our incomplete knowledge regarding what lies ahead. Its origin is unknown but it comes from the Taoist tradition so it could easily be more than 2,000 years old. This is the story of a farmer and his horse.

One day the farmer’s horse runs away. His neighbor comes over to commiserate. He says “I’m so sorry about your horse.” The farmer replies “Who knows what is good or what is bad?” The neighbor is confused because this is clearly terrible. The horse was the most valuable thing owned by the farmer.

The horse comes back the next day, accompanied by 12 feral horses. The neighbor comes back over to celebrate, “Congratulations on your great fortune!” The farmer again replies: “Who knows what is good or what is bad?”

The next day the farmer’s son is taming one of the wild horses. The son is thrown from the horse, thus breaking his leg. The neighbor comes back over and says “I’m so sorry about your son.” The farmer repeats his signature line: “Who knows what is good or what is bad?”

The next day the army comes through the village to conscript able-bodied young men to fight in war. The son is spared because of his broken leg.

This story can go on indefinitely, describing events that seem superficially good or bad. In every case, assigning value turns out to be short-sighted.

The point is that we are quick to label events and experiences as good or bad. Very frequently, the dichotomy turns out to be a false dichotomy. The distinction between good and bad is unclear.

There is another Latin phrase with which you are probably familiar. Memento mori means “remember, you must die.” It is a symbolic or artistic reminder of the inevitability of death. The concept has been used in funerary art and architecture since the medieval period, and it can be found in many forms, including paintings, tombstones, timepieces, ornaments, and jewelry.

As with amor fati, memento mori is used as a reminder to oneself. Our lives are short. We will inevitably die.

I live in southeastern Vermont. Across the Connecticut River is the state of New Hampshire. At least once each week I see New Hampshire’s state motto on a license plate: “Live free or die.” Apparently, the folks in New Hampshire are unaware that everyone dies, regardless how free they are. In addition, they haven’t noticed that living in a former Republic, now a fascist country, is hardly a good example of living freely. In any event, in this house we frequently refer to New Hampshire as the die state. This saves us the first three words, hence the first three syllables of the New Hampshire state motto. It also seems considerably more accurate than the official motto.

I’ll finish with a related idea that is not nearly as old as amor fati or memento mori. It dates only to the 18th century with philosopher David Hume. In his original written piece of philosophy, Hume presented a compelling case against miracles, and therefore against religion: Of Miracles was published in 1748 as an essay in the book An Enquiry Concerning Human Understandings. The twelfth paragraph of this excellent essay contains this information: “A miracle is a violation of the laws of nature; and as a firm and unalterable experience has established these laws, the proof against a miracle, from the very nature of the fact, is as entire as any argument from experience can possibly be imagined. Why is it more than probable, that all men must die; that lead cannot, of itself, remain suspended in the air; that fire consumes wood, and is extinguished by water; unless it be, that these events are found agreeable to the laws of nature, and there is required a violation of these laws, or in other words, a miracle to prevent them? Nothing is esteemed a miracle, if it ever happen in the common course of nature. It is no miracle that a man, seemingly in good health, should die on a sudden: because such a kind of death, though more unusual than any other, has yet been frequently observed to happen. But it is a miracle, that a dead man should come to life; because that has never been observed in any age or country. There must, therefore, be a uniform experience against every miraculous event, otherwise the event would not merit that appellation. And as a uniform experience amounts to a proof, there is here a direct and full proof, from the nature of the fact, against the existence of any miracle; nor can such a proof be destroyed, or the miracle rendered credible, but by an opposite proof, which is superior.”

My 3-word summary of this 249-word paragraph: miracles cannot happen. My slightly longer summary: A miracle has never been demonstrated to have occurred because, by definition, a miracle is impossible.

Hume’s essay should be required reading for anybody interested in understanding reason and religion. Considering the ludicrous religious statements coming from every recent U.S. President and every recent presidential candidate, it should be required reading for them, too.