*In this multi-part special edition of The Freedom Analects, we will be featuring the excellent written work of author John Vallis titled “Money Messiah: God, Bitcoin, and The Evolution of Consciousness.” This essay beautifully depicts the deeper aspects of value and money, their indispensability to human action, and demonstrates why corrupt money is such a destructive force. John’s original work is available in its entirety here.
The Word
John 1:1
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
John 1:14
“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father), full of grace and truth.”
I always struggled to interpret these lines, what was meant by them, and what kind of process they were attempting to describe.
Of course, this may be quite understandable, as they are, presumably, attempting to convey some kind of profound wisdom or insight pertaining to the creation of the ‘world’ — even if only the world of (human) experience and meaning.
However, after considering the manner in which digital worlds are constructed today, I’m struck by a peculiar similarity.
After all, digital environments are simply ‘lines of code’ — words — by which worlds are constructed.
Is it really so different a concept as ‘in the beginning was the word’? The truth, the ultimate source of meaning, the fundamental ordering principle(s) — the code — which created the ‘world’?
It’s interesting to consider how this relates to what Satoshi did in creating bitcoin.
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Satoshi took a set of principles that he believed were ‘right’ or ‘true’, and, consciously or not, built them into his system. The principles which he built in to that system are clearly communicated by the resultant architecture of it, which enforce: The same rules for everyone, no cheating, no theft, no discrimination, among other things. These are principles which, in my opinion, cohere with those that similarly imbue the foundations of many formal religions, which taken together, seem to communicate a fundamental axiom, or faith — that the divine sovereignty and equality of each individual should be respected, and is indeed the optimal premise, or highest value, by which to foster individual actualization and social harmony.
Where a historical counterpart, who felt similarly about such ideals as he, may have preached about them, or embodied them, Satoshi’s revelation, given the tools at his disposal, could actually be made manifest in a new domain — the digital world.
The sentiment is the same, and the ideals are those ‘divine’ principles that have indeed been preached throughout the ages, but the method of ‘expressing’ them — their form — has evolved, and represents one more suited for the cultural and technological circumstances, and possibilities, of this age.
Do these principles, which (might) eternally govern our experience of reality, always seek to emerge within individual consciousness, through the symbols and technologies extant within the landscape of meaning of any given time?
Is the enterprise of culture, or the emergent phenomenon it represents, more than anything else, the very mechanism for the construction of a more high-fidelity representation of these principles, and the ‘richer’ experience of life which greater clarity or understanding of them fosters?
If so, is it possible that Bitcoin is a higher resolution ‘implementation’ of the fundamental principles which are represented in Christ, The Philosopher’s Stone, or the central hero or symbol of other cultural traditions?
If ‘Code is law’, has ‘god’s law’ now been instantiated in code?
A preposterous notion, perhaps.
But is it so easily dismissed?
Will Bitcoin Become a Religion?
Well, it depends how we interpret that word.
If we view religion as simply orienting ourselves (our perception of value) around the greatest truth possible — or around the greatest generator of truth possible — and allow such truth to guide us in the construction of maximally meaningful lives, then perhaps bitcoin will play a prominent role in such pursuits.
Furthermore, if we believe that there will always be something at the top of our value hierarchies, and that, whatever it is, will be the prime determinant of how we ‘experience reality’, then determining what it is to be, is of the utmost importance.
The idea of ‘religion’, simply asserts that there is a qualitative distinction with regards to what sits atop our value hierarchy — that there is a ‘best’ principle or ideal to be oriented by. As a result, the quest to discover it — and the courage to adhere to it — is a responsibility that everyone must shoulder, if they wish to bring about the best possible ‘good’ of which they are capable.
If that discovery is genuine, that is, realized and integrated, and not simply ‘accepted’, then the transformation of consciousness by the hierarchy which such an ideal erects, seems to be a natural, unavoidable consequence.
Interestingly, the etymology of the word ‘religion’, is thought by some to have emerged from the latin prefix ‘re’ (again) and ‘ligare’ (to bind or connect).
By this definition, to be ‘religious’ means to re-connect.
But to what?
As we’ve been exploring, the answer seems to be; ‘to the truth of ourselves, each other, and reality / god’.
In doing so, we become more able to align and collaborate with the forces which shape us, and allow for the most ‘good and useful order’ to be established through the actions of individuals who are more fully integrated within themselves, and more unified with each other, than ever before.
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And so, the ultimate questions here are:
Does bitcoin represent the emergence of a ‘Messiah’ for a new technological epoch, in the most refined and engageable form in history, providing greater access to ‘truth’, and in doing so, aiding us in orienting our consciousness toward an evermore optimal experience of reality?
Is a new age about to begin, with a Hero, imbued with the ‘eternal principles’, emerging once again to act as archetypal AND technological mediator between the fundamental forces of chaos and order, to aid us, just when we need it most, in our continued stumbling toward the ‘Kingdom of God’?
Time will tell.
Afterword
So, what does all this mean?
Of course, I don't know for sure. I continue to do my best to understand what bitcoin is - what it means - and yet the more I learn, the more it seems there is to learn. Could I be wrong in part, or in all, of the analysis I've put forward here? Of course I could. Maybe I just want more meaning in life so badly, that I'm projecting this all where it doesn't belong. We all have our blindspots, and perhaps mine are causing me to make connections that aren't there. Or maybe I just watched one too many Indiana Jones movies growing up, and yearn for the adventure and exhilaration of discovering something sacred. Or for a million other reasons, none of this could be 'true'. I accept that possibility wholeheartedly, and if so, fine, on we move with other questions and inquiries.
But, what if there is a grain of truth here?
It's unequivocal that people are being transformed by bitcoin and its emergence in the global culture.
What do we 'do' with this observation? What does it 'mean'?
Hopefully with this piece, I've made a small contribution to that conversation.
It seems clear to me that humanity is on the cusp of an unprecedented economic, cultural, technological and, yes, even spiritual shift - playing out via the transformation of our consciousness, through a re-organization of our systems of value, and how we interact with one another, facilitated largely by bitcoin.
Whatever truths or principles permeate through the reality we experience, somehow it seems that the truth which bitcoin instantiates, as crazy as it sounds, gives greater access to it.
If nothing else, I can say with a high degree of confidence that something genuinely good is happening here. Pursuing it, contributing to it, being transformed by it, and building relationships with others doing the same, has enriched my life tremendously, and for that I am extremely grateful.
Acknowledgements
First and foremost, a sincere thanks to Jordan Peterson, for his exceptional writings, and for the tremendous contributions to the lives of so many, which he continues to make through his ongoing work. I’d also like to shout-out all the people who I’ve interacted with over the past several years, who’ve helped me to develop and shape many of the ideas presented here - you know who you are. There are also so many great writers, thinkers, entrepreneurs, and anonymous plebs who have helped me to refine my thinking around bitcoin, and I extreme gratitude for all of their work and contributions. Finally, to all the bitcoiners out there, thank you, and much love!
Thank you for reading Money Messiah (Part 16).
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Money Messiah (Part 16)