Creativism ^*

Not "Why this?" or "Why that?", but why is there anyone to say "why?". Why is there even a concept called "saying"? It's an age-old question. Creativism answers the question with a resounding "Because!".

The universe is intrinsically creative - it creates diversity, novelty, surprise. Most of the universe is flat and boring and empty, but pockets of astounding complexity have come to exist. Like this planet, for example, and the amazing creatures on it. Ourselves not the least, who can ask "Why?"!

This is the most disturbing fact - that anything interesting can exist, and that we exist to take an interest in it. But once we're over that disturbance, what can we make of it?

Not only do things exist, but new things come into existence all the time. Things that have never been before - not in this world, not in this universe, not in all of time past. Novelty, diversity, complexity, is somehow not just possible, but a stunning reality.

As far as we can know a single purpose, it is to preserve and extend that novelty. That is the creed of creativism. The question "Why?" answers itself.

The purpose of the creativist is to create: to think, say and do new things, things that have not happened before. It is to teach and enable others to do the same things, and also to create new things for themselves. Lastly it is to nurture diversity wherever it occurs and in whatever form. Novelty as a process is robust, but newborn things are fragile.

Application

Pick a social or intellectual issue. Capital punishment? Destroys a source of novelty. Famine? The same, en masse. Overpopulation? Exceptionally destructive. Individual liberty? Essential. War? Rarely necessary to overcome an even bigger destroyer. Monoculture? Dangerous. Genetic engineering? Creates true novelty, but endangers it as well.

Creativism offers a new light to shine on all these issues and others, a framework for examining values, and a motive to act.

* Not that Creativism - this is a new creativism. Harry Palmer's creativism maintains that we create ourselves, that we can will ourselves to become what we will. It should be called auto-creativism... said in the same way we might say auto-eroticism... and perhaps to a similar audience.