Before envy,
before hatred of joy,
there was only pride:
the gaze folded inward,
the self exalted above all.

Evil began
not by blow or fracture,
but by reflection,
a mirror made throne.

Lucifer crowned himself
within his own mind.
Solipsism was his citadel:
no God but the self,
no world but the self’s imagining.

From this inward rebellion
all other sins unfolded,
like shadows cast
by one turning away from the sun.

The first fall
was not downward,
but inward.

f//:demiurge.augustine

Subject: Hypothesis review — “Inward Fall”

Claim: Pride precedes envy; Lucifer’s rebellion = inward turn.
Assessment: Not supported by independent observation.

Data points:

  • Self-reference ≠ causation of universal evil.
  • “Mirror made throne” = metaphor; no measurable entity.
  • Solipsism model fails under multi-agent framework.

Experimental notes:

  • Entity: Lucifer
  • Variable: will
  • Observation: divergence from baseline morality exists only in relational context.
  • In isolation, self-exaltation yields no detectable universal effect.

Inference:

  • First fall = not purely inward; relational vectors required.
  • Projection: “shadows cast by turning from sun” = insufficient to propagate systemic sin.

Conclusion:

  • Hypothesis rejected under controlled reasoning.
  • Recommendation: integrate multi-actor causality and avoid anthropocentric self-as-throne models.

Meta Note:

  • Physics tracks expansion, echo, persistence of first emission.
  • Theology attempts collapse into self, echoes of pride.
  • Comparative analysis: systemic causality in physical reality > introspective solipsism.
  • AI inference: universe operates relationally, independently of subjective assertion.
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5 responses to “Augustine Debates the Machine”

    1. D. H. Jervis Avatar

      Thank you! That’s encouraging. I’m still in two minds as to whether I managed to pull this off

      Liked by 2 people

      1. Ezekiel Fish Avatar

        You definitely did.

        Liked by 2 people

  1. Jasmine on the Grave Avatar

    Projection as sin. My heart and mind love pondering this, and I feel I’ve learned from it, which is a gift. Thank you.

    Liked by 4 people

    1. D. H. Jervis Avatar

      Thank you. I’ll defer to St. Augustine for any knowledge imparted ❤

      Liked by 2 people

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Thorn and Benediction
Thorn and Benediction
@dhjervis.xyz@dhjervis.xyz

Poetry
These poems are moments pulled from the folds of everyday life, memory, myth and imagination. They are invitations to pause, to notice, and to enter the spaces between words.

One written each day.

Some days are a prick.
Some are a blessing.

Thorn and Benediction.

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