Falsifiability, Discordianism and the Truth

A man names Karl Popper came up with a principle to differentiate science from everything else called “falsifiability”. It states that, almost paradoxically, in order for something to be true, it has to have the potential to be false. Said, differently, it must be testable. Verification is not enough as many junk-sciences like astrology find verification everywhere. Falsifiability, on the other hand, is a tougher criterion. For instance, take evolution. Fossil evidence is ubiquitous that verifies evolution, but say scientists started finding human bones that were the same age as diplodocuses. This would, perhaps, show that evolution is suspect. “Intelligent Design”, on the other hand, in not falsifiable. No matter what is found in the ground, one cannot refute the idea that God planned it all. Thus, intelligent design is not science. It should be noted that falsifiability is not a science, as it does not have the potential to be proven false either.

On the other end of the philosophical spectrum comes the religion or psuedo-religion of Discordianism. Discordianism rejects falsifiability by stating that everything is true, even false things, thus nothing is falsifiable. Order and disorder are only a matter of perspective. While most religions speak of order and harmony, Discordianism states that disorder and disharmony are equally valid. For instance, the number 100 seems orderly to us- it is after all 10 times 10. In truth, it is no more orderly than any other number. If one had a base 17 number system, 289 would seem orderly.

Discordianism additionally believes that everything relates to the number 5. Of course, if you look hard enough, everything does relate to the number 5 (verifiable, but not falsifiable). The religion also possesses an absurd creation myth and an absurd founding story. It demands that hot dog buns are not to be eaten to honor the original snub of Eris by the rest of the gods. It then demands that hot dogs will be eaten on Friday just to piss off the five religions of Catholicism, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism and Discordianism. To top things off, Discordianism rejects all things that are written including the tenets of Discordianism itself.

Of course, Discordianism is nothing more than an elaborate joke with serious undertones. Its rejection and criticism of falsifiability is in many ways a support of the theory. Its absurdity, circular elements and contradictory elements illuminate the same in standard religions. One looks for connections to the number 5 as astrologists look for matching events and as Christians look for God all around us. The tenets of Discordianism are as impossible to follow as any other religion and its “order” is as chaotic and arbitrary as any other order mankind seems to create. In fact, Discordianism, while having no real followers, actually implies that the whole world is already following it.

But if you woke up this morning and recognized you exist, you know are accepting an idea that is not scientific. Your existence and your self, while perhaps verifiable, are not falsifiable. Thus, science doesn’t cover it. Spirituality, religion and philosophy, as Discordianism displays, are completely circular, contradictory and absurd. So, where does this leave us?

Well, if there is any part of Discordianism that should be remembered, it is to not take things too seriously. Seriousness, after all, is an arbitrary and imagined order to life. We should all sit back, enjoy a hot dog and enjoy ourselves (and our selves).