The following are excerpts from Martin Nowak’s book, Beyond.
Beyond is a Socratic love story: a philosophical quest folded into an epic exploration of the world. Imagine an encounter with unconfused human existence. What does it mean to fall in love with God? Can the Good only adopt the role of a servant, or can it rise to provide a beacon of light ruling us? In Beyond, science confronts philosophy, mathematics engages religion, and poetry brings nonfiction to life.
Movement 1: Opening
they walked uphill through vineyards
immersed in musings over philosophy
they had met a few days before
she was curious asking many questions
they were natural, childlike and deep
so were his answers
spring had just started and the world
had a new meaning in her presence
when they reached the top of the hill
they sat down in the grass
which was warm and dry
in front of them was a small town
behind it a river with forests
hills were rolling in the distance
the two medieval towers of a
monastery pointed to heaven
what is truth? she asked
do you mean “logos”?
i mean “truth”
her eyes were penetrating
as if she could see into his soul
he did not hold her gaze for long
he looked elsewhere
he noticed the stillness of the trees
the gentle unfolding of the clouds
the world is whatever is the case
Movement 2: Opening
good teacher, where have i come from?
and why your efforts at teaching me?
you came here long ago
you were completely alone
you stood in front of the gate
you did not strike the bell
you did not draw attention
you just waited patiently
until someone noticed you
when a woman passed by
you showed her the letter
it was a folded piece of paper
with a few words written on it
the woman could not read them
but she asked you to come inside
various people looked at the letter
and eventually it was deciphered
“with this child i am sending you
an image of the goddess of wisdom”
no such image was found on you
and everyone was surprised
but they decided to let you stay
and find a home in the village
you were admitted to school
and then as the years passed
the teachers began to realize
the true meaning of the letter
you yourself were the image
you excelled in every subject
brightly you shone in wisdom
and in all matters of the heart
Martin A. Nowak is Professor of Mathematics and of Biology at Harvard University. He works on the mathematical description of evolutionary processes, including the evolution of cooperation and human language, as well as the dynamics of virus infections and human cancer.