THE HARD PROBLEM
By Tom Stoppard
The Dorfman Theatre (at the National Theatre)
Running until 27 May
This is not a play to go to for a relaxing evening’s light entertainment, but it is stimulating and challenging.
The play’s background is the concept of dualism, understood by the modern world to mean the separation between materialism and other traditional, largely religious beliefs. The programme refers to Descartes as the founder of modern dualism in the sense of a separation between mind and body. This philosophy is now by and large rejected by monism, which is behind materialism and Darwin.
Hilary, a young psychology researcher at a brain-science institute, has a private sorrow and a troubling question at work. Her question is, if there is nothing but matter, what is consciousness? Materialism cannot explain consciousness. This is the hard problem.
From a Christian’s point of view, the play is deeply unsatisfactory on one level: for instance, Hilary needs a miracle and is prepared to pray to the God in whom she believes – but she kneels to pray beside the bed to which she shortly repairs with her former tutor, to whom she is not married.
Mystery of consciousness
On the other hand, Hilary does pray to God and a ‘miracle’ does happen and, overall, it is encouraging to see that Stoppard doesn’t close the door on God, or buy into evolution commanding all. Indeed, in the programme, Stoppard reflects on ‘the mystery of consciousness’ and there is an illuminating exchange of letters between Dawkins and Stoppard.
If art is the mirror of our society, then this play is a thoughtful commentary on the unease that many feel about unfettered materialism.
