Creation or Consequence?

In the process of moving my office I have been sorting through some old papers and came across the following text which I wrote many moons ago whilst at college, laying in the grass one summer's day in the Botanic Garden.  Since then I ought have become wiser...

"The question "creation, or consequence" arose in connection with a study of musical compositions. To what degree was the composer truly creating his music, as opposed to it coming about due to consequence? It is creativity that is said to distinguish the artist from the mere craftsman, but what if even what we call creativity is really a subtler form of consequential happening?

"For convenience we can resolve any action into its components of so much creation and so much consequence. This of course is only possible if there is such a thing a creation. However, since all events can relate to those that have gone before, creation is never tangible except in the first event of an isolated system.

"The popular assumption that creation does not exist leads many people into incalculable quandaries, especially in the sphere of religion. They say "God created the world and all that is in the world". One might answer "Ah-ha - but what it the world were without beginning, then we could ascribe all creation to consequence" (thus doing away with the need for God). It is interesting to note here that Jewish mythology actually ascribes only the beginning of everything, including the beginning of man, to creation whilst all other formations are consequences."

What little wisdom I have gained since those days of idyllic summer picnics in punts on the Cherwell would suggest that the vast majority (if not all) of what I think I create is actually at best only consequence or simply plagiarism. But maybe that is because I am more craftsman than artist, more engineer than scientist, more practical than spiritual.

There's more stuff in this file too - probably of little interest to anyone but myself but we'll see...