DOES SANTA EXIST?
A student of Buddhism and philosophy finds good in the concept,
Why did you choose Santa to explore existence and how we lead our lives? Why not the Tooth Fairy, a figure not related to a religious holiday?
I thought it would be disarming to write about Santa. It was a way of talking about belief and faith. I don’t think people care too much about the Tooth Fairy or the Easter Bunny. But you see pictures of Santa and read stories and poems about him.
You have contributed to the writing of many television shows, so you understand fantasy — or lying, as you call it — and the ephemeral: the TV show ends and winds up on Netflix or YouTube. That’s something like our existence. We live, we die and people have photos and memories of us. But we try to find joy as we live, hence Santa. We’re illogical, but is that so bad?
No, I don’t think it is so bad. I think we have emotional needs to live in a way that makes us feel joyful. Your life is a mixture of logic and illogic.
Apparently Freud and Marx didn’t think religion ended with the critique of religion. They felt religion had a role to play. In Christianity there are figures like (Medieval philosopher) Thomas Aquinas who engaged with (Greek philosopher) Aristotle and Maimonides, the Jewish philosopher.
Christianity suggests we can have a better way of life which involves faith and love for fellow man. And you have to try it. They do have a notion that (Danish philosopher) Soren Kierkegaard talks about: the leap of faith.
Where did you get the idea of writing about Santa in a philosophical way?
My son had a play date to the zoo in December and his friend’s mother called and said there will be reindeer at the zoo. “Reindeer will prompt a discussion of Santa and since your son doesn’t believe in Santa and my son does I don’t want my son to be skeptical, so I don’t think your son should come along.”
I thought, “That is weird,” because she seemed to be sacrificing a relationship with someone who is real, my son Ari, with someone who isn’t real, Santa. Then I began to think: how do I know Santa isn’t real? Just because I haven’t seen him? I haven’t seen that Israeli model Bar Refaeli but I know she exists.
There are things that I believe in and others believe in and cannot prove. God might be the example. Or, if you’re a progressive, the perfect future society is something you may believe in.
In America we are in these groups. There are people who believe in traditional religion and they think those who don’t believe in the same way are bad, evil people. There are people who don’t believe in traditional religion and think those who do believe are morons and saps.
I thought, “This isn’t a great way to talk to each other.” Can’t we discuss these issues in a kinder way? That’s why I ended up using Santa Claus as a way into this discussion of faith and rationality.
At the beginning of the book you look at philosophical ideas but then you veer into mysticism and religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism.
The opening structure of the book says there is one approach which is rational. You can only believe in stuff you can prove.
There is another approach, a mystical one that says your mind can’t really understand anything and you are looking for an experience of oneness.
That tends to be a bit dogmatic. If you can’t think and you can’t criticize, how can you live? Comedy is the approach to life that has the best of both worlds. It has the spirit of critical inquiry, rationality and the tolerance and paradox and ambiguity and emotion of mysticism.
Weren’t you a Buddhist monk at one time?
I was a Buddhist monk for a while. I am a little leery of traditional religions. The teachings of the Buddha are deep and profound and are part of my life.
In Buddhism everything is empty of self and that’s what I quibble with. Have you heard this joke? What does the Buddhist say to the hot-dog vendor?
Okay, tell me.
Make me one with everything.
Is this book going to be part of your PhD dissertation at Berkeley?
It can’t because it has been published already and I think it may be too enjoyable both for the reader and me. Getting a PhD means I have to suffer, so my thesis will be considerably more dry. Academic philosophy is not a funny enterprise.
Why would someone who is a television writer and producer want to do a PhD in philosophy?
I was a philosopher before I became a TV writer and producer. If you are looking for a more emotionally candid answer, it is that I like to connect with people, and being part of a network television show allows me to do that. Philosophy is more personal.
Philosophy is a necessary life skill for people today. I don’t think it is necessarily something only for the universities. There is philosopher Charles Peirce whom I admire. He says there
“Santa Claus is a way of looking at a side of life which is about generosity and forgiveness.”
ERIC KAPLAN
TV WRITER AND PHILOSOPHER
are two approaches to life: being closed-minded or open-minded.
Being closed-minded is good. It gives you parameters and helps with anxiety and let’s you understand how you should behave. But it isn’t very good when change comes.
We want to be open-minded so when change comes we can cope with it. The trouble is, in the age of the Internet, people want to stuff a lot of garbage into your open mind . . .
Santa Claus is a way of looking at a side of life which is about generosity and forgiveness. It may be an argument in favour of Santa Claus. For gift-giving to really work it has to work as a surprise.
We need to have things in our lives, certain things. Maybe Santa is one of those ways to teach children about gifts.
You tell the kids there is a magical evening when Santa comes down the chimney and it allows them to participate in gift-giving.