Philosophy & House, M.D. (Midterm Part 2)

Kailey McDonald H01

Midterm Part 2

In this blog post, I will be looking at House's views on the meaning of life, religion and other fun philosophical things.

House is a very open atheist. He is an extremely intelligent doctor and thinks believing in a god is irrational (and he has no problem with telling his religious patients that they are "morons" and stupid for their beliefs). His outlook on life is pretty bleak, often making the statement that "life sucks." 

First let's look into House's opinions on irrational thought.

Much like Gottfried Wilhelm Leibneiz, House believes that everything happens for a reason, specifically a logical reason. Leibneiz was famous for his Principle of Sufficient Reason. This states that "nothing takes place without sufficient reason, that is ... nothing happens without it being possible for someone who knows enough things to give a reason sufficient to determine why it is so and not otherwise." This rejects the idea of random, unexplainable events. However, where Leibneiz believed that God was the logical explanation behind these mysterious events, House believes there is a scientific cause. They both concluded that even if we are not aware of the reason, there is always a way to explain why the event took place. We see an example of this in Season 1, Episode 5:

Wilson: I want you to accept that sometimes patients die against all reason. Sometimes they get better against all reason.  

House: No, they don't. We just don't know the reason.

House is never satisfied with a diagnosis that half-explains a patient's symptoms. He believes that there is always a complete answer, and he is determined to find it. Sometimes he will rule out a symptom, saying that it is not actually a symptom. Other times, he finds a symptom that most doctors would overlook. In Season 4, House regards his patient's sudden belief in God as a symptom. He says:

House: Religion in a symptom of irrational belief and groundless hope. Altered mental status, on the other hand, is a symptom of porphyria.

He took her extreme way of religious living as a sign of her insanity. He had done this in a previous episode as well. A young boy claimed that he could hear God. House did not believe this could be possible.

He believes that religion is based on completely irrational thought. Even when House struggles to find a scientific argument, he still rules out God or supernatural powers as being the answer. In one episode, the patient surprisingly regained feeling in his legs. House dismissed this as a miracle and said:

House: Sometimes patients get better. You have no idea why, but unless you give them a reason they won't pay you. Anybody notice if there's a full moon?
Cameron: You're saying he just spontaneously got better?
House: No, I'm saying let's rule out the lunar god and go from there.

He does not believe in miracles and gets pretty annoyed when people give God recognition for his patients getting better. In another episode, a patient comes back to life after her heart stopped. House doubts supernatural intervention here as well.

Dr. Cameron: Other than a miracle, it's the only explanation for her symptoms.
Dr. House: How come God gets credit whenever something good happens? Where was he when her heart stopped?

House is an extremely talented diagnostician, and I can understand his frustration. When his patients are healed, the people around him thank God. They often thank House and his team as well, but who wants partial credit for something they feel like they achieved on their own? 
House also is not blinded by the "happy ending" at the conclusion of (almost all) the episodes. He sees the horrible diseases that people arrive at the clinic with and does not understand how a "good god" could do such a thing to his people. This reminded me of the philosopher Voltaire. He asked, "Why would a good God allow this to happen?" He could not understand the vast amount of suffering in the world could come from a God who is perfectly good and loves His people. In Season 3, Episode 12, a woman named Eve (ironic, right?) is raped and becomes pregnant. House encourages her to terminate the baby to save her own life. She and House then get into an argument about the goodness of God.

Eve: I don't wanna terminate.
House: You wanna keep the baby?
Eve: Abortion is murder.
House: True. It's a life and you should end it.
Eve: Every life is sacred.
House: Talk to me, don't quote me bumper stickers.
Eve: It's true.
House: It's meaningless.
Eve: It means every life matters to God.
House: Not to me, not to you. Judging by the amount of natural disasters, not to God either.

Later in the episode... 

House: Either God doesn't exist or he's unimaginably cruel.
Eve: I don't believe that.House: What do you believe? Why do you think this happened?...Eve: You know, I don't think there was a reason.House: So God does exist, lets you get raped, needs you to keep your rape baby for no reason.Eve: Maybe he was challenging me!House: He hurts you to help you. I guess it's better than he hates you.Eve: You're trying to convince me there's no God! Why would you even say something like that?House: Because you're throwing your life away.Eve: I'm doing what I believe!House: What you believe doesn't make sense.Eve: This is not helping me.House: Then I can't help you. If you believe in eternity, then... life is irrelevant. Same way that a bug is irrelevant in comparison to the universe.Eve: If you don't believe in eternity, then what you do here is irrelevant.House: Your actions here are all that matters.Eve: Then nothing matters. There's no ultimate consequences. I couldn't live with that.House: So you need to think that the guy that did this to you is gonna be punished.Eve: I need to know that it all means something. I need that comfort.House: Yeah. You feeling comfortable? Feeling good right now? Feeling warm inside?Eve: I was raped. What's your excuse?

It's hard to understand why bad things happen. And when they do, people often blame God. They become angry, because if God is so good, how would he let such horrible sufferings occur? I think in our discussion in class and on this blog, we've kind of exhausted this topic. However, one of House's patients brought a good point to the table.

Augustine: When I was 15, I was on every kind of birth control known to man, and I still got pregnant. I blamed God. I hated Him for ruining my life, but then I realized something. You can’t be angry with God and not believe in him at the same time. No one can. Not even you, Dr. House.

How can we be mad at God if we don't think he's real.. we can't. House thinks that people believe in God because they are scared of Him. 

Cameron: Do you know why people believe in God?
House: I thought you didn't believe in God.
Cameron: I don't.
House: Well then, you'd better be making a very good point.
Cameron: Do you think they pray to him and praise him because they want him to know how great he is? God already knows that.
House: Are you ... comparing me to God? I mean, that's great, but just so you know, I've never made a tree.
Cameron: I thank you because it means something to me. To be grateful for what I receive.
House: You are the most naive atheist I've ever met... thank God. People pray so that God won't crush them like bugs. I'm not gonna crush you.

However, Wilson (House's best friend) believes that House is scared of this as well, and that's why he rejects the idea of religion.

Wilson: And that's why religious belief annoys you. Because if the universe operates by abstract rules you can learn them, you can protect yourself. If a supreme being exists he can squash you any time he wants.House: He knows where I am.

What interests me is House's outlook on life. He sees religious people come through his hospital all the time. He sees their hope and the joy they find through believing in God. Yet, he still rejects it. And he's miserable. He thinks that this life is all we have.. and he thinks it "sucks."

House: There's no conclusive science. My choice has no practical relevance to my life, I choose the outcome I find more comforting.
Cameron: You find it more comforting to believe that this is it?
House: I find it more comforting to believe that this isn't simply a test.

However, House doesn't live life in a way that produces happiness. He doesn't seem like he is being comforted by his beliefs. He acts like he's better than everyone around him. This reminds me of so many of the philosophers we've read about. They think they've found the answers. They believe that they should be the leaders, that they are the enlightened ones. But they aren't happy. And what's the point of being "enlightened" if it just makes you even more miserable than you were before? House thinks he knows the answers and everyone else is an idiot for believing differently. His best friend even feels this way. In Season 2, Episode 11, he reminds House of this.

Wilson: Being miserable doesn't make you better than anybody else, House. It just makes you miserable.

 One man was able to reach House in a way that I've never seen anyone else accomplish. He called him out, and House seemed convicted. He even showed a little bit of emotion! This man's name was Jack Moriarty. Here is the dialogue from the episode:

Moriarty: You think that the only truth that matters is the truth that can be measured. Good intentions don't count. What's in your heart doesn't count. Caring doesn't count. But a man's life can be measured by how many tears are shed when he dies. Just because you can't measure them— just because you don't wanna measure them, doesn't mean it's not real.
Dr. House: [staring at board] That does not make sense...
Moriarty: And even if I'm wrong, you're still miserable. Did you really think that your life's purpose was to sacrifice yourself and get nothing in return? No. You believe that there is no purpose. To anything. Even the lives you save you dismiss. You turn the one decent thing in your life and you taint it, strip it of all meaning. You're miserable for nothing. And I don't know why you'd wanna live.
Dr. House: [turns to Moriarty with a tear in his eye] I'm sorry.

House, like many other philosophers we've read about, chooses to be miserable, and I don't understand that. I know not everyone will believe in God, but House chooses to live in a way that hurts everyone around him. He is arrogant and blatantly makes fun of people who have different beliefs than him. This puts a strain on all of his relationships. I think living a meaningful life is achieved when you are able to find a purpose in life that is larger than yourself. House seems to do this by saving people's lives, but he does so for selfish reasons. He is only concerned with solving puzzles, not with the lives of others. I think this is why he cannot find happiness. 

Word Count: 1938

Total Word Count: 3285 (whoops)