The Enlightenment: Is this the foundation of progress and meaning?

Pinker, S. (2018). Enlightenment now: The case for reason, science, humanism and progress. UK: Penguin Books.

Progress
Steven Pinker has written a rather large, interesting and easy to read book about human progress since the enlightenment. There certainly has been a lot of progress and that progress seems to be gathering momentum. In my own life time I have seen many improvements and innovations. I remember (fortunately I don't have Alzheimer's) living as a young child in the western suburbs of Sydney. We had an ice box for a refrigerator and the ice man would come regularly in his horse and cart to deliver a block of ice to keep our food fresh. We did not have a car, a telephone or a television. When I was married my wife and I had a car but we waited several years before we could afford colour TV and phone. My children and their partners acquired these devices as soon as they moved to their first home. May grandchildren haven't even left school and they have their own mobile phones, iPads, Playstations and watch Netflix using their own channels to access their favourite shows.

Pinker uses a lot of print, paper and graphs to painstakingly show how the Enlightenment has enabled this progress, not only with technology but in many other social and environmental domains in Western countries and beyond. For example (in a similar fashion to the web site - HumanProgress.org) he shows how we have progressed in areas such as health, lifespan, wealth, equality, environment, peace, safety, and so it goes on for another 300 pages until you get to the meatier chapters of 'Reason', 'Science' and 'Humanism'. There is only one problem, this progress did not start during the Enlightenment, most of the ground work was laid during the Dark ages (also see previous blog - Inventing the Individual) when Christianity permeated into most of Europe. No one doubts that the momentum picked up after the Renaissance and the development of modern scientific method even though the interest in Greek philosophy and scientific method was nurtured in the monasteries of Europe (see future blog - The Book that Made Your World - listed below). Through the centuries the momentum has gathered pace to the point where human knowledge doubles every few years and technological advancement rapidly alters how we interact in almost every aspect of modern living. One would expect that progress should gain momentum, as knowledge and technological innovation are cumulative. But to presume that somehow this began during the Enlightenment is wishful thinking and overstated.

Reason
Pinker contends that, the ideals of the Enlightenment were products of human reason. Human nature itself has always struggled with rationality by using argument to justify belief. People automatically act on their feelings and use reason to support their presuppositions. It is often quite difficult to attempt to change the beliefs of another person particularly if those beliefs are well entrenched. Pinker seems to think that all Enlightened people need to do to create a better society is to have  diverse groups that engage in rational debate. The presumption is that eventually the great questions that plague mankind will somehow be solved by human reason. Until recently most people in the West had been enculturated with Judeo-Christian teachings and therefore expect to treat others as they would want others to treat them. Until recently sharing a common core of beliefs such as this created a climate of trust enabling the coming together of minds.

In recent times, following the devastation of two world wars, this core set of beliefs has been brought into disrepute and replaced with ideologies: multiculturalism, globalisation and post modernism with their embrace of diversity and relativism. What we are now experiencing is the rise of tribalism and polarisation of belief on the far right and also on the far left. Rather than using informed argument and debate, the protagonists prefer to label and condemn (see a previous blog - The righteous Mind). Terms such as 'hate speech', 'privileged white males', 'toxic masculinity' and 'shouting down speakers' who present different ideas silence freedom of thought and reason itself. There appears to be no recognisable or agreed upon 'common ground'.

Science
As mentioned above, modern scientific inquiry and rigorous research began in the European monasteries and was the catalysts for a plethora of new ideas. Modernism embraced Enlightenment ideals but sidelined the foundation of faith. Postmodernism has sidelined both faith and reason by asserting that truth is relative. The danger is that the flowering of reason, new ideas and harmony will wither if the roots of our Judeo-Christian heritage are severed completely. Humanism without the faith foundation, has failed to bring in a golden age of harmony and understanding. The postmodernists have recognised this but have instead sowed division instead of harmony. Yes, many aspects of our modern world are getting better, people are getting richer, living longer and healthier lives but there is a crisis of meaning. There is evidence of an existential angst; people are feeling lonelier and suicide rates are climbing rapidly (see interview with Johnathan Haidt) despite Pinker's claim that the lives of the ordinary person has improved exponentially.

Conclusion
This book is worth reading because it acknowledges what most of us take for granted. Living in the contemporary world has become so much better in so many ways. The concern is that we do have a crisis of meaning and that all the mod cons that we are privileged with do not necessarily make life more meaningful. If we, as a society ignore our Judeo-Christian roots, the soul of our civilisation will wither at our peril.


Other book reference:
Mangalwadi, V. (2011). The book that made your world: How the Bible created the soul of Western civilisation. Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

Internet links (some hyperlinks above):

Punishing the crime vs blacklisting the soul: Quilette

Enlightenment wars: Quilette

Prager U:  Dark ages

Pinker is wrong about the Enlightenment

HumanProgress.org

Are we suffering from a crisis of meaning?

One year later: Steven Pinker addresses his critics.

Also consider: The wealth of the One Percent - human progress and the myth that the one percent are robbing us all.

The French genocide that has been air-brushed from history:Quillette

The mess we are in: A review and reflection.

Keane, B. (2018). The mess we're in: How our politics went to hell and dragged us with it. Crows Nest: Allen & Unwin.

The mess
Most of Bernard Keane's book is devoted to the current political and cultural 'mess' that Australian liberal democracy is finding itself in during this transitional period of history. Due to the reach of globalisation and the influence of the internet the rest of the world is also mired in one way or another. Some of my previous book reviews have addressed these cultural issues that have arisen over the last couple of decades so I will focus more on Keane's last couple of chapters where he examines some of the underlying ideas and meanings that have filtered through Western thought, particularly in relation to the Enlightenment and post-Enlightenment.

Emotion versus reason
Keane believes that Western modernity emphasised the role of the individual and there has been a long tradition of using scientific reasoning since the Enlightenment.  He goes on to say that the Reformation was probably the most important movement in Western civilisation as it focussed on the direct relationship between man and God. It overturned the idea that we need a priest as an intermediary but, instead, places the responsibility for the important decisions on the individual (see previous blog: Inventing the Individual). As a consequence, individualism was embedded  into the "very fabric of European life" and gave impetus to Democracy and individual creativity. The Enlightenment took reason and science to a new level but in so doing it made the error of separating its foundation of faith from reason. The danger is that reason without faith can lead to a mechanistic and materialistic world devoid of human feeling.

Rousseau and the rise of emotion
Keane claimed that the French philosopher, Rousseau thought that mankind would be far better off without reason. This view was essentially anti-Enlightenment because, instead of celebrating reason, Rousseau believed  that the path to knowledge was through examining one's own feelings. Rousseau's philosophy of suppressing reason in the name of the emotional truth of the masses places him at the start of an intellectual tradition that leads deep into twentieth-century (and twenty-first-century). This philosophical perspective inspired Romanticism and resonated with many people in today's society experiencing fear, confusion, loneliness and loss of meaning. Rousseau provided a feelings foundation for the rise of notions of victimhood, tribalism and rage within our post-modern culture. It would seem that many people in our contemporary world are not only experiencing feelings of alienation but also envy as they are confronted with flagrant displays of wealth and power through the electronic media. These are the kinds of sentiments that Trump exploited so effectively in his bid for the Whitehouse with his passionate rejection of reason and the deliberate blurring of the factual information (see How Rousseau Predicted Trump).

Renaissance and homogenous thinking
Keane echoes Marshall McLuan's argument that the invention of the printing press inevitably led to nationalism by homogenising national languages and thereby minimising the notion of the tribe within states. Thus, the consolidation of a national language brought people together and consolidated the nation state. The printed book is also viewed as an extension of the visual faculty that intensifies perspective and the fixed points of view. Thus, the moveable type reinforced the notion that space is "visual, uniform and continuous". This provided a stable platform that provided a shared grand narrative that gave impetus to industrial growth, capitalism, and economic prosperity.

Postmodernism and the internet
Just as the printing press had a profound effect on Western civilisation during Renaisance the internet is now having an even greater impact on human knowing, memory and meaning. In our present postmodern situation the grand narrative has been replaced along with reason itself. Truth is no longer seen as absolute but all truth is considered as being relative. Today's digital citizens tend to read less even though they may spend a lot of time on the internet. They are able to multitask more easily and more effectively than the previous generation. They are likely to be more concerned with knowing how and where to find information rather than remembering important facts. On social media they are constantly rewarded with 'likes' and being linked with those that are more inclined to agree with their own thoughts and feelings. Social media users are more inclined to provoke outrage and the venting of anger as it elicits more rewards in the form of likes, sympathetic responses, and repostings. Keane believes that digital users are spending more time alone with their devices and are more likely to develop a lack of empathy for those with differing viewpoints. This narrowing social interaction allows the user to express ideas with some degree of anonymity without having to explain or justify ideas. Often the intent of the user is to stir up rage and elicit shared emotional reactions.

Political dissociation
Even though humanity as a whole is doing better than at any other time in the history of the world social media constantly bombards users with a supply of social issues to worry about. "The internet is the great dislocator of our time, disrupting us psychologically, socially and economically." For many, this situation has lead to the distrust of politicians and feelings of alienation, anxiety, and outrage.

Other useful links:

Post-truth in an age of Authenticity

How should we read Rousseau

Victimhood Culture: My thoughts and reflections

Campbell, B., & Manning, J. (2018). The rise of victimhood Culture: Microaggressions, safe spaces, and the new culture wars. Los Angeles: Palgrave Macmillan.

In my previous blog (Kindly Inquisitors) I discussed a dangerous principle that threatens our civil liberties. In this blog Campbell and Manning take up the challenge by identifying some trends within Western societies that relate to cultural identity and meaning.

Language
We have all come across the phrase, 'Sticks and stones may beak my bones but names will never hurt me'. As a young child I would use this to minimise the impact of unwanted name calling and put-downs. Language expressions can be hurtful at times even when they are said in jest or when they are well intentioned but inappropriate for a particular situation. Language expressions in the form of micro-aggressions are, however, viewed by a certain moralistic sub-cultural group  as not being mere slights but are seen as offensive and aggressive acts in themselves (also see a previous Blog - The Righteous Mind). 

Microagressions
Microagressions are often ordinary and brief verbal expressions (see a previous blog - Limits of Critique) of environmental or personal indignities that intentionally or unintentionally communicate hostile insults to persons or groups of people. Often these slights convey hidden attitudes that may have been inherited or culturally appropriated and have a negative racial, gender, sexual or religious bias. Some examples of miocroagressions are as follows: A white man or woman clutches purse or checks his wallet as a black or latino passes by them. Whistles or cat calls are heard as a woman walks down the street. Two gay men walk down the street holding hands and are told not to flaunt their sexuality.

Nomenclature
Having labels for verbal harms can make people more mindful of prejudice and insult and can help then avoid offensive language. Expressions such as 'mansplaining', 'whitesplaining', 'slut shaming', 'fat shaming' and 'cultural appropriation' are also terms that highlight perceived biases in the language. Some other terms are not so subtle such as 'transphobia', 'homophobia' or 'hate speech', for example. As a result, our understanding of abuse has now been expanded to include trivial and ambiguous instances. It is important to be aware that some public behaviours may be inappropriate and that some people may not even notice that they are being offensive to some.

This form of moralistic labelling, according to Cambell and Manning often stems from people assuming the moral high ground. They tend to focus on language or gesture without taking into consideration the actual intentions of the speaker. This type of labelling is essentially a self-righteous act that magnifies small offences and marginalises the offending groups within our society. The propensity to call out faults and label others may seem virtuous but there is the real danger that the caller may become blind to their own inappropriate behaviours while calling out others. As a consequence, those that are exposed to such extreme stereotypical and judgemental labels for trivial offences may be prevented from voicing their opinions and may stop engaging in the public space altogether. The Biblical injunction to 'take out the log from your own eye before looking for the speck in another's eye would seem to put this type of behaviour into perspective.

Victimhood culture
Cambell and Manning have identified three types of subcultural trends that can be seen operating within modern Western cultures: victimhood culture, honour culture and dignity culture.  Honour cultures dominated the pre-Christian era in Europe. Honour cultures are also prevalent throughout the Arab world and are commonplace within gang cultures in present-day Western societies. They are overly sensitive to insults, value aggression and have a proclivity for violence in order to appease perceived wrongs. This perspective is opposed to dignity culture, which has prevailed in the liberal west, at least until this postmodern period. The notion of dignity comes from Western Judo/Christian tradition that places worth on the individual no matter what identity group or groups they may belong to (see a previous blog - Inventing the Individual). Dignity is inherent within the individual and exists independently of what others think, thus, honour is of less importance and minor grievances are often ignored.

Cambell and Manning suggest that microagressions are associated with a third cultural perspective or victimhood culture. Those ascribing to victimhood culture see themselves as individuals or as disenfranchised group members who often take offence to opposing views of some priveledged person or persons who use their position to disenfranchise their supposed victim or vitims. Their concerns are usually legitimised by way of appeals for help to authorities or to the digital masses on social media. Victimhood thrives on gossip and grievance to elicit the attention and sympathy of others. Victimhood culture differs from honour and dignity cultures as it highlights its own victimhood and exagerates personal discomfort. Gossip is often used in the form of trial in absentia whereby the gossiper attempts to publicly shame and exclude the offender. When this is applied to a prominent personality it may often lead to bad publicity, arrest, imprisonment and the destruction of reputation. The power of denunciation is self-reinforcing as it highlights the virtuous nature of the accuser. In some situations it can lead to serious legal consequences for the accuser, particularly if the alleged (see the Jussie Smollette saga) offence is exaggerated or untrue. Victimhood culture sometimes encourages hate crime hoaxes and the resulting moral panic can lead to further false accusations and bitter consequences. In the past we have seen the results of witch hunts and pogroms. If left unchecked it will produce a climate of moral puritanism, mistrust and injustice (see the Joe Biden saga).

Safe spaces
How does this victimhood culture develop and how does it spread throughout our society? Cambell and Manning believe that it does not necessarily come from those that have been the down-trodden and those who are the victims of prejudice. Victimhood culture tends to be popularised in the Western universities and colleges and is generally found amongst upper middle class and well-off students particularly in the fields of study such as journalism, humanities, sociology and psychology. It is championed by cultural and philosophical theories that have roots in social justice, feminist theory, post-modern and Marxist philosophies. Many tertiary institutions provide safe spaces for students so they can be protected from microagressions and others forms of predjudice (see a previous blog - Springtime for Snowflakes). They are places where students can go to feel secure in a non-threatening environment. However, there may be a very serious down side to this. In seeking to help students stay safe institutions often assume an extended parent like role. Instead of preparing students for the wider world they homogenise and overprotect students to the degree that they are unable to adequately cope with any opposing views and opinions.

What these higher institutions should be doing is developing resilience and preparing their students to think critically, to debate, and to use rational argument to challenge what they perceive as bad or dangerous ideas. This is the essence of free speech and creativity. New and productive ideas often arise when old ideas are challenged and debated. The use of labels such as 'microagressions' will only lead to the stifling of debate and moral stagnation. It must be kept in mind, that at the end of the day, these students will eventually hold prominent leadership roles within society and, in part, determine the future for us all.

Other links that may be of interest:

The rise of victimhood culture on campus: Jonathan Haidt

The appeal of Victimhood

Postmodernism and the left

Ben Shapiro forgivenes

Joe Rogan and Sam Harris on the Liam Neeson Controversy

Fake Bigotry: The American Mind