The Enlightenment came about in the 18th century and freed Western civilisation from the stranglehold of religious fundamentalism. It enabled all the progress we now take for granted.
Prior to this time there was a type of extreme fundamentalism that was akin to ISIS. It was illegal to oppose Christian religious belief. Europe was a theocracy. The word of god was the only rule. Heretics, or those the Church/establishment deemed to be heretic could be tortured to death to save their souls. All methods of torture were devised and deployed including the most barbaric that can be imagined.
To even publish the Bible in English was an offence punishable by death. The Church wanted the power and that resided with the clergy. It was not right for ordinary people to have access to the teachings; they could misinterpret the meaning.
It was a regular event to have blasphemers, witches and heretics publicly burnt to death. Science and rationalism were not permitted.
What is obvious is that all this was much more to do with power than religion.
In the 1620s there was a scientific revolution which brought about a wave of rationalism and doubt. The theological certainties of flat earth, earth at the centre of creation and even man in god’s image were brought into question.
In the 18th Century philosophers such as Kant developed the philosophy of rationalism. This grew among the intellectual classes and led to a movement to create a society based on reason. This led to the separation of religion from politics and the formation of a secular culture.
Secular politics was based on tolerance and reason.
The philosopher Locke the radical idea that government should be through the consent of the people and not the imposition of religious dogma.
This led to a flourishing of the Arts and Science which created the greatest impetus of social development in the history of the world. The West flourished.
The enlightenment led to the ethos of the French Revolution – Equality, Liberty and Fraternity.
It separated the state from religion.
It led to the American revolution and the enshrined doctrine of freedom, religious freedom and individuality.
It has enabled the West to create democracy, pluralism, tolerance, freedom, science, liberalisation, the arts and a diverse and vital culture.
If we had not had an enlightenment and reformation we would still be in medieval costume burning Catholics, Muslims and anyone who was different in our public squares.
Long Live the Enlightenment! Something worth fighting for!
Interesting.
It is what needs to happen to Islam.
How can I disagree. Annoyed with Jeremy Corbyn and his defiance to attend this anti war groups function the say Isis should be compared with those that fought against Gen. Franco, really? He will get rid of Benn and others from Shadow Cabinet for no other reason they did not vote with him – democracy he shouts, I am not liking what I see.
There’s usually more than meets the eye! Benn was leading amn openly defiant faction with the intention of displacing him.
Well to be honest the way Jeremy is carrying on, like sticking his elbow out to,prevent Benn sitting down after his speech is so childish, he is cutting his own throat – Macdonald does him no favours he can’t keep his mouth shut. I don’t know the real motives behind Benn’s speech if it was for bombing I agree, Jeremy tells us all the time this is a democracy, you dont punish people for their beliefs.
No – there’s a lot of pear-shaped about it.
Strange these anti war lot on the streets are quiet about the attack at Leytonstone Underground station the other night, still Freedom fighters this Isis lot do they cry?
ISIS are savages. They need eradicating. It’s going to end up with am all-out war against Islam if we are not careful.
I hate saying this but it is said they need boots on the ground and it will have to come to that.
Yes – but I think they need to be Muslim boots.
I agree on that, young Syrian men we take in why can’t they fight for their Country. Interview last week on the news, young Syrian who runs a cafe here complaining we are not doing enough, then he should go home and fight if that is how he feels.
A lot of the Arab countries are busy stirring it up. If we goo in I fear we will get the blame and they’ll turn it back on us.
If and when we go I doubt it will be quick, it will be so hard to get out. I wish the magnificent Middle Eastern Envoy Blair (who has done nothing except get more rich) would keep his mouth shut – look at his record.
Blair by name blare by nature.
Money grabbing bastard.
They’ve all got their snouts in the trough. You don’t find many poor politicians.
I don’t think the Enlightenment gained quite the amount of ground that you’re intimating above. Just because a few enlightened philosophers put their thoughts to paper is not indicative of wholesale acceptance and France was certainly an exception. OK, so no witches get burned at the stake anymore, but political power is evident today within Portugal, Spain, Ireland, Austria, Italy, Malta, Cyprus, Greece to name a few. Poland and the 7 states of the former Yugoslavia. Many former USSR states have very strong Islamic policies.
I would also have to remind on the American Civil War, which took place about 100 years after the Revolution. So much for the doctrine of freedom, religious freedom and individuality. Yes indeed it worked if one is was a WASP, but not if Red Indian, Hispanic, Chinese or Negro. There was absolutely no Enlightenment in USA until Rosa Parks, yet another 100 years on from the Civil War. So that’s about 200 years of gestation!
We in UK are one of the lucky few, yet we still have religious leaders involved in the passing of laws, think tank committees on social reform policies etc. We still have religion and that in itself pretty much says it all.
Corbyn – He’s a bit like Chamberlain. He gives the impression of being the wrong man in the wrong job at the wrong time. Only in this instance he’s not the PM, yet many pundits seem to forget this detail. I can’t quite get over all the plaudits for Benn’s speech. It was a speech, no more or less. It served it’s purpose and it’s amateur dramatic entity rose above the mediocrity of those others that preceded him. It did indeed look very good in comparison to Corbyn’s, simply because Corbyn is a very poor orator and commands no stage presence. He’s like a stuffy old university lecturer, which is a shame as he obviously means what he says. I don’t think he pays lip service to any pretentious “zeitgeist”. (how I hate this expression, Opher, but most apt here). He has nothing to lead anymore. But it’s hardly any kudos to Benn if he subsequently becomes party leader because of his devout wish to bomb another country. Or is it?
Ref these “smart” bombs. Did anyone notice the film of the first one they dropped last week, where there were bits of shrapnel and rubble flying all over the place. Perhaps these bits are also engineered not to hit anyone they should not, but I doubt it.
Hi Andrew – I didn’t say the Enlightenment was complete. It probably has a couple of hundred years to go yet. But it is getting better. We do have freedoms. The States are moving slowly forward too. They have a black President – he got elected twice!
Religion is far less powerful in the West. You only have to look at Saudi and Iran to see how bad it could be (and was).
Religion is dying the death. It’s a slow process.
I like zeigeist and I’m glad to see you’re using it. I think psychology will prove me right.
It’s a shame Corbyn isn’t a great orator. But he is a man of values. I don’t agree with them all but I go along with a lot and I do think the guy is stirring things up. He’s got the corporate, spiun-tankers in a spin.
Bennhas been organising against Jeremy. I think that’s a shame. Tony must be turning in his grave (a strange thing to say for an atheist who doesn’t believe in any after-life – but it’s only an expression).
Smart bombs is an expression – reminds me of that great film Dark Star? with the talking bomb. If they made them of rubber the shrapnell wouldn’t hurt so much!
No you didn’t but more or less intimated it’s completion was nigh. Hence, my points.
I thought your focus was on the west, therefore, I specifically didn’t bother to mention the Arab states.
I know enough about them 1) from personal experience in Dubai 2) from the experiences of my ex-wife, whom used to visit Riyadh very often with her job.
They seem to love western inventions and many appreciate a drink, too.
Of course Obama’s presence has got nothing to do with the apparent weaknesses of proportional representation, has it?
What with a choice of just 2 parties and a house of representatives that can be bought and presidential candidate success dictated by huge sums of money, I don’t consider it a very enlightened nor wholesome process one jot.
I would also counter with Condoleezza Rice, an extremely powerful individual with possession of more sway than any president will ever have. She worked previously (long before Obama’s arrival) for Bush Jnr and still guides the US global mission statement. Colin Powell was another.
Religion is falling in popularity in the west, but can that be said for other parts of the world? Brazil and China, for example, or the ingress of Roman Catholic doctrine that continues throughout Africa. It’s like an insidious creeping disease that apparently leaves no stone unturned – to get biblical for a second.
Ha ha – Naturally, I was being sarcastic with my use of that useless word – you surely didn’t think I was using it in serious terms?
I think preceding it with the word “pretentious” was a good indicator. It would take somewhat more psychology than that to make any indent on me, for sure!
It was originally promoted by 2nd rate music hack’s, a term for those that get paid to write about David Bowie’s Berlin period (despite only one of the 3 records having anything to do with Berlin), yet know little or anything about him, as many are just simply too young. For one reason or another it’s seeped into the common vocabulary.
I bet my last cent that you were not using such a term 10 years ago.
Or in the case of Kris Needs’ most recent contribution article in Record Collector, he’s just got his facts wired wrong, plain and simple. I’ll see if my letter to the editor with alternative information gets printed. It won’t be for the first time.
Opher, I detest the word and gave adequate reasons why last week. Please accept my point of view. But you can use it all you like until the cows come home. By then it’s meaningless!
Again I was being flippant about the smart bomb. However, judging by the media baloney spewing forth from all and sundry, really, what trip are these jerks on? And the sad reality is that many bozo’s in the public masses will buy this crap. It’s such fraud.
I wonder where we go from here when ISIS-ISIL-Daesh up sticks and move to other locations?
Yes I agree with most of what you said. I did pick up that you were using the word facetiously but the fact that you were using it at all was a step forward.
I tend to be optimistic (if long term) on religion – I think the internet will bring about change. It is merely slow. They’ll be seduced by computer games, strictly come dancing, booze and plenty of sex.
No, of course we don’t have democracy. The establishment and money talks. They control the media and buy off anyone they want. But we do get to have a limited choice between two evils. That is better than no choice.
Collateral damage is marginal – a few thousand women and children here and there. War is messy. People love watching those pictures of explosions. It’s like motorway accidents. They find it exciting.
ISIS might retreat to Africa. They’ll get less hassled there. Or will they? Maybe the Chines will chase them out? Whatever. I think getting rid of the so-called, self-appointed caliphate will stop the focus of all the young idiots rushing off to fight for Islam.
The trouble is that great parts of west Africa is seriously suffering already from Islamic tyranny. As we know all too well the north and north-east all well entrenched. I can’t see where else they can go though. Luton? Bradford? Hull?…
But surely if you’ve already got tyranny a bit more would hardly notice?
Quite, but it’s yet another generation after another. And there’s no choice, go with it or die. We send aid money to these countries. Why? That must stop.
The only way I can see that we are going to sort all the madness out (war, poverty, corporation tax evasion, inequality, fundamentalism, racism, misogyny, pollution, overpopulation, etc.) is to do away with tribal nations and become a global state. But then I’m an idealist and that dream is a long way off.
Hi Opher,
Global state – that’s a concept of immense proportions.
Quite how we’d deal with cultures that breed so many kids in order for them to work small farm holdings is another matter entirely. I don’t have any idea how to tackle that.
I can’t see why we can’t get a bit smarter in the west with population control. Without being fascist about it, surely we can say look people it’s 2 children per family sort of thing. Also restrictions of those piling into Europe with 8 kids and 3 grannies etc, that has to stop.
I really could not care less if such rules would offend those with reckless attitudes – these pram-faced young women with multiple partners or those of alternative religious beliefs. Their nonsense has to stop.
Am I too hard boiled?