Aldous Huxley – Quote about how religion and science are used for power, profit and trivia.
Aldous Huxley Quote: Triumphs of Religion and Science
In his novel ‘Time Must Have a Stop’ Aldous displays his cynicism at how the greatest wisdom and achievements of man are perverted and twisted for political or commercial profit. He talks of religion becoming a tool for power and making money. He also speaks about how scientific invention, instead of being used to educate and advance our knowledge, is often used to produce trivial entertainment or disseminate political lies.
Faraday and Clerk Maxwell are two geniuses whose pioneering work on electromagnetism in the nineteenth century has given birth to the age of television and radio.
Here is the quote from Aldous:
‘Francis of Assisi miraculously upholding a Mystical Body that was also a political machine and business concern.’
‘Faraday and Clerk Maxwell working indefatigably that the ether might at last become a vehicle for lies and imbecility.’
It seems that the work of geniuses is always used to create profit by the shrewd and uncaring. The greatest inventions used to create mountains of rust instead of diamonds, the highest thoughts used to bolster personal gain and political lies.
Opher,
The most obvious example of science being perverted is the development of ever-better weaponry, especially the use of nuclear fission to create the atomic bomb, an idea Albert Einstein, supposedly a pacifist, gave to FD Roosevelt.
Katharine – good to hear from you!
Certainly the bomb is a good example – I reckon biological warfare might be a close second though.
Opher,
Admittedly biological warfare represents a perversion of scientific knowledge, but it’s harder to prove than a nuclear bomb. I recently read that the Zika virus is a Rockefeller creation, but who really knows the truth?
Katharine – if someone really does unleash a deadly virus the effects could be worse than any nuclear bomb. All they have to do is create a deadly virus and an inoculation against it, release it and wipe everyone out that they don’t want. They would then inherit all the wealth and infrastructure intact and rid themselves of everyone they did not want!