The eighteen century is known as the century of the enlightenment in Europe. The century is marked by philosophical rationalism and the exaltation of sciences, as well as the criticism of the social order and the religious hierarchy. Reason became the basic column of the society and triumphed over the church dogmas and the authority of the government. However, if one looked deep in the century he/she can see that darkness was the closest neighbor of the enlightenment. This whole idea of the perfectibility of mankind seemed unclear. When they were talking about perfectibility, the war of succession was ravaging Europe. In Addition, The seven’s years war was creating orphans in mass in Europe. This war was so cruel that Winston Churchill described it as the First World War. Moreover, the church stayed powerful in all Europe. It continued to condemn people to death without solid ground, and the protestant countries showed the same kind of intolerance. Add to all of that, black people were kidnapped from their family, country, culture, and brought to everywhere in America to make profit for Europe. An absurd triangle trade was put in place. Ship were filled with cheap goods and sailed toward Africa. Then, the cheap goods were exchanged for men and women who were brought in horrible conditions to the New World. I know the philosophers of the enlightenment were criticizing this kind of behaviors. However, they are the ones that profess also the doctrine of perfectibility of mankind. I will be the first one that will acknowledge that we really make progress in several fields since the eighteen century, but in the same token, I will say that men also become greedier. Since this idea of perfectibility, we cannot count how many people that are died because of foolish wars, selfishness, and cupidity of mankind. Take a moment and think about these questions, “Why we have wars?” Why we have those expensive weapons, and children around the world are going to bed every day with an empty stomach?
Yes, when I read Candide, I see Voltaire criticized the dark side of society. He describes a world that is governed by deception, and paints a Europe corrupt by cupidity. Montesquieu for his part describes in l’Esprit des Lois the result of this cupidity:
Les peuples d’Europe ayant exterminé ceux de l’Amérique, ils ont dû mettre en esclavage ceux de l’Afrique, pour s’en servir à défricher tant de terres.
And he adds, “Le sucre serait trop cher, si l’on ne faisait travailler la plante qui produit par des esclaves. However, I truly believe that men are not working toward perfection. Men do not hesitate to fly airplanes in buildings with the purpose of killing. Men do not hesitate to fly sophisticated airplane to drop bombs on innocent lives. Men are starving people to death claiming they do not have the money to feed them. However, they find money to build destructive weapons. Are we really going toward perfection?
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6 comments:
Don, I think you have a point that for all the abilities of mankind, we see little proof of the improvements in the human race from the time of the Enlightenment. It does make one wonder about whether man is any better than the animals. At least they don't go to war.
Don, I think man has many faults, but in an optimistic sense, I also believe we are working toward perfectibilty. Everyday there is research being done to find cures for deadly diseases such as HIV. I recently saw a documentary on a man who won the Nobel prize for his extensive research on plants. What he was trying to do was to produce this plant in an arid land so the inhabitants would have a way of life.
Now refering to wars, I don't think wars by any means are good, but if it is the only alternative to removing villians who are cruel even to their own people, so be it. I know the U.S. has had a lot of criticism, but I think there is a just cause.
Well, since the fall of man, men have had their darkside. Only through the grace of God can we be saved because our hearts are filled with selfish ambition, always wanting more and never becoming satisfied. I do not believe in the perfectibility of man because it is impossible due to our human nature. At the same time, the literature that was circulated during the enlightenment promoted ideals that encouraged the betterment of mankind. They supported liberty and self expression and spoke out against the opression of the church which are noble values. As I read the newspaper and watch the news each day, I am constantly reminded of the weaknesses of man, but we have to preserve hope and continue the journey.
Thanks Don. I enjoyed reading your post. But I think that the perfectibility of the Enlightment referred more to a perfect society instead of man in a moral sense. The Enlightment was concerned with changing society, not necessarily mankind. I see two different meanings in the way that phrase is used. In one sense man's progress and perfectibility is succeeding in success of technology and opening up of society. On the other hand, I agree with you and I do not see a perfection of the individual today, but a regression in many of the ways that perfectibility takes on religious or moral sense.
Very good points about the similarities between Candide and the world we live in today. I do not say that because I believe we have not made any progress, but there are still far too many barbaric aspects of life in the 21st century considering we have had a few centuries to "enlighten" ourselves.
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