The age of reason

“No one has ever come back from the other world. I can't console you, but one thing I can tell you, as long as my ideas are alive I will be alive. We live in a dark, frightening, age. One reason for this is the part played by the ideology of inhumanity:”

Albert Schweitzer. German medical Missionary, Theologian, Musician, and Philosopher; and winner of the 1952 Nobel Peace Prize. Lived 1875 to 1965.

The age of reason may mean to be the age at which a person is, considered capable of making reasoned judgments. However, more popularly, it refers to that period in history, an era in the western world, in which rationalism prevailed - especially the period of the enlightenment in countries such as England, France, and the United States of America. The term became popular because of a pamphlet written by Thomas Paine, a British American revolutionary who, in 1794, challenged institutionalised religion. The booklet became a best seller in America, and the title famous. Later, in 1945, Jean Paul Sartre in his novel used the term for the first part of the trilogy The Roads to Freedom. The first book, The Age of Reason is concerned with Sartre's conception of freedom as the ultimate aim of human existence.

Thus, the Age of Reason, and I mean the era and not any particular book, brought about a great change in the tale of man’s sojourn on earth. Reason, rationality, and enlightenment became the new by words.

There ought to be no doubt that, the books mentioned, and, many more based in the traditions of David Hume, Spinoza, and Voltaire had a profound influence on thought, during this period.

The Age of Reason was an eighteenth-century movement in Europe, which followed hard after the mysticism, religion, and superstition of the, Middle Ages. The Age of Reason represented a genesis in the way man viewed himself, the pursuit of knowledge, and the universe. In this time period, man’s previously held concepts of conduct and thought could now be challenged verbally and in written form; fears of being labelled a heretic or being burned at the stake were done away with.

Comparisons apart, this was the beginning of an open society where individuals were free to pursue individual happiness and liberty.

Abandoned

Politically and socially, the imperial concepts of, the medieval world were abandoned. The Age of Reason included the shorter time-period described as the Age of Enlightenment; during this time great changes occurred in scientific thought and exploration. New ideas filled the horizon and man was eager to explore these ideas freely; and this acted as a catalyst for, free thought: an essential ingredient for the progress of the mind, and of man.

The period also saw the introduction of the Scientific Revolution and various progressions of new schools of thought.

Today, the world in which we live faces the most serious challenges in almost every realm: social, economic, political, and environmental.

Many of the horrendous problems that humanity has created for itself, and the planet we inhabit, have their roots in bad practice and bad ideas, based on bad thinking. That is not to say ‘evil’ thinking, but rather thinking that is unscientific, illogical, and prone to fallacies of all-sorts. I do not mean by this declaration to condemn those who believe otherwise; they have the same right to their belief as I have to mine; but it is necessary to the happiness of man that he be, mentally faithful to himself. Infidelity does not consist in believing, or in disbelieving; it consists in professing to believe what he does not believe. Many are masters of the art of infidelity to thought and belief - exhibited through hypocrisy.

We tend to declare in public, especially in the presence of authority, what we believe not in private. We profess to believe, that which we do not believe because we lack the courage to speak the truth - the boldness, which wise men possess. Speaking the truth impel progress and prosperity.

If not, the age of reason will contort, or even passed us by, and force us to live in the age of dark ignorance - dark not because the light is not there, but because we refuse to see the light. Hence, though I believe in the equality of man at birth, I must confess that I also believe in the inequality of his intellect through breeding; however dichotomous, contentious, and contradictory the statement may seem.

The intellect is what distinguishes man from brutes. Intellect is the sum of the mental powers by which, knowledge is acquired, retained, and extended; as distinguished from the senses.

The cause of all inequalities of life in this world is the result of the inequality of intellect.

Such disparity in intellect, though caused by upbringing, is also a part of the natural law of the universe; and all things in the universe, even God, must obey the laws of nature.

Without a concept of natural law, the explanations of the workings of nature would descend into irrationality. Accordingly, in natural law, advancement and affluence of a people as a whole are subject to, and depends upon, their virtue and intellect.

Wisdom

If conventional wisdom states that virtue should derive from a consideration for others, rather than oneself, an animus against corruption, and an emphasis on the individual's right of conscience; the absence of these traits will push them into the dark ages.

If we are to bring about a revolution in achieving prosperity for all the peoples of Sri Lanka, we need a revolution in educating the people to rid them of hypocrisy; and need to caress them into the age of reason.

People in general know not how much wickedness there is in this pretence called politics that produces scepticism, but not conviction.

When the mind of a people is filled with falsehood and erroneous information, they lack knowledge.

To know that we know what we know, and to know that we do not know what we do not know, that is true knowledge. “Ignorance is the curse of God; knowledge is the wing wherewith we fly to heaven:” William Shakespeare. From: King Henry the Sixth.

Much before the age of reason dawned in Europe; Asia was blessed with not just the age of reason, but with the age of wisdom and enlightenment as well. Over 2,500 years ago, at a time when Europe was emerging from the cocoons of ignorance, Asia had an enlightened teacher - the Buddha - who ushered in the age of reason and wisdom.

Having such envious heritage, a Buddha as our teacher, why have we descended to the depths of darkness? This is the question all of us, need to ponder. Every living being has the same basic wish - to be happy and to avoid suffering.

Even newborn babies, animals, and insects have this wish. It has been our main wish since man evolved and it is with us all the time, even during our sleep. We spend our whole life working hard to fulfil this wish. Human beings have spent much time and energy improving external conditions, in their search for happiness and a solution to their many problems.

Yet, what has been the result? Instead of their wishes fulfilled, human suffering has continued to increase while the experience of happiness and peace is decreasing.

This clearly shows that we need to find a true method for gaining pure happiness and freedom from misery. Perhaps, the answer lies in our return to the age of reason for which, each one of us must endeavour, on his own; improving internally, beginning with our thoughts and extending to our values.

See you this day next week. Until then, keep thinking; keep laughing.

Life is mostly about these two actions.

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