Abbé - Voltaire

Once again we go to Voltaire in our intellectual journey. In his Philosophical Dictionary we just started at the first little blurb, Abbé. In it he is critical of the Monsieur l'Abbé because the name Abbé (father) should not be held by such a wicked class of folks. Voltaire takes issue with these heads of monks because they have taken the vow of poverty and since doing so acquired massive amounts of wealth and power. In his sarcastic way he argues for the Abbés' claims to wealth - the bishops used to be poor, so why can't we the abbés break off our poverty shackles and acquire wealth and power as well. Voltaire says go for it, "overrun the land; it belongs to the strong man, or the clever who seize it." He states that the Abbés have profited from the ignorance, superstition and insanity prevalent in the masses but warns them: "tremble, lest the day of reason arrive".

One of the things I like about Voltaire's critique is that it initially attacks the excesses of the religious leaders and their hypocrisy but not the religion itself. He criticizes the religious leaders who are growing wealthy while the poor starve at their doorsteps. This is a proper critique of religion. There is something wrong with religious leaders who become wealthy and indignant to the poor. The callous nature of this is truly something for "religion to be indignant at. However, what I don't like about Voltaire's or most criticism of religion is that it blames the religious' rise to prominence on the ignorance, superstition and insanity in the masses. The notion that religion is based on superstition is an old argument put forth by skeptics of every age. But, this assumes that the skeptics of every age (usually a tiny portion of the population at large) are the only enlightened ones. This form of intellectual elitism is as unpalatable as the hypocritical religious leaders.

I wonder though if we are in the age when the religious leaders are trembling because the day of reason has arisen. This reason has led us to the laissez-faire approach to ethics and morality that we see today. I think that much of this reason bravado is masked behind an intellectual cowardice that is post-modern philosophy. If the post-modern thinking of relativism is truly the way to go then let us apply it with conviction. Do not piecemeal adapt it to suit your own moral convictions but celebrate it and live it. Grant that 2+2=4 only for some and that 2+2=5 for others. Show the intellectual courage and fortitude to adopt your live and let live guiding principle in mathematics. Let the superstitious wallow in their pitiful notion that there is something that is correct and something that is not. Let us wallow in our own insanity. That way you can be clever, for the world belongs to those clever enough to take it right? But beware, lest the day come once again when the insane like me find ourselves once again called upon to instill some good ole insanity back into power.