The Enlightenment project’s dark side
May 12, 2008
An extremely important element in the current thinking and psychology of Europeans is the “Enlightenment Project” undertaken by large numbers of European intellectuals. The achievements of Newton, Galileo and many other prominent scientists created a dramatic impact on the mindset of Europe. A few simple laws could lay bare the secrets of the movements of the stars, and a few observations could upset centuries of belief in the central place of man (and his planet) in the universe. Imagine what progress would be possible if these principles of utilising observations and fact, and building upon them in the light of reason, were applied on a much larger scale. Enlightenment thinkers were inspired by the fantastic achievements of science and technology. They thought that application of the scientific method in all areas of human thought would lead to a radical improvement in the human condition. Opposing tradition, establishment, encouraging fresh and innovative ways of thinking, and subjecting all ideas to the test of reason, would lead to the improvement of the human race, and to “moral progress.”
The First and Second World Wars came as a shock to believers in the Enlightenment Project. The scale of violence, barbarism and cruelty was easily equal to the worst happenings in the dark and unenlightened times before the triumph of reason. Centuries of diligent study and application of scientific methods to shape minds and construct societies did not appear to have improved human beings. Blind faith in progress through application of science was tempered by a dark dose of reality. Warnings that the Enlightenment Project might not turn out so well on the human front had been present all along, but the few naysayers had been ignored by the enthusiastic mainstream. Hume had clearly stated that moral values could not be discovered or established by the scientific method. Everyone saw that morals, integrity and honesty were necessary for civilisation. Religion, custom and tradition form the basis for morality. Enlightenment thinkers felt confident that they could find alternative bases for a superior morality on the solid foundations of facts and reason. The far-sighted Nietzsche saw much more clearly than his contemporaries the implications of the rejection of religion as superstition, and the magnitude of the task facing the Europeans in constructing an alternative basis for morality and human behaviour. He described this in the parable of the madman who claimed that “We have killed God” – meaning that Europeans have lost faith in God. He goes on to say this tremendous news has not yet reached the ears of men, even though they did the deed themselves. That is, the full implications of loss of faith have not been absorbed by European intellectuals, who continue to believe that rational foundations for morality can be found. The implications of living without any basis for morality have not been absorbed.
The twentieth century can be viewed as a report card for the Enlightenment Project. As recorded by philosopher and ethicist Jonathan Glover in his Humanity: A Moral History of the Twentieth, the report is not good. Violence, murders, atrocities, destruction of entire cities and large masses of innocent people, with the use of deliberately cruel methods, has been done on a scale never before seen in history. Glover writes that the challenge of Nietzsche, to find an alternative basis for morality, has not been met, although he continues to be optimistic that a solution may be found. Many authors have written books and articles on the decline of morals in the West, which has been extremely rapid in the last fifty years. As a small but significant illustrative example, consider the affair of Clinton and Monica Lewinsky. Only twenty years prior to this event, similar scandals could and did bring down governments and terminate political careers. However, with the erosion of moral values, this affair was dismissed as a personal quirk which was so widespread in the society that it would be hypocritical and narrow-minded prudishness to chastise him too severely for it. Nonetheless, there is a very serious dimension to this affair. If the wives of leaders of the Western world cannot trust them not deceive them, who can trust them? Surely it is not the case that a person is compartmentalised so as to behave with integrity in public affairs, and not in his personal affairs.
For us living in the Muslim world, there are some very important lessons to be learned from this history of the Enlightenment Project. Those of us who have absorbed the lessons of the West have learned to consider tradition and religion as inferior to reason and observation. The fact is that science and religion occupy different spheres, and experience shows that science offers no guidance on moral affairs – it is equally capable of genetic manipulation of crops to enrich multinationals as it is of providing substantial increases in production to feed the starving. We are living in a world which has lost its moral bearings, at least partly as an outcome of commitment to Enlightenment principles. The law of the jungle prevails in the international arena. Any country with sufficient power can invade, capture and occupy, and kill innocents in large numbers without even the pretext of a moral justification. Our Islamic tradition offers strong moral guidance, which is becoming more and more a desperate need of the times.
The writer teaches economics at the International Islamic University in Islamabad. Email: asadzaman@alum.mit.edu
The First and Second World Wars came as a shock to believers in the Enlightenment Project. The scale of violence, barbarism and cruelty was easily equal to the worst happenings in the dark and unenlightened times before the triumph of reason. Centuries of diligent study and application of scientific methods to shape minds and construct societies did not appear to have improved human beings. Blind faith in progress through application of science was tempered by a dark dose of reality. Warnings that the Enlightenment Project might not turn out so well on the human front had been present all along, but the few naysayers had been ignored by the enthusiastic mainstream. Hume had clearly stated that moral values could not be discovered or established by the scientific method. Everyone saw that morals, integrity and honesty were necessary for civilisation. Religion, custom and tradition form the basis for morality. Enlightenment thinkers felt confident that they could find alternative bases for a superior morality on the solid foundations of facts and reason. The far-sighted Nietzsche saw much more clearly than his contemporaries the implications of the rejection of religion as superstition, and the magnitude of the task facing the Europeans in constructing an alternative basis for morality and human behaviour. He described this in the parable of the madman who claimed that “We have killed God” – meaning that Europeans have lost faith in God. He goes on to say this tremendous news has not yet reached the ears of men, even though they did the deed themselves. That is, the full implications of loss of faith have not been absorbed by European intellectuals, who continue to believe that rational foundations for morality can be found. The implications of living without any basis for morality have not been absorbed.
The twentieth century can be viewed as a report card for the Enlightenment Project. As recorded by philosopher and ethicist Jonathan Glover in his Humanity: A Moral History of the Twentieth, the report is not good. Violence, murders, atrocities, destruction of entire cities and large masses of innocent people, with the use of deliberately cruel methods, has been done on a scale never before seen in history. Glover writes that the challenge of Nietzsche, to find an alternative basis for morality, has not been met, although he continues to be optimistic that a solution may be found. Many authors have written books and articles on the decline of morals in the West, which has been extremely rapid in the last fifty years. As a small but significant illustrative example, consider the affair of Clinton and Monica Lewinsky. Only twenty years prior to this event, similar scandals could and did bring down governments and terminate political careers. However, with the erosion of moral values, this affair was dismissed as a personal quirk which was so widespread in the society that it would be hypocritical and narrow-minded prudishness to chastise him too severely for it. Nonetheless, there is a very serious dimension to this affair. If the wives of leaders of the Western world cannot trust them not deceive them, who can trust them? Surely it is not the case that a person is compartmentalised so as to behave with integrity in public affairs, and not in his personal affairs.
For us living in the Muslim world, there are some very important lessons to be learned from this history of the Enlightenment Project. Those of us who have absorbed the lessons of the West have learned to consider tradition and religion as inferior to reason and observation. The fact is that science and religion occupy different spheres, and experience shows that science offers no guidance on moral affairs – it is equally capable of genetic manipulation of crops to enrich multinationals as it is of providing substantial increases in production to feed the starving. We are living in a world which has lost its moral bearings, at least partly as an outcome of commitment to Enlightenment principles. The law of the jungle prevails in the international arena. Any country with sufficient power can invade, capture and occupy, and kill innocents in large numbers without even the pretext of a moral justification. Our Islamic tradition offers strong moral guidance, which is becoming more and more a desperate need of the times.
The writer teaches economics at the International Islamic University in Islamabad. Email: asadzaman@alum.mit.edu
