The scourge of modernism.
The Protestant reformation was a decisive movement in the west toward abandoning its traditional cosmological beliefs. Fairies became false, Gnomes were deemed absurd and mysticism had no literal grounding in the scripture. Like the Protestants, change in Greek society began with Xenophon criticising the Homeric traditional interpretation – this lead to movement of ditached Greeks that eventually became agnostic. Though both Xenophon and Luther had very good intentions – their philosophies “demystified” the religious experience. 200 years after the reformation, Britain was the scene of massive social change, namely, the industrial revolution.
Businessmen of the time began to suggest that designing factories where the owner could supervise his workers would result in less theft. Here in the late 18th century we see the emergence of socialism 100 years before Marx. Why was theft a problem? Many theologians suggest that: Humans across Europe were becoming a meaningless source of labour and as church attendance was diminished stealing became very prevalent. This was the same time that John Locke posited that 'humans were innately noble and had no need of Laws". Sure John.
Indeed, Marx maintained the works of Locke and believed that the evolving human was ready to rebel against the capitalists and form a free held public state - communism. This system eliminates religion and replaces it with social naturalism, apparently, the scientific truth.
On another front, human morality died to the progressive human ego. The works of Clergy man Thomas Malthus, inspired the young naturalist Charles Darwin. Malthus posited that the geometric growth of population would find shortcomings with the arithmetic production sectors. Malthus also wrote on the chances of survival for the rich and poor and how certain plants dominated particular ecosystems. Conversely, Darwin in the light of reading Malthus, preferred the poor over the rich (like Marx) and believed economy had little to do with survival. Try telling this to a cholera infested peon from Gin alley please, Charles. In his work "The origin of species" Darwin plagiarised Malthus, then rambled on about finch beaks and how men we are "apes risen, not angles fallen". I fail to see how this is a compliment!
Darwin effectively told the average man, that by grace of his genes he could be superior. Since many people were illiterate this message was echoed through England... "Apes risen, not angels fallen". The problem was that science had very little to offer the common man - if anything it weakens his existence. Why? Humans are a creature of meaning - both higher and lower. When we substitute the higher spiritual 'eternal' aspect for the lower physical 'changing' aspect men go astray. A man working in a factory with little scientific knowledge can glean more from religion than from science. Sure, an academic with the privilege of money can find meaning in the diversity of biology and the complexities of the universe... but a lay man finds only confusion from this.
Soren Kirkegaard pondered the problems with religion in “fear and trembling”. Nietzsche, a nihilist, went a step further to declare that “God is dead”. An absurd statement as God is a metaphysical entity in the first place, and hence is beyond death. These philosophers identified how God became less relevant in society. Take the examples of Denmark, Sweden and Japan. You may say that these countries have all reached the social pinnacle: no poverty, low theft, highly educated populace – But alarmingly these countries have high incidence of suicide. Neuro-chemists have demonstrated that suicide is a combination of genetics and severe depression. Many people now dismiss that the individuals tragedy and struggle to find meaning as a simple genetic inferiority. However, a less known fact plays a more important role in the determinant of serotonin levels, specifically finding contentment and meaning; unfortunately religion is dead in these countries and has been replaced by modernism. Although, both Denmark and Sweden are predominantly Lutherans, in the census some >80% of Swedes did not believe in God. Similarly, in Japan Shintoism has been reduced to ridiculous stories about how grandpa once saw a dragon by the water-fall. As for Buddhism, very few Japanese even practice, little loan hold true to vegetarianism. Additionally, abortion rates are very high, so one can perceive that the sacredness of human life has diminished value in these countries listed.
It is evident that the world as a whole is slowly abandoning its traditions. The reformation facilitated the trend in Europe, and still provides a measure of this trend. England was certainly on the pulse when it came to modernist philosophy – which has become the staple diet of the modern socialist state. The mercantilists played a role in this as they wanted to take the power from the kings, just as an eager communist may desire to take the power from the mercantilist (bourgeoisie). Each time Humans break from tradition and favour modernism, the leaders become more laconic as do the ages. The works of Locke, Darwin and Nietzsche are instrumental in understanding modernism and naturalism. This is not the first age to favour natural explanations in history; ancient Greece had its period of agnostics shortly before “the fall”.
Modernism fails to answer the meaning of existence, its purpose and consequences. Its main purpose is to serve a state that is quite content to have its people ignore morality and feel rewarded for ignorance. To the businessman biotechnology means profit, and modernism is a great way to sedate people. This is the wrong doing of the passionate archaeologist modifying chimp skulls to find the “missing-link” to the indoctrinated lay man who votes on the chance for a cure to disease even if it comes at the meagre cost of a few embryos!
