Alfred North Whitehead once said that what the Middle Ages was an "age of faith based on reason," and that the so-called Enlightenment was an "age of reason based on faith." It is a counter-intuitive observation, but one that seems almost certainly true. And it counters one of the many myths propagated about Middle Ages by people who really don't like it, but don't know much about it.
The following is a short video by Anthony Esolen on whether the Middle Ages were really "dark."
Takeaway line: "In one crucial way, we are less civilized than those who enhanced human existence over a thousand years ago: We dismiss the achievements of our ancestors and fall short of them; they honored their ancestors and surpassed them."
Tuesday, June 04, 2013
1 comment:
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It's like the Democrats calling the Bush era the Dark Ages.
ReplyDeleteAs in, you know, back in the Dark Ages, we used to send people to Guantanamo and keep them there without trial.
As in, back in the Dark Ages, there was always the risk that the government would eavesdrop on reporters.
As in, back in the Dark Ages, there was always the danger that the President would use federal agencies as political weapons.
Thank God those days are over!