In this third installment, I'll discuss why Voltaire stands out to me.
Voltaire’s
philosophy is one of the very few that has truly impacted me personally. His
arguments for civil rights was ahead of its time, and resembles the calls that
were heard in later years. The idea that all people deserved equal treatment
would be echoed later. His call for separation of church and state was a risky
move at that time in history. All in all, it seems that Voltaire was a man
ahead of his time, and often found himself in trouble for it. I find this
outspokenness intriguing, his abrasive personality invigorating, and his
unbridled tongue and wit entertaining.
One of
the first points of Voltaire’s philosophy that speaks to me is the idea of
separation of church and state, along with his distaste for the hierarchy and
controlling tendencies of the Church. I like that he criticizes the Church, but
not religion itself. Voltaire seems to be of the opinion that religion itself
is a good thing, but condemns the use of it as a mechanism for manipulating
people. I tend to agree with Voltaire’s stance here. The practice of religion
in itself is a positive thing. Most religions are peaceful institutions that
promote good morals, selfless acts, and love for other people. However, religion can easily be used as a
manipulative device to satisfy another agenda that is in no way related to the
religion itself, which is what Voltaire warned away from. We see this today in
events like the attacks on the World Trade Center by Islamic extremists, or
even the acts of the Westboro Baptist Church. Voltaire’s stance, along with
mine, seems to be wary of any perversion of religion to satisfy another cause.
However,
Voltaire made his single largest impact on me personally through his most
famous work, Candide. In this work,
Voltaire challenges Leibniz’s optimism. But for me, this is not the most
important aspect of the book. At the same time as it challenges optimism, it
seems to warn against becoming disconnected from the real world and from
practical thought. The characters take foolish actions while on a journey with
a sense of a higher spirituality, or they “have their heads in the clouds”.
Only after they shun lofty thoughts and keep their minds on earthly work do
they find peace. This is where the value of Candide
is for me. It is all well and good to philosophize about grand lofty ideas, how
things should be, and theoretical situations. But, it is crucial to not let
these thoughts interfere with living practically and take care of your “real
world” responsibilities. These questions are all great to ask, but what practical
use do they have? In many cases, none really. This is why I keep my personal
philosophy to how I should live my life. Like it or not, I am stuck on earth.
Therefore, it stands to reason that my main concern should be with decisions
that affect how I act here in my everyday life. I guess Voltaire and I could be
considered pragmatic, in that sense. To be clear, it seems that neither
Voltaire, nor I denounce asking the “big questions” completely. They can and should
be asked, but only after a level of satisfaction in a person’s “everyday
philosophy” has been acquired. To use Voltaire’s words, asking those questions “is
all well, but we must tend our garden.”
"These questions are all great to ask, but what practical use do they have? In many cases, none really." I wouldn't go that far, but I do agree with the spirit of your position. As David Hume said, be a philosopher but also be a man. And as my mentor John Lachs said, "there is something devastatingly hollow about the demonstration that thought without action is hollow, when we find the philosopher only thinking it." In other words, tend your garden.
ReplyDeleteHappy flying, Dylan!