Superstition in Eighteenth century England - Essay Example

Superstition in Eighteenth century England number Superstition in Eighteenth century England Superstition existed in eighteenth century England as a result of various social and political factors. Despite being dubbed as the age of reason and an age that prioritized rationality above all else, superstitions existed in the eighteenth century in England in a major way. These were beliefs that could not be explained away using the major philosophical force of the age, that of rationality and reason. Believing in the exclusive power of the human mind to rationalize, a feature that set him aside and above the beasts, philosophers f the eighteenth century sought to replace an order of dogma and irrational beliefs with frameworks that would depend solely on reason. The thought of earlier thinkers like Rene Descartes that had spread to England as well, was instrumental in driving this movement forward. However, superstitions that were previously a part of the cultural ethos of the English populace refused to fade away and stayed. There are many reasons behind this obstinate refusal to vanish and this paper shall attempt to discuss these and find in texts of literature that were produced during this period of time references to these and attempts to understand the phenomenon. This paper shall look at two texts of the eighteenth century English writer, Jonathan Swift, who satirized not only the superstitions that existed during this period but also forces that existed in opposition to the superstitious beliefs of the English. The eighteenth century was a period of time when England was leaving no stone unturned in its efforts to gain ascendancy in the sea and also in the race to gain new colonies. The rise of the bourgeoisie marked this colonial expansionist drive in England, leading to massive social upheavals and shifts in the social tectonics of eighteenth century England. As in societies that experience such shifts in their social frameworks, the English society too, comprised two separate sections that consisted of people of conservative ideological orientations and those of modern beliefs; those with modern beliefs being the ones that rejected outrightly most of the superstitious beliefs that existed in England at that point of time in history. The people in England who rejected superstitious beliefs were mostly on the side of the people who sought to lessen the influence of the church on matters of the state. The opposing camp, as it logically follows and as was empirically observed during the eighteenth century in England, was in favor of the church. The existence of superstition and the absence, to a certain extent, of reason would have enabled the church to carry on its affairs in a smooth manner. This can be explained on the basis of the fact that the church functioned on the basis of an irrational fear that existed in the minds of the believers, a majority of whom could not access the bible for themselves owing to the poor educational standards that prevailed then in England. An absolute reign of reason would oust religion from the position of supremacy that it held in the minds of its believers. The rejection of the powers of reason would imply a worldview that could accommodate religion as the supreme force that directs the actions of the society and the individual. The church thus, sought to give greater importance to certain superstitions, appealing to the spiritual feelings of the Christian believers to accept these as the edicts of god, passed on by the earthly communicants of His command, the clergy. The acceptance of rationality as the governing force behind the normal activities of a person’s life would reduce the significance of the activities of the church that depended on the suspension of this very faculty to attain its goal of procuring for the mass of it believers salvation and happiness in a life other than the earthly one. Superstition thus came to be explained in certain instances through the employment of forces that were beyond the power of mortals to explain. The rationalist thinkers of the enlightenment were against such explanations and sought to explain them, as opposed to an acceptance of them without entering into a process of questioning and skepticism, as advocated by the church. This led to conflicts between the two parties that both were unable to solve without conceding ground that could not then be regained. The existence of a middle ground was however, a condition that was considered desirable and such a middle ground, if not shown, is at least hinted at in the works of Jonathan Swift. The concept of superstitions in the eighteenth century England was different from the definitions of superstitions that are followed today around the world. The eighteenth century English concept of the superstition considered it to be something spiritual. The concept of the superstition involved aspects that were similar to aspects of religion. A blind acceptance of certain phenomena without questioning it, almost in the same way that one would accept the existence of god and the right of the church and the clergy to exercise a certain amount of control over the believers was characteristic of superstitious beliefs of the eighteenth century English society. This framework that was supported by religious structures was under threat from an increasingly materialist society that did not give much importance to religion except in a very utilitarian way. Superstitions were sometimes nothing but errors in the understanding of religion and spirituality; these errors were sometimes encouraged by the church to further the vested interests of the clergy that sought to maintain the supremacy of the church and the aristocracy in a society where the importance of either was fast diminishing. The effects of this conflict were seen in the deeply divided Victorian era which followed the eighteenth century. Swift, in his writings, depicts the folly of following paths that are utterly rationalist and paths that follow the opposite. In Gulliver’s Travels, he portrays lands that are inhabited by strange creatures that are human in their sensibilities but not so in their appearance. The Lilliputians, with their tiny size, can hardly be referred to as humans; neither can the houyhnhnms, who are rational horses. The Laputans and the yahoos are humans but are hardly human in their sensibilities. The anatomically human characters in the work are thus devoid of human sensibilities while the non-human ones are not. Having destabilized notions of humanness in the very framework of his work, Swift proceeds to debunk the rational and the superstitious ways of living. The extremes of rationality and religious superstition are critiqued in the novel through a critique of the godlessness of the rational creatures like the houyhnhnms and the Laputans, and the lack of rationality in creatures like the yahoos. The middle path is hinted at in the depiction of the Lilliputians who are held up as the model of a fine blend of both, which results in their peace and happiness, which in some senses are destroyed by Gulliver and their squabbles with their neighboring countries over issues of religious superstition like the matter of which end to break an egg at. This is an oblique reference to the trivial matters of religious superstition that caused a protestant England to be at enmity with catholic Spain. While pointing out the flaws of religious superstition in the possible utopia of Lilliput, Swift also points out other religious qualities of theirs as the reasons for their prosperity. The small physical size of the Lilliputians may be read in a metaphorical manner and it may be taken to be an indicator of their humility that is a quality that is considered to be essential for every Christian to possess. Thus, for Swift, religion and its positive effects are to be retained while the superstitions that are associated with are to be discarded (Swift). In another work of his, A Tale of a Tub, he again discusses how discarding religion entirely and being entirely rational may not produce results that are as desirable as those that are produces by following the middle path. The paths that are followed by the completely conformist brother or the non-conformist brother are not endorsed by Swift. Superstition in these works of his, consist in an understanding of the ways in which distortions may appear in works that are initially well-meaning (Swift). One is able to understand that the superstitions of the eighteenth century England were largely due to the incongruities between pace of progress of the commercial structures like trade and commerce and the religious structures like the church. The bourgeoisie and increasing industrialization forced the people to think in a more rational way, about the material prospects that they had on the earth rather than in heaven. The religious structures that gave rise to the superstitions and the dogma that characterized this age was seen by the emergent classes that consisted largely of the bourgeoisie as ones that serve to uphold the supremacy of the aristocracy. Much of the superstition that was prevalent in the England of the eighteenth century owed its existence to religious structures that saw in them props to uphold the sanctity of religion and thwart the influence of material conditions of life. Ironically, colonial expansion depended largely on religion to provide itself with an excuse to continue. It was carried on under the pretext of civilizing the pagans belonging to other communities and saving their souls from eternal damnation. As mentioned earlier in this paper, the definitions of superstition were different from the present ones, in eighteenth century English society. Writers like Swift, with an almost prophetic ability, foresaw the schisms in the society that would be a result of the conflicts between religion and superstition on the one side and materialism on the other. Through the methods of satire and humor, Swift is able to present a critique of the superstitious beliefs of the eighteenth century in England. He is also able to draw his readers’ attention to the role that religion plays in the conflict. Finally, one may say that the middle path that Swift advocated in his works was the most sensible choice available to the people of the eighteenth century. While present day readers have the advantage of historical hindsight of centuries regarding this matter, it is remarkable that Swift was able to identify these issues that were of his own age. The age that he lived in was one that was beginning to be torn apart by these and other schisms that would lead to the demise of an organic society forever as was testified by the ages that followed. Works Cited Swift, Jonathan. “A Tale of a Tub”. The Writings of Jonathan Swift. Eds. Greenberg, Robert A.; Piper, William B. New York: Norton, 2000. Swift, Jonathan. “Gulliver’s Travels”. The Writings of Jonathan Swift. Eds. Greenberg, Robert A.; Piper, William B. New York: Norton, 2000. Read More