The Phenomenon of Enlightenment - Case Study Example

Running Head: An Illusion Enlightenment and progress An Illusion Enlightenment and progress Name: Institution: Date An Illusion enlightenment and progress Although the phenomenon of enlightenment was coined some times back in the eighteenth century by very important and key figures like Kant, JS Mill, Weber among others, many would agree that it continues to present a far-reaching impact even in the modern society. To some extent, its overall rule of rationality can be said to have significantly brought about confidence in human reasoning. In the same vein, other benefits associated with enlightenment include but not limited to rule of law, liberal democracy, and market economy (Murad Wilfred Hofman, 2009). This has been attributed to its guiding assumptions for instance supreme confidence inhuman reasoning to a level where humanity remains the measure of all things, rejection of metaphysics and reduction of philosophy to epistemology, in the words of Heinrich Kanz ( 1993)’ enlightened is humankinds’ emergence from a self-created cocoon of immaturity and ignorance”. Other principles or assumptions include unlimited progress, Belief in a Supreme Being (Deism). While in deed enlightenment has brought about some positive fruits. This raises an important question: As ultimate progress been achieved as envisioned by the key figures? In addressing this question, I argue that progress is an illusion as illustrated by the 9/11 attacks. Enlightenment persists to be part of our academic and cultural practice; as we struggle to advance our understanding at the university, to change and develop the world. A study of this nature is therefore very important as it will give use more insight on the topic and its relevance to the modern society. This paper gives an analysis in some details, enlightenment discussed by key philosophical figures and its relations to religion, nationality and terrorism with a special focuses on the 9/11 terror attacks in the US soil. The starting point will the review of conclusion drawn by the US government in relation to the 9/11 terror attacks. This will then be followed by an overview of enlightenment while also trying to evaluate its relevance to the 9/11 terror attacks. This will be accomplished by focusing on three domains: whether science and technological advancement contribute to evil, mass killings and violation of human right, whether religion can push a man to act irrationally in creating unjustified evil, 9/11 event and man’s ability to do evil and lastly looking at failure or success of progress in relation to the happiness or well being of people. Finally, the paper will conclude by completing the various critique of enlightenment in light of the previous analyses. The 9/11 terror attacks and conclusion drawn by the US government In the last decade, the western world to deal and work through seemingly endless stages of grief following the loss of life and liberty of the victims of the tragedy enacted in New York on twin towers which housed a ‘League of Nations’ on September 11th, 2001 by those who pursued a terrorist agenda. They involve primary distress, feelings of resentment, an expressive release followed by hopelessness, loneliness, fright, blame and an incapability to go back to usual life. This state was then followed by emotional healing and readjustment to new way of viewing things or realities. The perpetrators sought to hit a personal rage at the core of the western awareness and it’s affecting welfare. And this was a big surprise to America who has enjoyed an immunity and peace for quiet some times (Derekh Cornwell & Bryan Roberts, 2009). Immediately after the attack, a commission was formed by the Bush Administration to look into what happened. Several conclusion was made most notably, the controversial failures of failures of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency and Federal Bureau of Investigation allowed the terrorist attacks to happen and that had these agencies acted more intelligently and more insistently, the attacks could potentially have been avoided. Secondly, it was concluded that al-Qa’ida group was solely responsible for the attack. This group is associated with Islam and therefore after the 9/11, Muslims find themselves increasingly accused of “archaic backwardness archaic backwardness: Due to the “fact” that it had “missed” its Enlightenment, it had remained a pre-Enlightenment religion (Murad Wilfred Hofman, 2009). Overview of Enlightenment The enlightenment is simply the age in the record of western notion and culture, extending approximately from the mid-decades of the 17thC through the 18th C, distinguished by dramatic revolutions in science, philosophy, society and politics; these revolutions swept away the medieval world-view and ushered in our modern western world. Relevance Conclusion made by the US government after the 9/11 terror attack made it clear that in this modern world, the unevenness, imbalance, conflict, and above all competing claims of truth and value which Weber 1994, calls “the fight among the gods” pose a great challenge to the so-called enlightenment or rationalistic order of global capitalism and liberal democracy, an order that implies progression towards the Kantian ideal of "perpetual peace." Enlightened thinkers like Kant, J.S Mill, and Weber among others were generally confident in their belief that one could employ normal principles to address issues of social relations, just as they employed wisdom to comprehend and control the innate world. This culminated to their strong belief and enlightened belief in social development as well as the related confidence that the standards of the Enlightenment would finally end in a utopian society. Kant for instance explains Enlightenment as the moment or that time when humankind is going to put its own rationality to work, devoid of subjecting itself to any influence (Heinrich Kanz, 1993). This can be used guiding towards what can be known, known, what must be done, and what may be hoped. Illegitimate uses of reason are what give rise to dogmatism and heteronomy, along with illusion and to sum it all, it is what allowed the terror attack. Again, what happened in 9/11 was the exact opposite of Kant’s notion of the absolute duty of all men everywhere and at all times to subscribe to the cause of peace designed to attain untrammeled human dignity and in the prospect of eternal peace. The 9/11 terror attack is the direct opposite of what these key figures envisioned and thus demonstrates that the ideal society is still beyond our reach but just and illusion. In overall, the incident of 9/11 revolves around religion, nationality and terrorism. To start with, the incident would have been averted if the security personnel were people who value their nationality, they would not have “slept on the job”. Again, religion was misused as a way to justify the attacks as will be discussed in the following section (Zhang, Xudong, 2004). Progress in science and the tendency to do evil Science is as a result of rationality as advocated by the key figures has contributed to some man’s tendency to do evil in various ways. According to Heinrich Kanz ( 1993), the overestimating of human reasoning and the cosmic validity of human logic, combined with the fatal assumption that humanity was the measure of all things not excluding scientific materialism, can be said to have led to a general decline of religion and the appearance of a ruthless cult of efficiency. Besides, the original Protestant assertion initiated a crisis of authority regarding religious belief, a crisis of authority that, extended and widespread and yet, to some degree, secularized, becomes a central characteristic of the enlightenment spirit. Under these circumstances, of secularization, it becomes easier for an individual to do evil, create significant damage, mass killings as well as the opportunity to violate human rights. Religion and evil Religion ahs been considered by many authors like (Heinrich Kanz, 1993; Cox R W et al., 1995; Harold Motzki, 2002; Charles Krauthammer, 2004; Murad Wilfried Hofmann, 2008 and Derekh Cornwell & Bryan Roberts, 2009) to sometimes harmful to the individual through brain washing particularly children, and also harmful to society through holy wars and terrorism still others view it as impeding the progress of science. Sometimes religious contribute to secular wars and terrorism by endorsing or supporting the violence, war and terrorism. In relation to 9/11 and excavating to the bottomless of all facets of Islam, church leaders, and western politicians similar uncovered an overabundance of components that might have led to the Osama bin Laden and al-Qa’ida occurrences. These involved religious prejudice, prior employment of desperate attacks, and the Qur’anic notion of jihad (Harold Motzki, 2002). Those that carried out the attack are associated with very powerful religious convictions. These behaviors of religious terrorism are viewed by the terrorists as skirmishes in the context of a much bigger worldwide religious war. Derekh Cornwell & Bryan Roberts (2009) have both argued that although the causes of terrorism are complex, it may be that terrorists are partially reassured by their religious views that God is on their side and will reward them in heaven for punishing unbelievers. This basically implies, both implicitly and explicitly, that without religion, the horrific 9-11 attacks would not have occurred. Man evil nature and evaluation of progress. The 9/11 terror attack incident is a confirmation of Mankind’s recorded history a collection of wars, it evil tendency. This means that the key figures were overambitious since attaining universal peace is impossible particularly when rationality is not applied adequately. In the same line, it is clear that progress has been a major failure since it has not considered the happiness a well being of people. For instance, advance in science and technology has been used the wrong way to create weapons of mass destruction particularly for war and disturbance to the general peace. Conclusion The paper reviewed the role of progress to the general peace in light of enlightenment as advocated by the key figures. It also tried to answer related questions in relation to the general progress as advocated by the aforementioned personalities. Though enlightenment has been achieved to a very small extent as evidenced by the new science revolution among other things, its full realization is still beyond the modern society as illustrated by the 9/11 terror attack which would otherwise be averted. True enlightment where one use knowledge for purely good is not possible unless one remains in the middle where good and evil can coexist. References Ben Luongo (2009). The neoconservative war on modernity: The Bush Doctrine and its resistance to legitimation Theses and Dissertations. Paper 2074 Charles Krauthammer (2004). Democratic Realism: An American Foreign Policy for a Unipolar World.February 12, 2004 Cox R W et al (1995), International Political Economy: Understanding Global Disorder (ed.) K van der Pijl, J N Rosenau, Y Sakamoto. Fernwood Publication. Halifax, Nova Scotia. Derekh Cornwell & Bryan Roberts (2009). The 9/11 Terrorist Attack and Overseas Travel to the United States: Initial Impacts and Longer-Run Recovery office of immigration Statistics Policy Directorate, USA Harold Motzki, (2002). The Origins of Islamic Jurisprudence: Meccan Fiqh before the Classical Schools Leiden: Brill, 2002. Heinrich Kanz (1993). IMMANUEL KANT (1724–1804) international bureau of education, vol. xxiii, no. 3/4, 1993, p. 789–806 Paris, UNESCO. Murad Wilfried Hofmann (2008). Has Islam Missed Its Enlightenment? The American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences 19:3 Zhang, Xudong 2001 (2004). Multiplicity or Homogeneity? The Cultural-Political Paradox of the Age of Globalization Cultural Critique - 58, fall 2004, pp. 30-55 Read More