#628: The Rise of Secular Religion and the New Puritanism
Jul 20, 2020
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In this discussion, Jacob Howland, a recently retired philosophy professor from the University of Tulsa, delves into the emergence of a new secular religion characterized by moral absolutism. He argues that contemporary debates on race and gender have taken on a religious fervor, reminiscent of a modern Puritanism. Howland explores the influence of critical theory on societal dynamics, contrasts it with classical liberalism, and critiques the focus on group identity over individuality. His insights reveal the philosophical undercurrents shaping today’s cultural landscape.
The rise of a secular religion, referred to as the 'Church of Humanity,' is creating a new puritanism based on views of moral purity surrounding race and gender.
Critical theory, a dominant influence on this secular religion, contrasts with classical liberalism, leading to identity politics and cancel culture.
The podcast emphasizes the importance of individual growth, recognition, and the dangers of elevating humanity to the level of worship, as it can lead to the loss of transcendence and stable values.
Deep dives
The Rise of a Secular Religion
In this podcast episode, Jacob Howland discusses the rise of a secular religion, which he refers to as the 'Church of Humanity.' This new puritanism bases its idea of moral purity around views on race and gender, seeking to purge those who do not adhere to the prescribed dogma. Howland explores the roots of this phenomenon, drawing from the ideas of philosophers like Plato, Aristotle, Rousseau, and Marx. He discusses how critical theory contrasts with classical liberalism, leading to identity politics and cancel culture. The episode delves into the dangers of group analysis and the need for individual growth and recognition.
The Influence of Descartes and Rousseau
The podcast also highlights the significant influence of philosophers like Descartes and Rousseau on the development of critical theory. Descartes' emphasis on mathematical science and world-making influenced the modern idea of reshaping the world according to human needs and desires. Rousseau's notion of a corrupted society and the noble savage introduced the idea of viewing individuals as part of a collective and the possibility of reorganizing society to achieve a more harmonious state. Both philosophers laid the groundwork for the group analysis and societal reconstruction ideas found in critical theory.
The Contrast Between Liberalism and Critical Theory
The episode also explores the contrast between classical liberalism and critical theory. Liberalism values individual freedom and dignity, promoting the pursuit of happiness for each person. It emphasizes the development of individual potentialities and the importance of debate and deliberation in shaping policy. In contrast, critical theory focuses on group identity, viewing society as a zero-sum competition between groups. It seeks complete equality between groups and advocates for structural changes to address systemic oppression. The differences in focus and goals between liberalism and critical theory are discussed, highlighting the importance of individual flourishing and the limitations of collective analyses.
The Need for Individual Growth and Recognition
The podcast episode emphasizes the importance of individual growth and recognition within society. It critiques the idea of viewing individuals solely in terms of their group identity, highlighting the richness and value of individual identities, talents, and character. It argues that a society should prioritize education and development of individuals' unique qualities in order to foster a flourishing community. By valuing individual potential and promoting public debate, society can address problems and make well-informed decisions, rather than focusing solely on group dynamics and societal reconstruction.
The Dangers of Making Humanity an Object of Adoration
The podcast discusses the danger of elevating humanity to the level of worship and making it the object of adoration, emphasizing that this tendency can lead to the loss of the possibility of transcendence and the abandonment of divine measures. It highlights the potential harm of raising humanity above all else, as it leads to the worship of humanity itself, resulting in the inflation of the human world and the loss of the concept of truth, justice, and transcendence. The podcast warns that the constant changing measures of humanity in a revolutionary age can lead to chaos and the loss of stable values.
The Pitfalls of Identity Politics and Levelling
The podcast explores the pitfalls of identity politics, where people are divided into opposing groups based on victimhood and oppression. It highlights the problem of inherent impurity in individuals' identity markers such as race and gender, which cannot be washed away. The podcast makes a connection to the levelling phenomenon, emphasizing that the focus on equalizing everyone can lead to moral relativism and the loss of individuality. It suggests that the obsession with levelling and pure humanity leads to the erosion of organic communities and traditions, causing a vacuum that can be filled with destructive ideologies and movements.
There has been a lot of civil and political upheaval lately, and what makes the atmosphere particularly disorienting, is that beyond the more obvious proximate and commonly-discussed causes for the turmoil, it feels like there are even deeper cultural currents and contexts at play, that are yet hard to put one's finger on and understand. There's a fervor in the debates and conflict that almost seems . . . religious.
My guest today would say that's exactly the right word to describe the tenor of things. His name is Jacob Howland, he's a recently retired professor of philosophy, and the currents at play in today's world are things he's spent his whole career studying -- from Plato and Aristotle to the Hebrew Bible and Kierkegaard, with a particular emphasis on the political philosophy of the ancient Greeks. Howland draws on all those areas to weave together a kind of philosophical roadmap to how we've arrived at our current cultural zeitgeist. In particular, Howland makes the case that what we're seeing today is the rise of a kind of secular religion, a new Puritanism, that worships at what he calls "the Church of Humanity." This new Puritanism bases the idea of moral purity around one's views on issues like race and gender, and seeks to purge anyone who doesn't adhere to the proscribed dogma.
Jacob walks us through the tenets of the dominant influence on this secular religion -- a strain of modern thought called "critical theory" -- and offers a kind of philosophical genealogy on what led up to it, which includes the ideas of Rousseau, Marx, and Hegel. We discuss how critical theory contrasts with classical liberalism, and approaches people as members of groups rather than as individuals, and as abstractions rather than particulars, and how this lens on the world leads to identity politics and cancel culture. We delve into Kierkegaard's prophecies on the leveling of society, and how the modern tendency to make man the measure of all things can leave us feeling spiritually and intellectually empty, and looking to politics to fill an existential void it can't ultimately satisfy. We end our conversation describing the sustenance which can.
