Liberals Hate Science Pt.1

John Locke: Not a Marxist

About a month ago, I read this little gem. I’ll save you the trouble of reading it (though please feel free to). The author, a Mr. Tom Chivers, argues that “Republicans turn their back on the Enlightenment.” His evidence is that a slim majority (52%) or Republicans reject the Theory of Evolution. In short, you hate science (assuming you’re a Republican or at least fall somewhere in line with the GOP presidential candidates. He describes you as “anti-intellectual.” Please note that only a dumbass would use the term “anti-intellectual.” Anyhoo, his premise is that you hate science. Since my degree is partly in philosophy, I have studied the Enlightenment at least a bit more than most, and would like to retort Mr. Chives’ and his assertion that people who question global warming are anti-smartness.

The Enlightenment began with Descartes. He’s largely remembered for his phrase “cogito ergo sum” or in English, “I think therefore I am.” Descartes also offered a couple proofs of God. The post-modern philosophical establishment hates Descartes because, within all this, he came about with what is called “Cartesian Dualism.” That’s a fancy term that just means there is a soul which exists separate from the body. Realize with whom you’re dealing: people who bother to come up with terms like “post-modern.” We used to call that “the future,” but go figure.

Anyway, the Enlightenment included not only Descartes, but John Locke as well. You may remember him for his arguments on property rights. He discovered the notion that a man is entitled to the value of his labor: his property. He wrote, “The labour of his body, and the work of his hands, we may say, are properly his.” That capitalist pig! Of course, back in his day, the King taxed a great deal of what a person made – nothing like today, where Congress does it. John Locke was not only one of the Enlightenment’s great thinkers, but was also the a large part of the inspiration for our Republic. He wrote during the late 17th century, and our Founders knew him well. Were our Founders wholly in Locke-step? No, of course not! They wouldn’t be famous if they were, but they knew that a basis of property must be established.

The moment the idea is admitted into society that property is not as sacred as the laws of God, and that there is not a force of law and public justice to protect it, anarchy and tyranny commence. ~ John Adams

The idea of God and private property are entirely within the realms of Enlightenment thinking. In fact, it is the Left which wants to do away with them. They’ve created a whole society with which to go about it: the post-modernists. These post-modernists seek to demolish all thought of God, or property, or anything either substantial or universal. They stand against the Enlightenment. C.S Lewis refuted them in The Abolition of Man.

This is the end of Part 1.  Please join us for Part 2, where I show how conservatives value science more than Leftists.