Contrasting the Influences of History and Idealism

In 'How To Read A Book' Mortimer Adler claims: 'Satires and pictures of philosophical utopias have little effect [on the actions of men]; we would all like the world to be better, but we are seldom inspired by the recommendations of authors who do no more than describe, often bitterly, the difference between the real and the ideal. History, which tells us of the actions of men of the past, often does lead us to make changes, to try to better our lot.'

I disagree with this statement. History certainly influences and inspires men. It serves as an example, a reliable guide and framework. It provides valuable insights into the nature of mankind. The knowledge of the past, of the things that have gone before, aids us in living the present and progressing into the future. But I think that to say that philosophical utopias and descriptions of idealistic worlds seldom do the same is an enormous mistake. (Although, perhaps the statement may be somewhat accurate when it comes to satires.) Communism, a massive movement that controlled much of the world not long ago, is based on an ideal utopia - and almost certainly drew on Thomas More's book, (which I do not, by the way, condone.) It was a thing that had never been done before, an idea, a philosophical utopia. It was a dream of equality among mankind, something that has never before succeeded. It was not inspired by history. The French Revolution is another example. So is James Oglethorpe's Georgia experiment. Even the early Christians of the New Testament were giving their lives, not for anything that really had to do with history, but for an idea - a utopia, (though definitely separate from the rest of its kind, in that it was the 'real thing' in a manner of speaking.) Ideas that haven't been tried before are appealing to men. They are stronger than the mere remembrance of the actions of the men of the past.

I'm not exactly sure why Adler said what he said, or exactly what he meant by it. He is a very intelligent, educated man, and I respect him immensely, but I still question this.

What do you think?

What Is Hope?

This quote, from Tolkien's mythological work, 'Morgoth's Ring,' has never been found in any other of his manuscripts. I think that this is one of my favorite quotes from him - especially the last paragraph.

In order to understand the following passage, I think it may be helpful to realize that Tolkien had purposefully created a pre-redemption world, but just because it was not a key theme in his books does not mean that he was trying to avoid the Redemption theme. Some people say that because Tolkien's books do not focus on the Redemption, like most of Lewis's do, they are not worth reading. I think that this passage might be the key to understanding some of the theology behind the pre-Lord of the Rings mythology, especially the Ainulindale. Also, as an afterthought, isn't it interesting to think that Tolkien was never able to finish the Silmarillion or most of his other First and Second Age books? I often wonder what they would have been if he had lived to complete them...

‘Have ye then no hope?’ said Finrod.

‘What is hope?’ she said. ‘An expectation of good, which though uncertain has some foundation in what is known? Then we have none.’

‘That is one thing that Men call “hope”,’ said Finrod. ‘Amdir we call it, “looking up”. But there is another which is founded deeper. Estel we call it, that is “trust”. It is not defeated by the ways of the world, for it does not come from experience, but from our nature and first being. If we are indeed the Eruhin, the Children of the One, then He will not suffer Himself to be deprived of His own, not by any Enemy, not even by ourselves. This is the last foundation of Estel, which we keep even when we contemplate the End: of all His designs the issue must be for His Children’s joy. Amdir you have not, you say. Does no Estel at all abide?’

‘Maybe,’ she said . . . ‘It is believed that healing may yet be found, or that there is some way of escape. But is this indeed Estel? Is it not Amdir rather; but without reason: mere flight in a dream from what waking they know: that there is no escape from darkness and death?’

‘Mere flight in a dream you say,’ answered Finrod. ‘In dream many desires are revealed; and desire may be the last flicker of Estel. But you do not mean dream, Andreth. You confound dream and waking with hope and belief, to make the one more doubtful and the other more sure . . .

‘What then was this hope, if you know?’ Finrod asked.

‘They say,’ answered Andreth: ‘they say that the One will himself enter into Arda, and heal Men and all the Marring from the beginning to the end. . . . How could Eru enter into the thing that He has made, and than which He is beyond measure greater? Can the singer enter into his tale or the designer into his picture?’

‘He is already in it, as well as outside,’ said Finrod . . . ‘For, as it seems to me, even if He in Himself were to enter in, He must still remain also as He is: the Author without. And yet, Andreth, to speak with humility, I cannot conceive how else this healing could be achieved. Since Eru will surely not suffer Melkor to turn the world to his own will and to triumph in the end. Yet there is no power conceivable greater than Melkor save Eru only. Therefore Eru, if He will not relinquish his work to Melkor, who must else proceed to mastery, then Eru must come in to conquer him. More: even if Melkor (or the Morgoth that he has become) could in any way be thrown down or thrust from Arda, still his Shadow would remain, and the evil that he has wrote and sown as a seed would wax and multiply. And if any remedy for this is to be found, ere all is ended, any new light to oppose the shadow, or any medicine for the wounds: then it must, I deem, come from without.’

-J. R. R. Tolkien, Morgoth's Ring

A Glimpse of Something Different, A Glimpse and Nothing More...

I was reading C.S. Lewis's 'Mere Christianity' a few days ago, and one line really caught my attention. C.S. Lewis has lots of great lines in that book and he is a master at handling words and ideas, but this one is perhaps one of his best, and I thought I would share it with you.

In his chapter on Hope, he says,

'Most people, if they had really learned to look into their own hearts, would
know what they do want, and want acutely, something that cannot be had in this
world.'

That is so true. But they can never quite put their finger on what it is, and they only know that they will never be satisfied without it. Then a man (or a woman) will convince himself that a cure for that longing must exist, and that if he will only go on trying he will find it. But he tries to find it the wrong way. I think that trying to find it the wrong way often has terrible results and accounts for lots of the dreadful things that are destroying our society. I think that these unsatisified, unaccounted for desires are exploited and perverted by the world, which tells us that it can satisfty them for us, if we would just do what it tells us to. And As Lewis says, then he goes on all his life thinking that if he only tried another woman, or went for a more expensive holiday or tried another career, or whatever it is, then, this time, he really would catch the mysterious something we are all after. He may search everywhere on earth, but so long as he is searching on earth he will always be disapointed. Eventually, he will probably despair of finding it at all, a thing which, I think, accounts for the drastic number of suicidals that we have today. He may go on with his life, though, he may 'decide that the whole thing was moonshine,' and repress and stifle that part of himself that used to 'cry for the moon.'

C.S. Lewis goes on to say,

'But supposing infinite happiness really is there? Supposing one really can
reach the rainbow's end? The Christian says, 'If I find in myself a desire which
no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I
was made for another world. Probably earthly pleasures were never meant to
satisfy it, but only to arouse it, to suggest the real thing. If that is so, I
must take care, on the one hand, never to despise, or be untahnkful for, these
earthly blessings, and on the other, never to mistake them for the something
else of which they are only a kind of copy, or echo, or mirage. I must keep
alive in myself the desire for my true country, under or turned aside; I must
make it the main object of life to press on to that other country and to help
others to do the same.'

Which reminds me of some lines of a poem that I posted recently.

A glimpse of something different,
A glimpse and nothing more
But the passing shadows gives to life
What it never had before.

Far away in the future,
Far away in the past,
Something to come in the silence,
Something to come at the last.

Wise Words From Ronald Reagan

"No arsenal, or no weapon in the arsenals of the world, is so formidable as the will and moral courage of free men and women."

Wise Words From Albert Camus

"I would rather live my life as if there is a God and die to find out there isn't, than to live my life as if there isn't, and die to find out there is."