I was thinking about our culture’s obsession with what it calls “science.” How did we get to the point where scientists can comment on areas of life not observable by science (such as God) and be embraced as experts? How did we get to the point where scientists assume that knowledge within the realm of science are matters of personal conviction rather than objective truth? How did we get to the point that “scientists” make assumptions about where human life begins, the side-effects of contraception, contraception and abortion as “women’s health,” in-vitro fertilization as the best option for infertile women, a biological genesis of homosexuality, etc. are made without scientific evidence? Then it occurred to me. Our culture is once again embracing “authority” as a source of truth.

Arguments using authority as a source for truth used to be very common. People who had proven themselves as trusted experts in an area were cited as proof in support of a thesis. For example, St. Thomas Aquinas often cited “The Philosopher” (Aristotle) and “The Apostle” (St. Paul). It was not necessary for Aquinas to prove what these two authorities said; the fact that they said it was proof enough. Such weight of proof was based on trust. Cited authorities had proven themselves and general consensus trusted their conclusions. Of course, for Catholics the ultimate authority was God. Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition were trusted because throughout history God had proven Himself trustworthy.

Many historians mark Descartes as the beginning of the rejection of arguments by authority. His famous dictum, “I think therefore I am,” was an assertion that the only truth of which one can be absolutely certain is his own thought. In truth, rejection of authority began before Descartes. After the medieval period of history culture began to turn more and more toward humanism, rejecting God as the source of all truth. The Protestant Reformation damaged trust in authority by casting doubt on the authority of Sacred Tradition and on the Magisterial authority instituted by Christ. Interpretation of scripture, which was seen as the only legitimate authority remaining, was left up to each individual. The Renaissance was a celebration of human ability, even though much of the subject matter in art and literature was still religious. Arguments by authority were cast in suspicious light. By the enlightenment arguments by authority were completely rejected in favor only of truth that could be proven by science and reason. By the twentieth century even reason had been rejected so that only science was considered a trustworthy source of truth.

Today scientists and “professionals” are trusted as authorities because the assumption is made that their claims to truth are based on science. There is a very large difference between the modern and the ancient reliance on tradition. Whereas the traditional use of authority was based on trust of the individual, modern use of authority is based only on the often erroneous assumption of scientific validity. “Well, he has a PhD, he must know what the science says about the subject.” Furthermore, while an appeal to authority was traditionally seen as a valid proof for an argument, it did not stand alone. Even appeals to divinely inspired authority (Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition) were paired with further proof from reason and science. Today, the word of an authority is typically accepted uncritically without need for further proof.

In one sense we have come full circle, back to the use of authority as proof. On the other hand, our current resting point is not the same place at all. While we continue to reject established authorities such as Aristotle, St. Thomas Aquinas and even God Himself, we readily and uncritically embrace unproven authorities simply because of their social status as “professionals.” In the end, by ignoring solid claims to truth through science, reason and trusted authority and embracing the unfounded opinions of so-called “professionals,” we have set ourselves up to be duped.

A related book at the From the Abbey Bookstore!

The Truth of Things by Marion Montgomery.

Against the modernist belief that truth is subjective, Montgomery promotes a return to classical philosophy and logic. She uncovers a world of academia where meaningless themed classes such as “the Literature of Vampires” have replaced systematic learning. Marion Montgomery also analyzes how this trend has affected our culture as a whole. Anti-intellectualism has even grasped the Catholic culture, and we need to be aware of its presence. Montgomery’s writing is academic and heady. You may find it difficult to absorb for long periods of time. However, this is one of those books for which perseverance pays off. The ideas Montgomery presents are absolutely enlightening.

[ad#seasonal]

Related Links:

• Do you know of good links related to this post? Let me know by leaving a comment!

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.