One of clearest signs of the irrationality of an ideology is when its proponents can’t live in the world their beliefs create.
Examples abound of this kind of insanity, but reality eventually forces adherents of incoherent philosophies to live inconsistent with their principles (which demonstrate that their worldview is not true).
At this point, I’m tempted to write about the law-making regulator’s Aug. 25 decree to ban
new gas-powered cars in California by 2035. This was followed six days later by other regulatory officials telling Californians not to charge their cars in peak hours during the current heat wave (this with only 1.2 percent of registered vehicles being electric).
Another example of this lunacy is illustrated in the life of novelist William Godwin (1756-1836), father of Mary Shelley (author of Frankenstein). Godwin, Mary and her eventual husband Percy Shelley all were strong proponents of the French Enlightenment. These Enlightenment principles (i.e., secular humanism) lead Godwin to regard marriage as a “despotic” and “odious” institution that needed to be eliminated from the world.
What made marriage so evil – in his view – was that it often prevented two people from following the “dictates of their minds.” In other words, two people who loved each other couldn’t be together because they were married to other people. While these convictions were important for Godwin as a young man – who had desires and presumably didn’t want the responsibilities of marriage – eventually he had to lie in the bed he made.
Years later, a young Percy Shelley daily visited Godwin to be mentored in his “enlightened” philosophy. Within weeks, the 21-year-old Percy told his mentor that he was leaving his wife and infant child, and intended to live with Godwin’s 16-year-old daughter Mary.
Godwin did not respond, in accordance with his ideology. Instead, he banished Percy from seeing his daughter despite having no reason (in his convictions) to prevent the two lovebirds from following “the dictates of their minds.” Percy ended up leaving with Mary anyway; along with her step-sister.
What’s good for the goose is good for the gander, I suppose.
Perhaps one of the clearest, current examples of this dilemma was recently seen in San Francisco. San Francisco is one of the most Progressive cities in our country, voting over 86 percent for Biden in the 2020 election.
In 2019, they had elected Chesa Boudin as their District Attorney. Boudin is/was one of many George Soros-funded district attorney’s around the country who hold to the progressive criminal-justice reform ideology. This philosophy leads to progressive policies such as “Bail Reform,” “Defund the Police,” and “Deincarceration.” These policies directly lead to dramatic increases in crime and has introduced “smash and grab thefts” to America.
Even the liberal Progressives in San Francisco couldn’t take the open drug use (with its effects) and the significant spike in homicides, rapes and burglaries anymore, as they overwhelmingly voted to recall him in June.
Ideas have consequences; the consequences detailed above expose the incoherence – even absurdity – of secular progressivism.
Scott Kamps writes a bi-weekly column for The Graham Star. He can be reached via email, thestableguy@frontier.com.