Motivator #4

Prince Albert of England organized the Crystal Palace Exhibition in 1851 in Hyde Park. His public speech on the opening day voiced the modern confidence in human progress through the use of reason. “Nobody who has paid any attention to the peculiar features of our present era will doubt for a moment that we are living at a period of most wonderful transition, which tends rapidly to accomplish that great end to which indeed all history points—the realization of the unity of mankind.” Prince Albert’s words identified the achievements of the 19th century as the zenith of human reason and progress. Quoted in J. Richard Middleton and Brian J. Walsh, Truth Is Stranger than It Used to Be (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1995), 18-19.

I think the use of reason is a double edge sword. The use of reason has certainly brought lots of human progress in the modern world, but lots of individuals have used reason to bring about great human atrocities. It would only be several decades after Prince Albert's speech that reason and logic would be used to annihilate entire populations of individuals in Germany and other parts of Europe. Reason would be used to spark revolutions and take away individual's freedoms and rights. It must be noted that reason may or may not walk hand in hand with wisdom; I think reason is best used when it does not veer from wisdom.