Another “Intellectual” Elitist Attacks Traditional Values: Why Are We Surprised?
This new book, The Soul Delusion, is just the latest volley in the ongoing war against faith and traditional values. It’s crucial we dissect this flawed attack on the soul and understand its implications for our society.
Key Takeaways:
- The author fundamentally misunderstands core religious and philosophical concepts.
- He substitutes sarcasm for genuine intellectual engagement.
- His arguments are rooted in a narrow, Western worldview he presents as universal.
Misrepresenting History and Core Beliefs
This book’s author, David Barash, seems to have a problem with basic facts. It’s troubling when someone aims to debunk centuries-old beliefs but can’t even get the history right. For example, he makes blatant errors about Aquinas and Dante, showing a shocking lack of historical literacy. He claims Aquinas identified “being” with body and “essence” with soul, a claim that is easily refuted. Similarly, he incorrectly places Dante’s Divine Comedy in the wrong historical context, confusing it with the later sale of indulgences.
More importantly, Barash fundamentally misunderstands the nuances of Christian thought. The author claims Christians believe the soul is “unchanging,” ignoring centuries of theological debate on the soul’s development. Instead of engaging with actual theological claims, he prefers to attack simplistic, popular interpretations. This is either intellectual laziness or deliberate misrepresentation – neither of which inspires confidence.
Shallow Arguments and Dismissive Tone
Instead of wrestling with complex ideas, Barash resorts to shallow arguments and a dismissive tone. The author’s understanding of dualism, the idea of body and soul as separate entities, is superficial at best. He seems unaware of hylomorphism, a key concept developed by Aquinas. By presenting Descartes as a representative of Christian thought, he sidesteps centuries of philosophical debate and creates a straw man to attack. It’s frankly insulting.
His views on metaphysics, the study of reality, are equally problematic. Instead of grappling with sophisticated arguments for the existence of God, he parrots the tired “China teapot” argument popularized by Bertrand Russell. This is not serious intellectual engagement; it’s lazy, condescending rhetoric aimed at those he clearly sees as beneath him. This is all wrapped up in language littered with terms such as “dude” and “bullshit,” better suited to a college dorm than an intellectual treatise.
A Dangerous Moral Compass
The most concerning aspect of Barash’s book is his attempt to derive morality from a soulless worldview. He supports abortion and medically assisted suicide, seemingly oblivious to the moral questions these issues raise. He naively believes evolution can provide a foundation for morality, ignoring the complexities of ethics. He also seems to think that there is such a thing as shared global morality. What about cultures that find things like slavery or female genital mutilation acceptable?
Barash champions a Western, utilitarian ethic as universally superior. He presents his own beliefs as common sense while dismissing those who disagree as deluded. This is nothing more than cultural imperialism disguised as intellectual enlightenment. It’s the same old tune from the left, dressed up with scientific jargon.
What Does This Mean for the Future?
This book is symptomatic of a broader trend: the erosion of traditional values in favor of a relativistic, secular worldview. If we abandon the concept of the soul, we risk losing our understanding of human dignity and purpose. It’s the left’s ultimate goal. This is a dangerous path that will lead to a society devoid of meaning and moral compass. We must resist these attacks on our faith and stand firm in our commitment to timeless truths.
Are we willing to sacrifice our souls for the sake of intellectual fashion?
