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Many such ideas are the work of Enlightenment pamphleteers engaged in self-flattery and anti-Church propaganda (including the Protestant variety). By straw mann

Many such ideas are the work of Enlightenment pamphleteers engaged in self-flattery and anti-Church propaganda (including the Protestant variety). By straw manning the Middle Ages (especially the Middle Ages, as many of these types had an ax to grind against the Church) or the ancients as superstitious imbeciles, it makes them look better, these true men of reason, in the eyes of the ignorant whom they sought to impress. And wacky ideas like fundmentalism are likewise very new historically, but eagerly seized upon by our modern sophists who, again, have an ax to grind.

mandmandam 3y ago
> self-flattery Lol. > By straw manning the Middle Ages (especially the Middle Ages, as many of these types had an ax to grind against the Church) or the ancients as superstitious imbeciles, it makes them look better, these true men of reason, in the eyes of the ignorant whom they sought to impress. This is a great point - and still relevant. Academia does this to this day, attacking researchers like Jared Diamond, pooh-poohing the work of (very) ancient mathematicians and astronomers, or diminishing the insanely impressive craftsmanship shown in, eg, 30-50 thousand year old flutes, carved with perfect pentatonic scales. Pentatonic scales! Well over 30,000 years ago! The implications of that are astounding.