Spinoza thinks that superstition is irrational; he believes that it is people’s fear and constant need to be in control that drives them to do and believe in things that rational people normally wouldn’t. When Spinoza says “…can only trust to luck, wobbling miserably between hope and fear. That makes them ready to believe anything that will calm them down” (Treatise 2) he understands that what makes people believe irrational things is their need for hope and control. It is extremely comforting to ‘know’ that everything that happens, good or bad, is caused by God/s and that it is in response to something one did (i.e. prayer) that caused the good or bad to happen. Spinoza is not against religion. He just disagrees with the superstitions that are so often attached with much of religion. Even though he wrote about superstition a few hundred years ago, much of his arguments still have relevance today. People let their fears and insecurities get the best of them all the time and will believe anything – no matter how unreasonable – so long as it comforts them.
Spinoza thinks that “superstition-switching” causes many outbreaks of disorder and war (Treatise 3). He thinks that it causes disorder and war because he believes that people are unhappy and are constantly looking for new superstitions that have not yet deceived them. This constant search for something different causes disorder and chaos as people get fed up with one superstition, start cursing it and try to find something new. It causes disorder because switching ends up upsetting the leaders or followers of their previous superstition who are desperate for power and control. Throughout the history of this world, there has been much pain caused in the name of superstitious ideas and the desperate need for power and control of people’s beliefs.
What is it that keeps some people so attracted to superstitions that even though they are deceived by them, they will either continue to believe in them or simply switch to belief in another irrational superstition. Obviously, fear and need for constant control is part of what drives them to continue to be deceived by irrationality and superstition. However, I think that there must be something more to it. There are many things that deceive people and even if that thing is driven by something as strong as a need for control and hope, if one is deceived by it enough times they will come to accept that it is not true. What is it that changes when the deceiving belief is superstition?
I agree that much of Spinozas arguments still have relevance today as today we are living a world where political and economic are of major concern to people or at least they should be. Fear is a powerful emotion that supersedes rational thought; humans tend to be dominated by emotions. In Spinozas opinion religious leaders play into peoples irrationality and they take away the true spirit of religion, Spinoza has a great intolerance for religious leaders. I think that superstition is easy for people to turn to, as people put superstition in a religious context, they don’t allow themselves to think as it’s easier to accept what comes there way is meant to be.
ReplyDeleteI also agree that fear is a main reason as to why people turn to believe in superstitions, even though superstitions tend to deceive. Spinoza believes that people cannot govern themselves by reason but instead have completely emotional responses. Since they are goverened by their emotions they turn over their natural rights to the sovereign, which they hope will use reason to govern.
ReplyDeleteThe argument you are making is very relevant still to today’s society because in reality humans are finite and are not in control of their own lives. Their emotions, rather than reason or intellect, are so much more powerful and controlling. It is for this reason that fear, an everyday emotion, really drives humans to what they would or would not do, and through fear we get superstition. However, superstition usually only ends up causing extra turmoil for a society in general.
ReplyDeleteI agree that fear has been a motivator, possibly the main and most crucial one, in guiding people's actions both in the past throughout history, and in more modern times. With fear, action becomes based on rash decision, rather than any kind of rationality. People fear things they can't control, and thus look for something to help them gain a semblance of control. However, this form of "stability" is often placed upon religion, government, and other institutions that have a knack for abusing their power and trying to keep the public in a subtle form of fear and misdirection in order to keep the power they've gained.
ReplyDeleteWhen Spinoza mentions superstition, I am taking it mainly to relate to religion – and I am therefore curious to know how he differentiates between the common person’s tendency towards superstition and their ability to follow real religion, since he says that it is human nature to “endlessly [make] up fictions, and interpret nature in amazing ways implying that the whole of nature is as crazy as they are” (2). Even in his ideal scenario where citizens hand over their Natural Rights to the sovereign (“the defenders and interpreters not only of civil law but also of sacred law”), wouldn’t it follow that the common person would still tend towards twisting their religious understanding when they are having a bad experience and in need of hope or wanting to gain control (7)?
ReplyDeleteSuperstitions are based from emotions and chance. When one doesn't know what to believe, a simple made up answer is the most comforting solution to take. Spinoza's explanation of superstitions is very accurate even to this day. Even though religion isn't the only reason to believe in superstition anymore; the same causes of a superstition exist. Whenever finding an answer or solution through rationality and intellect is very difficult, emotions tend to evoke one's self into believing the irrational or in other words superstition. Superstitions are another way of releasing what is unknown and finding comfort.
ReplyDeleteWith regards to superstition in religion, people may submit to these irrational beliefs because of society and the social benefit of inclusion, and fluctuate between superstitions because of their interest of the good. People were probably giving way to superstition in religion to avoid what sociologists call “Anomie,” i.e., social alienation, a social instability caused when an individual abandons social moral codes (religion in this case). Moreover, the structure of religion provides people with a social benefit by giving them a chance to be a part of something bigger than themselves. As for “Superstition Switching,” people alter between delusions in search to find which fallacy will manifest the greatest amount of good in their lives.
ReplyDeleteIt's true fear is a powerful tool to motivate the mob but it's not the only thing what empowers the superstition or change. I think it involves multiple aspects of emotions such as sorrow, discontent, anger, jealousy, fear, of course, etc. Like Sol said "insecurities get the best of them...will believe anything," well maybe not anything but what is practical or simply what makes sense. Humans are prone to superstition because they are superficial they hardly look in-depth because they don't know or lack knowledge to interpret what they don't know. And so humans let their emotions be the deciding factor to gain control of stability.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the comments concerning people turning to superstition in times of enhanced emotion. Spinoza states that, "People are endlessly making up fictions, and interpret nature in amazing ways implying that the whole of nature is as crazy as they are" (2). Some people certainly have a tendency to interpret things in nature as omens, signs, etc to satisfy their extreme emotional state. For instance, seeing a sign from a loved one in a time of grief. It is not my intention to simply dismiss other people's beliefs as irrational, but I thought this was an interesting statement.
ReplyDeleteSpinoza points out that superstition are brought on by people’s fears and hopes of uncertain fortunes. People who don’t know their true selves and when they have no direct plan; it allows him/her to be subjected to his fears. People’s emotions are irrational and so are there superstitions. Fear arises by imagination and the unknown events that occur in their lives. Spinoza also points out that the church has used superstitious religion to control their people. I agree with Sol, when he states: “Spinoza is not against religion. He just disagrees with the superstitions that are so often attached with much of religion”. The church wants people to stay fearful to suppress them into being clear of free thought, and without this free thought then there will be no freedoms. People who are not in control of their own lives are easily controlled by there leaders. It isn’t much different from today, the leaders of our country try to keep us in the dark about things, and only tell us what they want us to know. Therefore, much hasn’t changed from the past to the present. Whether it is religious leaders, or our own government, they are still trying to keep us under their control.
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