The age of reason, rationality, and science, a gift of the European Renaissance, seems under attack from critics who argue that the modern world has not lived up to mankind’s expectations. Despite major advancements, anti-modernity intellectuals point to ongoing hunger, starvation, and senseless conflicts that lead to humanitarian crises, environmental destruction, and disease.
Meanwhile, those who condemn the Medieval Age as one of ignorance and superstition cite the debauchery of the Papacy, the Crusades' fanaticism, the Inquisition’s horrors, and the clerics' and kings' tyrannies. They argue that modernity rescued humanity from barbarism, promoting science, technology, and exploration. The modern age drastically reduced hunger and disease, wiping out plagues like the Justinian plague and the Black Death, which had annihilated over one-third of Europe’s population in the 14th century.
This is not the first time the Age of Reason has faced criticism. Many intellectuals have questioned the rationality behind romanticizing modernism. For instance, Christian priests who witnessed the brutalities of Latin American colonization were among the first to highlight the greed of the colonizers. Jean-Jacques Rousseau condemned the rising bourgeoisie's destructive appetite, which intensified class divisions across Europe. The Frankfurt School also challenged the belief that modernity solely brought blessings.
Critics argue that the modern age also brought horrors, including genocides, subjugation, and brutal slavery. According........