The greatest of Christian doctors were the first to admit that most of the Christian virtues had really been heathen virtues. [...] It is unjust to say that no heathens were ever merciful; it is absurd to say that no heathens were ever just [...] Upon one point and one point only, was there really a moral revolution that broke the back of human history. And that was upon the point of Humility. There was this definite thing about the best Pagan; that in him dignity did mean pride. It was a change that stood alone; and was worthy to stand alone. For it was the greatest psychological discovery that man has made, since man has sought to know himself.
It was the stupendous truth that man does not know anything, until he can not only know himself but ignore himself. He must subtract himself from the study of any solid and objective thing [...]But Pride which is the falsification of fact, by the introduction of self, is the enduring blunder of mankind. Christianity would be justified if it had done nothing but begin by detecting that blunder.
-The End of the Armistice
(collection of essays published posthumously in 1940)
No comments:
Post a Comment