What’s the most dangerous of contemporary delusions? Answer: the belief that Islam poses little threat to non-Muslims. With the help of hard experience and the teachings of Thomas Aquinas and other Catholic thinkers, Europeans were able to see through the delusion and prevent it from taking root.
Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds is a study of crowd behavior first published in 1841 and still in print today. A combination of science and sensationalism, the book examines famous financial bubbles, such as the South Sea Company bubble, the Mississippi Company bubble, and the Dutch Tulip Mania (during which the price of some varieties of tulip bulbs soared to astronomical levels). The author also examines various other manias such as the Children’s Crusade, witch hunts, and even changing styles in hair and beards.
The book is full of comic anecdotes about foolish financial speculation and mindless manias which elicit a “how-could-they-be-so-stupid” response from the modern reader.
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Yet, a case can be made that modern man is far more susceptible to popular delusions than his ancestors of centuries ago. Consider just one of the whoppers that large segments of the population have fallen for. When Bruce Jenner, the former Olympian, declared himself a woman a number of years ago, many accepted his delusion as the truth. Media personalities were among the first to fall in line. Respected talk show hosts on both the right and the left began to refer to Mr. Jenner as “she” thus ratifying his claim. Surprisingly, even many in the medical profession put their seal of approval on the hoax. All across the land, hospitals and clinics began to offer transitioning treatments for boys who want to become girls and girls who want to become boys. More recently, during a senate hearing, a medical doctor refused to answer Senator Josh Hawley’s question “Can a man get pregnant?”, claiming that it was not a “yes-no” question.
Not a “yes -no-question?” Our ancestors may have been poorly informed about some matters, but they weren’t so stupid as to believe that a man can become pregnant. It’s not a thorny question. Just a matter of common sense and everyday observation.
Interestingly, one of the most important questions of our time was also one of the most important questions for our European ancestors. Indeed, it was a matter of life and death. Fortunately for them, they got the answer right. Unfortunately for their descendants, modern Europe (along with the U.S. and Canada) is getting it wrong.
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