The Elusive Quest for Peace
This video explores how the devastation of religious wars in Europe led Enlightenment thinkers to propose secularism and reason as a path to peace. Modern wars—driven by nationalism, ideology, and economic interests—reveal that this diagnosis was wrong. Search for deeper causes of conflict leads to ancient philosophical ideas, like Plato’s manipulation of the masses by Philosopher Kings. Machiavelli modernized Plato, replacing the welfare of the masses, by the quest for power and wealth. In the modern era, we have learnt efficient propaganda techniques, and can persuade people to die for many kinds of causes. The talk concludes by noting that Enlightenment thinkers set a course for humanity which has led to a crisis. It is time for us to emulate their courage and vision by rejecting the tradition they have created, and forge a new course for humanity, one that would lead to peaceful societies, living in harmony with our planet.