We see the current supreme god of the — western? No, this god now rules the whole world — that is, free market capitalism, heading us over a monstrous cliff of ecological catastrophe, which true believers call fake news. As if that were not enough, a non-sentiment life form which is barely even a life form at all has upended the whole system. Reason has failed us. But then you have pointed out before that the Enlightenment project eventually undermines itself.

COVID-19, Trump acting like he can will a vaccine into existence, what next? Is this divine retribution? I don’t know, ask Alexa. No, not that Alexa, my Alexa.

Science? Religion? Laissez-faire capitalism? Whatever. The only certainty is that reason will not save us. As species, we seem incapable of hewing to it. As always I return to the cold comfort of my old buddy, the ur-existentialist Fyodor Dostoyevsky:

“Put it to the test and cast your eyes upon the history of mankind. What will you see? Is it a grand spectacle?…it’s fighting and fighting; they are fighting now, they fought first and they fought last--you will admit, that it is almost too monotonous. In short, one may say anything about the history of the world--anything that might enter the most disordered imagination. The only thing one can’t say is that it’s rational. The very word sticks in one’s throat.”

Notes From Underground, Part 1, chapter 8.

Yet if this pandemic ever ends, I’ll gratefully go back to the completely irrational sacrament of the Eucharist. Like every fundamentally irrational human being, I am capable of a spiritual life, and that life requires sustenance.

Thanks again for showing up for Zoomaggedon II, and by all means carry on with the Godless Honor articles and the like. They are fascinating.