Reading 186, from Rene Girard

This reign of relativism which is so striking today is due, in part, to the necessities of our time. Societies are so mixed, with such plurality of peoples. You have to keep a balance between various creeds. You must not take sides. Every belief is supposed to be accorded equal value. Inevitably, even if you are not a relativist, you must sound like one if not act like one.

As a result, we have more and more relativism. And we have more and more people who hate any kind of faith. This is especially the case in the university. And it hurts intellectual life. Because all truths are treated as equal, since there is said to be no objective Truth, you are forced to be banal and superficial. You cannot be truly committed to anything, to be “for” something—even if only for the time being.

… however, I believe in commitment. After all, … responsibility demands we must be committed to one position and follow it through.

New Perspectives Quarterly

My notes:

Girard is one of the foremost philosophers of our times. Interestingly, he was brought to belief and commitment to God through his study of literature. Proust et al helped him see God.