Q&A: Man Shall Live by Intellect Alone
Man Shall Live by Intellect Alone
Question
Hello, Rabbi.
I am an enthusiastic reader of your articles, and I definitely connect to the rational, clear style of explanation, without prejudices and the like. But when I look at the world around me, which is not made up of people who think that way, I feel that “it doesn’t work” — like trying to use “game theory” thinking with laypeople. In that case I’ve lost the effect anyway, since they do not operate according to calculations of cold utilitarian logic, and so on. When one looks at the world, one sees that it is driven by other forces: emotion, desire, and more. It amazes me again and again to see people who devote their lives to things that are not logical, in my opinion, or draw enormous strength from such things, and I wonder whether I am missing something — missing spiritual, psychological, or other dimensions — while investing myself in “human intellect,” which does not contain that kind of inspiration or those kinds of powers.
What does the Rabbi think?
Answer
What does “it doesn’t work” mean? There are people — or most people — who do not function that way? So what? In my book Truth and Unstable I explained that it is easier to create self-sacrifice around things people do not understand. Things that are understood are cold and rational, and it is hard to exaggerate their importance. Maimonides already made this point in The Guide for the Perplexed when he spoke about those who prefer not to give reasons for the commandments, and called them fools.
In the past I spoke here about the admiring attitude toward the self-sacrifice of ignoramuses and unlearned people. See Column 62:
https://mikyab.net/%D7%9E%D7%91%D7%98-%D7%A2%D7%9C-%D7%94%D7%A2%D7%9E%D7%90%D7%A8%D7%A6%D7%95%D7%AA-%D7%98%D7%95%D7%A8-62/