Essay Questions

Who were the fatalists?

Fatalism is a philosophical idea according to which a person is not in charge of his or her own destiny but rather is controlled by fate. The fatalists refuse to believe they can do something to better their lives and see themselves as being powerless and even not in charge of their own decisions. Fatalism can also be compared with resignation because the fatalists do not think they can change anything about their future and so they have a passive attitude towards it. The narrator mentions fatalism because many people tended to put in the same category the description of the intelligent man as saw by the author and the fatalist. However, the narrator tries to make a point by pointing out how the two are different and should not be considered as being the same ideology.

Why is Christianity presented as being evil?

In the second argument, the narrator defines good, evil, and happiness. In this context, happiness is defined as being everything that makes someone’s power increase, good is power and evil is the same as weakness. The reason why Christianity is described as being evil is because its main purpose is to help the weak. Christianity puts a great emphasis on those who need help, on making sure everyone is saved and finds God and a purpose in their life. According to the narrator, this only entitles the weak people in the society and makes them think that everything is alright no matter what they do. However, according to the narrator this is evil and thus, by association, Christianity is evil as well.

Why is the Renaissance period hailed as being the golden age of mankind?

The narrator describes the Renaissance period as being the time in human history when humanity reached its peak. The narrator goes as far as to claim that society today is less advanced than the society during the Renaissance era. The reason why the narrator claims this has mainly to do with the religious aspect. Until the Renaissance, religion dictated what was good and right in the world. They did not let humanity think for itself and instead imposed a set of rules which helped no one expect the clergy and the church. When Renaissance came, religion slowly started to lose its power because the general idea was that a man should learn how to think for himself. As a result, many people separated themselves from religion and either became atheists or moderate religious people, not believing everything the church told them. In this sense, because religion was questioned, the Renaissance period is described as being the golden era of humanity.