Four hundred years ago the world made a major step forward
in its attitude towards information, learning and thinking. We call this period
The Enlightenment. It would see the emergence of the Scientific Revolution. The
United States of America would be founded on these principles and up until the
mid-20th century that same country would reflect The Enlightenment’s values.
Then something started to happen. Amidst the solid infrastructure in western
society that was built by the forces of reason, lurked an unchecked virus.
Irrational thinking was back and it had found its way into a whole range of
areas in our society. Francis Wheen believes it first properly blossomed with
the ascension of Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Regan’s politics in the west
alongside the Ayatollah Khomeini’s rise to power in Iran. This is where his
2004 book, “How Mumbo Jumbo Conquered the World” begins.
