On Chesterton’s Lamp Post

Perspective in an Age of Opinion

“Suppose that a great commotion arises in the street about something, let us say a lamp-post, which many influential persons desire to pull down. A grey-clad monk, who is the spirit of the Middle Ages, is approached upon the matter, and begins to say, in the arid manner of the Schoolmen, "Let us first of all consider, my brethren, the value of Light. If Light be in itself good--" At this point he is somewhat excusably knocked down. All the people make a rush for the lamp-post, the lamp-post is down in ten minutes, and they go about congratulating each other on their unmediaeval practicality. But as things go on they do not work out so easily. Some people have pulled the lamp-post down because they wanted the electric light; some because they wanted old iron; some because they wanted darkness, because their deeds were evil. Some thought it not enough of a lamp-post, some too much; some acted because they wanted to smash municipal machinery; some because they wanted to smash something. And there is war in the night, no man knowing whom he strikes. So, gradually and inevitably, to-day, to-morrow, or the next day, there comes back the conviction that the monk was right after all, and that all depends on what is the philosophy of Light. Only what we might have discussed under the gas-lamp, we now must discuss in the dark.” -Gilbert Keith Chesterton, in his book Heretics.

Since my initial reading of this book, and specifically this certain essay, I am struck by its profound truth in a variety of ways.

Doesn’t life depend on our perspective? The grey-clad monk had a very philosophical approach to life. When given the issue of whether to tear down a light post, his first strategy was to think through the implications of light, and the effect which tearing it down should have on the neighborhood. Meanwhile, there existed a plethora of other perspectives on the lamp post. Some merely viewed it as an obstruction to their evil deeds; some just wanted to smash something, etc.

The men proceeded to push down the grey-clad monk. Often, we focus on our very own reason to accomplish whatever our end goal, without stopping to consider a more thoughtful approach, even going so far as to push those views out of our way, so that we may proceed without thought or exposure to another point of view.

After the lamp post was smashed, war reigned in the night. And alas, no one could tell who was striking whom, as the light of the lamp post was no longer there to lend sight, so that their self-destruction was inevitable. Indeed, it is a common occurrence in life. We become so blinded with our purpose, that, having not thought through the implications of an action, we commit that action, creating for ourselves a worse situation than before.

Finally, I will simply quote the last of this story. I desire this to have the same impact on my readers as it did upon myself, so please read the entire story again.

“…Gradually and inevitably, to-day, to-morrow, or the next day, there comes back the conviction that the monk was right after all, and that all depends on what is the philosophy of Light. Only what we might have discussed under the gas-lamp, we now must discuss in the dark.”