I think to recognize a great work, one has to ask themselves two questions. How did this work affect the people of its time, and how have the ideas in this work evolved to influence the trajectory of discussion? When a work of literature strikes waves and results in other works being derivative of itself, this hints at a great work. For example, references to the works of Shakespeare are rampant in modern western culture, from films borrowing their plots from his own, or the countless pop songs that reference ‘Romeo and Juliet’. To my understanding, the standard for a great work is that the ideas presented within such a work capture a part of the essence of their culture, and that this permits a meaningful discussion surrounding the work.
My first introduction to Alexander Pope’s ‘Essay on Man’ was actually through a detailed reading on Candide. Looking back, ‘Essay on Man’ was parodied heavily in Candide, in which Pangloss, a metaphysico-theologico-cosmolo-nigologist said that we live in the best of all possible worlds because everything that is created serves some form of end. In his book, the idea of this being the best of all worlds is treated as uneducated optimism and prevents one from benefiting themselves by building their own outcomes. This mocks Pope’s theological view of the oncoming scientific revolution, that God is the most perfect of all beings and that everything He has created should remain the way He envisioned it. In an age of space travel and cosmetic surgeries, Essay on Man is seen by many, including myself to represent a flawed and outdated way of thinking. It’s easy for us to make the argument that scientific accomplishments have wholly made our lives better because certain things are now easier to accomplish. This work got me thinking about whether or not our post-industrial revolution achievements have actually made our lives better. Manhattan is one of the technological epicenters of the world, and should be a place to feel in awe of what we have accomplished using engineering and mathematics. However, it often feels like there is not even time to do so. Time has become so strictly regimented that every waking minute must be spent benefitting something. Free time should be allotted to studying, exercise or to a productive habit. Most minimum wage jobs now have strict rulebooks to ensure that every worker is as productive as possible. Data analysis and technology join hand in hand today to ensure that we always have access to a constant inflow of information, and record our interactions to the point where big data knows more about us than we do. Section 4 of Essay on Man argues that man’s strides towards knowledge and perfection are where his error lies, leading to unhappiness. Section 3 complements this, where Pope asks, “Had he thy reason, would he skip and play?” Although antiquated, Pope’s work has made me question whether or not our accomplishments in technology are for the best. What if I never came to the city, and spent my days traveling across the country as a vagabond? Would I be happier having sacrificed my education to satisfy my senses of wonder and curiosity? I think many of today’s debates surrounding late-stage capitalism and Orwellian levels of surveillance can tie back to Pope’s idea that our natural state is that at which we are happiest. The profound conversations that can still be had regarding reason in this sense can at the very least, hint to ‘Essay on Man’ being a great work.
