Summary
In "Letters to a Young Contrarian," Christopher Hitchens offers a series of epistolary insights to a young individual seeking to live a radical or "contrarian" life. He emphasizes that such a life is less about adopting a specific ideology and more about cultivating an independent mind, characterized by critical thinking and skepticism.
Hitchens encourages the young contrarian to beware of irrationality, shun the transcendent, and distrust compassion, preferring dignity for oneself and others. He advises against living for others and urges the reader to cultivate their own style and seek out argument and disputation. Zola's courageous defense of Dreyfus is presented as a model for the humanistic radical, emphasizing the importance of asserting individual rights against collective instincts.
The author delves into the essence of independent thought, highlighting that it lies not in what one thinks but in how one thinks. He cautions against seeking consensus as the highest good, asserting that progress is made through conflict and argument. Hitchens suggests that those who care about agreement and civility must be well-equipped with points of combativity, lest the center be occupied without their input.
He also advises against the pursuit of perfectionism, urging the young contrarian to recognize and avoid the symptoms of the zealot. Instead, they should embrace a skeptical mentality as armor of principle. Central to Hitchens's philosophy is the notion of living "as if," behaving as though one were a citizen of a free society, even when surrounded by unfreedom. Drawing from historical examples like Vaclav Havel and Rosa Parks, he illustrates how acting as if things need not be tolerated can challenge the status quo.
Hitchens underscores the necessity of intellectual liberty and questions the influence of religious belief, and particularly rejects any concept of cradle-to-grave divine supervision, seeing no evidence of any god or divine purpose. Questioning the obvious and the given is highlighted as an essential element, alongside combating atrophy and routine. In later letters, he addresses the complex interplay of elitism and populism, arguing that truth-tellers are often derided by the crowd and that the masses do not always hold superior intelligence.
The collection culminates with a consideration of travel, humor, and history as vital components of a contrarian's education. Hitchens advocates for internationalism, emphasizing the shared humanity across cultures and the importance of challenging racism and religious fanaticism. He underscores the necessity of understanding that true dissent stems from a combination of impatience, skepticism, hatred of injustice, and ironic self-criticism. While it is crucial to see the wrongs in society, it's equally important to develop your own unique path to make the world a better place without succumbing to the pitfalls of others.