"People who cannot recognize a palpable absurdity are very much in the way of civilization"

Agnes Repplier’s statement reflects profound insight into the relationship between critical thinking and societal progress. Absurdities, by their nature, defy reason and logic, standing as obvious contradictions or illogical elements in discourse or practice. When people remain oblivious to these absurdities, or deliberately refuse to acknowledge them, they obstruct the forward march of civilization.

Civilization progresses through a process of refinement, not only in technology and infrastructure, but in collective reasoning, ethics, and the systematic challenging of flawed perceptions and structures. Recognizing that something is patently absurd is the essential first step towards questioning its validity and, if necessary, its persistence within society. Those unable to detect such errors become impediments. They unwittingly, or sometimes willfully, uphold conventions, traditions, or policies despite their outdated, illogical, or harmful nature.

History is replete with examples where progress faltered because people refused to see the “palpable absurdity” in the status quo: superstitions trumping science, discriminatory laws persisting despite clear injustices, economic systems clinging to inefficiency despite mounting evidence. The ability to detect absurdity is closely tied to open-mindedness, intellectual honesty, and humility; it requires one to step outside comfort zones and inherited beliefs.

Repplier’s observation also suggests the seriousness of cultivated ignorance or intellectual complacency. A society full of people tolerating or endorsing obvious nonsense is, in effect, a society content to stagnate, or worse, regress. Critical engagement with prevailing ideas enables necessary reforms and innovations. When people fail to recognize and dismantle what is blatantly nonsensical, they not only accept stagnation but also normalize it, making progress nearly impossible.

Ultimately, the civilization’s vitality depends upon its citizens’ vigilance against absurdity. That vigilance is what ensures that policies, cultural norms, and philosophies evolve towards greater coherence, justice, and effectiveness. Where this vigilance is absent, civilization falters, hindered by those who cannot, or will not, see the obvious.