The Rights of Heretics -- The War of a Fly Shaking an Elephant

Author: [Austria] Stefan Zweig
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-01-01
Features: A story of a "war between a fly and an elephant," a tearful biography of those who fight for a losing cause. The idea of tolerance ultimately saves the insignificance of the individual. The Rights of the Outcasts reveals the truth of a piece of history: when Protestant dissenters, as dissidents, attempted to gain their rightful place, they were mercilessly persecuted by the Roman Curia; and when Calvin, as a representative of the Protestant movement, took control of a city, he proved more decisive and cruel in persecuting dissenters. This gave rise to a story of a "war between a fly and an elephant," a tearful biography of those who fight for a losing cause. When the entire era plunged into the boundless darkness of hysteria, Castellio, a small figure who upheld independent faith, faced the brutal oppression of the "Pope of Geneva," Calvin, without fear or hesitation. Although he died in solitude amidst poverty and illness, his spiritual courage and tolerant nature made his name shine brilliantly in human history. Ideas save the insignificance of the individual, and thus the fragile life of reeds gains the dignity of existence. In this struggle between "authority" and "heresy," we clearly see the root of humanity's repeated cycles of madness and slaughter.