# The New Hypocrite explained — What’s Wrong with the World > Chapter companion for What’s Wrong with the World by G. K. Chesterton. ## What happens Chesterton introduces the concept of the 'new hypocrite'—a person whose aims are genuinely religious but who pretends to be worldly and practical, in contrast to the old hypocrite who pretended to be religious while being worldly. He uses the example of Education Bills to show how creeds are now masquerading as policies. He argues that dogma unites people more than vague prejudice, which separates them. He warns that without a doctrine of a divine man, scientific plutocrats could justify oppression by appealing to evolution. The chapter calls for the assertion of a human ideal as the only cure for modern dissensions. ## Themes in this chapter ### Education and Authority The chapter uses Education Bills as a central example of how religious creeds are hidden behind practical policy, arguing for clear doctrinal positions. ### The Medical Fallacy in Sociology Chesterton warns that without a fixed human ideal, scientific progress can be used to justify oppression, as in the argument that humans can adapt to any conditions. ### Tradition vs. Progress The chapter contrasts the old hypocrite (traditional) with the new hypocrite (modern), and argues that clear dogma (tradition) unites while vague progress divides. ## Character check-ins ### The Rev. Brown Used as an example of the new hypocrite: a Wesleyan minister who claims to care only for education but is secretly driven by Wesleyan zeal. ### Lord Curzon Mentioned indirectly through the reference to Lord Halifax as a representative of the Catholic position in the education debate. ### Mr. Bernard Shaw Not directly mentioned in this chapter, but the critique of modern vagueness and the call for dogma implicitly targets Shaw's Fabian pragmatism. ## Key lines > The new hypocrite is one whose aims are really religious, while he pretends that they are worldly and practical. The modern hypocrite hides genuine religious motives behind a facade of practicality. _Central definition of the chapter's title._ > A doctrine is a definite point; a prejudice is a direction. A doctrine is a clear position, while a prejudice is a vague inclination. _Key distinction between dogma and prejudice._ > The most important man on earth is the perfect man who is not there. The ideal human standard, though unattained, is the ultimate measure of justice. _Chesterton's argument for a transcendent human ideal._ ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/what_s_wrong_with_the_world_se/chapters/iii-the-new-hypocrite - Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/what_s_wrong_with_the_world_se - All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/what_s_wrong_with_the_world_se/chapters