"The world without spirit is a wasteland. ... The thing to do is to bring life to it, and the only way to do that is to ... become alive yourself." — Joseph Campbell
A metaphor that has always stuck with me is that of the British philosopher Roger Scruton. He compared art today to monks copying books during the dark ages. Without knowing if it would turn out well or where it would ever lead, but in the hope that they were saving something important. (The metaphor is quite dramatic, but always appealed to me.)
I love that image. We don't know the importance of any individual piece of art but collectively, the creative effort is a torch in the darkness of time. Makes me want to rewatch and re-read The Name of the Rose.
Echoing what everyone else is saying a potent, timely, and phenomenal piece of writing. I appreciate & applaud your willingness to challenge popular “culture.”
I'm not usually comfortable with descriptions of the "soul". To my mind, soul, like love, is corrupted because we've deigned to express it through the abstractions of language. But that doesn't make unreal of course. So, if we are to use a word then let that word be "soul", mindful always that it is an expression of what is inexpressible. Placing that qualification aside, this is a beautiful piece of writing and offers an outstanding diagnosis of a culture that fails those who participate in it. Look out for the quote by Chesterton. It will tell you something about the deadening effect of the, "age of reason"; how it has crimped our access to the spirited jousting and reeling found in the game of life, to a personal and universal conscience as its referee and yes, if it must be said, to our "soul".
Nice one Frederik - we often get carried away in the dopamine culture and if we look back we will know how much of life is spent away from being Alive. Thanks for the thought-provoking article !!!
Wonderful piece.
A metaphor that has always stuck with me is that of the British philosopher Roger Scruton. He compared art today to monks copying books during the dark ages. Without knowing if it would turn out well or where it would ever lead, but in the hope that they were saving something important. (The metaphor is quite dramatic, but always appealed to me.)
I love that image. We don't know the importance of any individual piece of art but collectively, the creative effort is a torch in the darkness of time. Makes me want to rewatch and re-read The Name of the Rose.
Thank you Frederik. A beautiful read on a rainy Saturday morning in DC.
Thank you, Charles!
Echoing what everyone else is saying a potent, timely, and phenomenal piece of writing. I appreciate & applaud your willingness to challenge popular “culture.”
Thank you!
Phenomenal piece of writing. Thank you.
Wonderful piece. Kind thanks.
This is so potent. Like a source document for how to engage with life. Thank you for offing this to the world.
Thank you James!
I'm not usually comfortable with descriptions of the "soul". To my mind, soul, like love, is corrupted because we've deigned to express it through the abstractions of language. But that doesn't make unreal of course. So, if we are to use a word then let that word be "soul", mindful always that it is an expression of what is inexpressible. Placing that qualification aside, this is a beautiful piece of writing and offers an outstanding diagnosis of a culture that fails those who participate in it. Look out for the quote by Chesterton. It will tell you something about the deadening effect of the, "age of reason"; how it has crimped our access to the spirited jousting and reeling found in the game of life, to a personal and universal conscience as its referee and yes, if it must be said, to our "soul".
Nice one Frederik - we often get carried away in the dopamine culture and if we look back we will know how much of life is spent away from being Alive. Thanks for the thought-provoking article !!!