The Barbarism of Reflection
Inspired
by William Desmond who quotes Giambattista Vico
Men first feel
necessity, then look for utility, next attend to comfort, still later amuse
themselves with pleasure, then grow dissolute in luxury, and finally go mad and
waste their substance. (New Science, axiom 66 - quoted in "Ways of
wondering," 312)
August Comte
speaks about the law of three stages: First, religion for the childhood of the
human race, where one is closer to wonder; second, metaphysics and its
abstractions for the adolescence of humanity; and third, positive science for
the maturity of the human race, which is disciplined, regulated curiosity knows
positively of reality in all its detail. Vico speaks of three ages of gods,
heroes, and men. The age of gods is an age of original wonder, the age of
heroes is intermediary between gods and mortals, the age of men brings the age
of reflection. (Ways of wondering, 312)
The age of
reflection is now has culminated in nihilism, not able to rise above. In the
ages of heroes we had a hope to improve, better ourselves. It was an urge to
participate in the godness. The good was looked upto. But now with the age of
men, fighting to overtake the other, pulling them down. There is fight of
autonomy and authority and power.
"Why do I
want to know? Because I want to enter into the secret of what is other. Why
enter? Not because I love the secret but because possessing it, I advance
myself, I overtake its intimacy, I take over." (Ways of Wondering, 338)
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