Arquivo para April, 2023
Hearts that contemplate, love
28
Apr
Despite writing romantic novels in the sentimental romantic sense, the first
look I looked at Nicholas Sparks, who is very successful with the American public, with translations of his books in more than 50 languages, the first contact was due to interest in the subject.
Rescue, published in 2000 ( in Brazil Corações em Silêncio, published in 2016 by Asa Editor), tells the story of Taylor McAden, a volunteer firefighter who, in his personal life, despite intense loves, are short-lived and does not like to take risks.
In an unusual situation he needs to help find a boy when Denise Holton’s car goes off track, Taylor saves her and from there another quick relationship is born, but another terrible situation occurs, after recovering his senses he asks for his son who has learning difficulties and I was in the car with her.
A search begins and Taylor is faced with a situation that he really has to love.
There is no way to do contemplation or meditation without silence, not only of the environment but also of the soul, of our established values and preconceptions.
A search begins and Nicholas is faced with a situation that he really has to love.
There is no way to do contemplation or meditation without silence, not only of the environment but also of the soul, of our established values and preconceptions.
Silence, meditation, contemplation are often caused by unexpected situations more of pain than of love, but also of love, in these situations we have to make some courageous decision in the face of life, commitments and the relationship with the Other.
The silence and the discovery of the true value of love led him to an action beyond what could justify Taylor as his “job”, even if it was voluntary work.
The biblical passage that can inspire this meditation and contemplation is the one that the disciples who were going to the village of Emmaus and “listened” to Jesus, who only later will they understand that he was the teacher and ask Him (Lc 24,29): “Stay with us, for the night is coming; the day is nearly over.” So he went in to stay with them.”
The night is symbolic in the sense of dark and difficult moments in our lives, which require meditation, silence in order to listen to “that voice” of wisdom and common sense.
Sparks, Nicholas. The Rescue. New York: Warner, 2000. (versão brasileira Hearts in Silence, Editora Asa, 2016).
Two utopias in conflict
27
Apr
There is no room for poetry, for enchantment, for contemplation, the society of 
efficiency and performance transforms thought in the sensual, commercial and lucrative sense, pure living within the inefficient and empty egocentrism, the Being empties itself and desperately seeks the aroma and taste where there is not only a deified nothingness.
There is no room even for deified thought, loose phrases draw sighs, “the cow does not give milk” says a good Brazilian philosopher, but what is work and does it make sense to laborans (see the previous post) to produce modified milk that arrives modified on the shelves and now very expensive.
Another asks for teachers and says that “being crazy is the only possibility of being healthy in this sick world”, but what disease is he talking about, if there weren’t healthy and serene people in whom simple people can be inspired, it is necessary to be sane in order to be able to talk about the wholesome and the praiseworthy.
There is no ethics without ethical beings, it is true that the great metanarratives have failed, but the polarization forces the new sophists to justify themselves in historically outdated and outdated narratives, none of them was able to avoid war, and which science is capable of avoiding it ?
I read a sentence by Morin, and I already posted here that the idea of peace requires a certain utopia, in an interview in 2000 with Rede Cultura (in Brazil, below), he speaks of two utopias: a negative one that promises a perfect world, in which everyone is reconciled and there is a perfect harmony, this one is impossible (and I would say a liar) and the other positive thing is to realize the most perfect world, it is not “The brave new world” by Aldous Huxley (not by chance, chatGTP chose it as one of the 10 greatest films) , she says something is impossible but it can be achieved: a world of peace and a world without hunger, are achievable.
Without freedom and fraternity, human utopia does not come true, authoritarianism is a negative utopia.
Trying to reduce inequalities, increase tolerance between different cultures, respect the rights of peoples, races and genders, what is missing, says Edgar Morin, is to increase “the state of consciousness and thought that allows realization”
He knows that there are extremely negative forces that, when helping a country that suffers from starvation, aid is diverted by bureaucracy and corruption, he explains that fraternity must come from citizens and would say that surveillance too, if we justify corruption and bureaucracy we do not help to solve problems essential to human life.
There are possible utopian solutions, as stated by Morin, who calls them positive.
What is acting in the face of contemplation
26
Apr
It was Hanna Arendt, in her analysis of the “Human Condition” (1958) who reacted to the idea of “levelling the vita activa” (HAN, 2016, p. 121), the “error in believing that the primacy of contemplation is responsible for the vita activa in work” (idem) is what destroyed and hierarchized the being according to the substance.
Arendt defines her “vita activa” in three human activities that are not equal: hard work (labor), work (work) and actioness (action) that she understands as fundamental.
The first, the one consecrated by industrial society and which made man what the author calls “homo laborans” is pure activity without reflection or meditation, it is not the same as work because it is preceded by thought, not only intellectual work in which thinking is immanent, but also daily tasks like taking care of nature or cooking, for example.
Without the determination to act, man is reduced to homo laborans and Arendt is right about this, but Byung-Chul corrects her: “but Arendt, erroneously, understands contemplation as a detention (Stillegegung) of all movements and activities, as a passive tranquility, which makes any form of vita activa appear as restlessness” (HAN, 2016, p. 122).
Byung-Chul claims that Aristotle “clearly describes the vita contemplativa (bios theoretikos) as an active life”, where thinking as Theoria is, in effect, an energy – which literally means “activity at work” or “being at work” (en egô einai)” (idem) and thus Arendt’s classification makes sense, despite the error.
Thus, we leave for the final part the important connection to action (action) as part of the vita activa, which is not opposed to, but complements, the vita contemplativa, and puts Thomas Aquinas in line with Aristotle: “the external bodily movements are opposed to the repose of contemplation, which consists of being alien to external occupations. But the movement that the operations of intelligence imply makes art out of rest itself” (T. Aquinas in Han, 2016, . 122).
Thus, says Arendt, although she realizes that modern life is moving further and further away from the contemplative vita, it is not a question of abandoning Work or Action, but of pausing time, breathing and allowing space for contemplation, the taste, aroma and taste of life.
ARENDT, Hannah (2010). A condição humana (The human condition). Translation by Roberto Raposo. 11a. ed., Brazil, Rio de Janeiro: Editora Forense.
HAN, Byung-Chul (2016). O aroma do tempo. (The scent of time). Trans. Miguel Serras Pereira. Lisbon: Relógio d´Água.
No time to Being
25
Apr
Neither the pandemic, nor the Home Office, nor the intriguing series
(personally I still prefer to go out and go to the movies) have made men calmer, more serene and happy, everything needs to be accelerated.
The “Aroma of Time: a philosophical essay on the Art of Delay” (2016) is nothing more than a counterpoint to this destructive stigma of our time that culminates in desires to exclude the Other, hatred and violence without borders, in short, an ever-increasing war. cruelest on a dark horizon, there is no time to be, just to have, to satisfy the simplest entertainment, not just games. The essay originally published in Germany in 2007, Byung-Chul updates what is not only an acceleration of time but also a temporal crisis based on a desynchrony not only of reality in a nobler and more poetic sense, whose discontinuity leads to something without direction, order and impossibility of a synthesis or conclusion that allows our lives to last in an “aroma”, as its “delay” should be understood.
He quotes and analyzes “Marcel Proust “In search of lost time” (Proust, 1913) what he calls a “temporal crystal” or his vision of aromatic time: “silent, sonorous, fragrant and clear hours” (in Han, 2016, p. 59 ).
There is a time of temporal anguish, it seems that the time spent slips through the fingers and is lost.
What is substantial and essential in our lives, essence and substance are the main forms of desynchrony in our being, they are referred either to an angelic delirium (false essence) or to a sculptural, decorative and unreal physical form (false substance).
As Byung-Chul deduces: “it presupposes that existence is historical, that each of us has a trajectory. The aroma is that of immanence” (Han, 2016, p. 59).
In philosophy and practice immanence is something that has an end in itself, as opposed to transcendence that something or an end outside and superior to itself.
Such is our lost “aroma” of time, to contemplate experiencing Being-in-time as having an end beyond, as Byung-Chul ends and concludes in his essay the necessary correction: “a large measure of strengthening the contemplative element” (Han, 2016, p. 186).
Han, Byung-Chul (2016). O aroma do tempo: um ensaio filosófico sobre a Arte da Demora. transl. Miguel Serras Pereira, Lisbon: Relógio d´Água.
The War and its Consequences
24
Apr
We have already emphasized here, outlining a crisis (before the war) that
it begins in a way of thinking about the world and consequently the economy, politics and society as a whole, so it is not a question of this or that world, but of all worlds together.
Economics is not separate from them, however it is the most sensitive and the one that is most thought about.
Russia’s oligarchs, those who didn’t migrate or were killed in strange situations, remember the news of Sergey Protosenya, found hanged in Spain and Pavel Antov who fell from the third floor of a building in India, oligarchs there in general do not criticize the government.
However, at a meeting of the Economic Forum in Krasnoyarsk, in March in Siberia, Oleg Deriaska declared that the economy could last a little over a year and that afterwards there would be many crashes, in the West it is no different, the European and American economies are already feeling the consequences , as world leaders of capitalist countries, every economy must face serious problems.
The American Department of Defense has just asked for a budget of 842 billion dollars, increasing the already high 816 billion of the previous year, which means an increase of 3.2% and a perspective of even greater war on the horizon this year, and the economy already shows serious damage.
The attempt to form a third bloc, of which Brazil is one of the protagonists and France’s Makron tries to be another, is a crossfire, since both sides want unilateral adhesions, there are analysts, such as Rodrigo Ianhez, who claims that the Russians have a reading of the Brazilian position that is “overestimated” for a bilateral position, China on the contrary is clearly unilateral.
There are no innocent people in these facts, this is the political action of our days, confusing or even distorting the facts, a really serious press, its art is called investigative press, for being independent, it tries to do this work, but until then, sometimes find suspicious news.
Nobody is apolitical, of course, but it is necessary to face the truth through the facts it reveals.
If we analyze the consequences of a war, in the economic aspect that generates more poverty and hunger and the most fragile are the most affected, we begin to have a serious position before the truth.
Looking at things from above
21
Apr
Miracles or prophecies are not necessary for us to understand that even in
the most earthly realities there are things from above, and they respond to the most earthly realities, without them we cannot find exits and paths to a full, happy and peaceful life.
Without ethical, moral and responsible values, finding safe ways out of conflicts, situations of insecurity or injustice is almost impossible, as one error does not correct another error, and only an action of love and solidarity resolves a conflict of hatred and division.
From division to division, from hate to hate, we walk with an earthly look at our difficulties, it does not mean that we should take our feet off the ground and have rational decisions, it means that without serenity and serious and proactive attitudes we only make what is wrong worse.
It is common even for people of good will to appeal to violence and force, even if the side of justice and solidarity is the right side, acting with recklessness and cruelty takes away the value of this act of force, the greatest act of force is responsibility. act with firmness, education and truth.
If we are troubled, anxious and out of balance, we cannot find the path of wisdom, hear that inner voice of common sense, clarity and truth.
It also serves as well as for questions of justice and right for the true cultural and religious values, the use of authoritarianism, which means in this context false authority that many want to have before the office or position they have, they make the mistake of the authority argument and fall into the easy trap of too much power.
They want to be imbued with a halo of goodness when they invest themselves against simple people, but the grace to raise hearts to higher values and remove them from difficult situations is not achieved.
For Christians, one of the most significant passages after the Passover of Jesus that we recall a little while ago in Christian culture is the episode of Emmaus in which, while Jesus was walking among them and they did not realize it, they were still ruminating on the violent death of the Master, but they were blind and did not understood correctly the victory of the one they crucified.
Jesus asks: “What are you talking about along the way?” They stopped, with sad faces, and one of them, named Cleopas, said to him: “Are you the only pilgrim in Jerusalem who does not know what has happened there these last few days?” (Luke, 24, 15-18) and gave their earthly version of the Passover.
And Jesus (still without being recognized) how to explain the meaning, already reviewed by the prophets: “Wouldn’t the Christ have to suffer all these things and enter into his glory?” (Luke 24,26).
Gradually their hearts warmed up and in the end they understood that they were walking with the Master and then they asked them to stay with him because the night was coming, but Jesus disappeared.
It is not necessary to have this vision or even to have this faith, it is necessary to listen to the voice from above, of healthy values.
If you want peace, collaborate with your values
20
Apr
There were not few tyrants who said that to keep the peace make war,
this is very old that it will be difficult to determine its author, the contemporary philosopher Jean Paul Sartre said something important about this: “When the rich are at war, it is the poor who die”, would update there is no interest in the weakest when empires clash.
The book Art of War by Sun Tzu (5th century BC): “the true objective of war is peace” is already a paradoxical phrase, the three types of peace on this concept were historically unmasked: the pax Roman was submission of the vanquished, the Kantian Eternal Peace assumed an internal balance between the three republican powers, the balance between nations and respect for human rights, just look at the current international framework in which these assumptions were violated and did not guarantee peace. The third is the Peace of Westphalia (1648) of religious toleration
The phrase is also from Sartre: “you are never a man if you don’t find something for which you would be willing to die” and certainly for him it would not be war, perhaps something valued from Above, since he did not say “someone for whom you would be willing to die”. to die”.
We would be willing to die to ask for peace and sustainable progress for peoples, without values that build this building, Edgar Morin says in a certain way even utopian, we cannot create a lasting and sustainable model of peace that does not place us in new crossroads and traps.
A utopia is achievable if we think that without it we are not treading a safe path, we are sitting on a powder keg, not only nuclear weapons, but also the number of nuclear power plants across the globe, more than 440, remember that Fukushima was a natural disaster and Chernobyl was a human oversight.
Thus, not only war, but also the development of technologies and equipment that were not created for destruction, but without really altruistic ethical, moral and social codes and values, we will not walk towards a lasting and safe peace, first it is necessary to defuse the bombs.
Do not feed any kind of hatred (where there are enemies on both sides), return to the serious discussion about weapons and the use of atomic energy, safe and durable environmental control, in short, the agenda is extensive for us to waste time with unproductive hatred and which works towards opposite.
A chance for civilization
19
Apr
At the height of almost 102 years (he will complete it in July) in an interview
given to Cesare Martinetti in the newspaper La Stampa, Edgar Morin talks about his new book Di Guerra in Guerra (From war to war, editor Rafaello Cortina, 2023) where he reflects on an endless 20th century that lives as a witness, for him there are still things to be digested:
“I wanted to remember not only the terrible physical evils, but also the intellectual evils caused by wars, that is, lies, one-sided views, Manichaeism, hatred for all enemy people, for their culture, their language, their literary and artistic works, and I wanted to help myself and readers to develop this awareness, in the face of a war that risks taking us to the worst, through the process of escalation and radicalization.
His synthesis of this war is that it is militarily localized, but globally globalized, but he has hope that we can escape it.
Remember that in the first years after the fall of the wall, Putin himself came to Germany and made a very pro-European speech, but NATO advances on Russia’s borders irritated him and already in 2015, when there was an agreement on Crimea, the Donbass region broke out in hostilities.
On the other hand, he emphasizes “the wars of reconquest led by Russia in Chechnya and Georgia led the United States, moreover at the request of countries close to Russia, to extend NATO to a siege that the leaders perceived as a threat”.
A shared Donbass suggests the centenary thinker, he knows that his position seems more utopian than realistic, but he thinks that this is the role of thinkers: to mix utopia and realism, after all it is necessary to awaken hope and serenity.
Coldness: from essence to appearance
18
Apr
Empathy, patience, true love and true feelings seem distant, bodies adorned,
made up and tattooed, minds distant and cold, empty and lacking in inspired ideas.
I read in the book “The book thief” (2005): “perhaps this is a fair punishment for those who do not have a heart: only realizing this when you can no longer go back”, is a harsh sentence, but it was important to analyze my social, personal and friendship context.
My inspiration to read, write and search within institutions, environments and social media for something intelligent, inspired and sweet, productive where I can find different paths from what I see and feel around me, made me understand and admire Markus Zusak’s book, at least unless I remember the 2013 edition (year of film), she was looking for a refuge, an escape from the contextual situation.
I wonder if this situation about the tension of a possible large-scale war is different, I see a lot of hypocrisy and manipulation in the air, while innocent people die in a stupid war, others prepare for an even bigger confrontation that slowly spreads across the globe.
I remember a biblical passage (Thessalonians 1,5:3) when they say: “There is peace and security, then sudden destruction will come upon them, like birth pangs on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape”, but for those in a hurry I remember that it is written that this will not mean the end.
Sincere efforts for peace are lacking, armed spirits cannot promote any peace, they want allies for their temporal power, a timeless message is lacking, beyond immediate interests.
This is how hearts walk, and schools and the everyday life of the simplest and most fleeting life have already arrived, I saw a housewife from a small town excited in the supermarket speaking against that politician who ruined everything and a child who cried over a political situation that I didn’t quite understand.
You can’t put out a fire with gasoline, says popular wisdom, but poetry is no longer in the air, there are no songs that speak of pure love, only immediate interests of an erotic drive, in a society that actually lives “The agony of Eros”, a profound book by Byung Chul Han.
It is not a certain popular singer who speaks against teaching and good education, society echoes these hymns and there is almost no way to succeed without emotional and passionate appeals out of tune.
The dismantling of the human vision as Being and its transformation into the utilitarian vision of Having had a historical origin in Western thought and now penetrates and tries to destroy its meaning.
Zusak, Markus. (2005) The book Thief. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.
What is actually the current war
17
Apr
Increasingly, the Russia-Ukraine war is revealed with the clear contours of the
interests of great empires in conflict: on the one hand, Russia, which did not accept the reduction of its territory and influence after the end of the Second World War, on the other, NATO as an arm of capitalist forces and their world influence.
In fact, the great emerging empire is China, and it has roots in the great cultural revolution, an attempt made by Mao Tse Tung, the first leader of the Chinese revolution, but the attempt to industrialize the country by taking people out of the countryside in the 50s was a failure causing more than 20 million people to starve to death.
The opponents led by Liu Shao-Chi, in 1959, removed Mao, his family and his allies, who were isolated within the Chinese Communist Party, and promoted a re-education of the population, preparing a new industrial revolution, this time attracting capital and companies from abroad. , cheap labor and the idea that it could be an opening to capitalism, Hong Kong was until recently not controlled by China, boosted this model.
Speaking about what would be the desired peace for Russia, Putin declared that it would be a “new world order”, and in it talks with China are involved and explain Russia’s recent military maneuvers in the Pacific Ocean near Japan, the Kuril Islands which is disputed by Japan.
It was a clear nod to the partnership with China, although it, together with Brazil, is trying to form a third bloc to negotiate peace, because the Brics are closer to Russia, and this includes India and South Africa, which are also part of this economic bloc. .
On the western side, the Scandinavian countries: Finland, Sweden and Norway carried out joint maneuvers with NATO forces, the geopolitical picture is drawn with a dangerous warlike picture.
There is a fracture in the European bloc, as Macron says that France will not be a “vassal” of the American allies, however it can also be a force for the third “peace” bloc.
A peace without surrender and without winners seems the only possible way out, difficult but possible.
