Non-thought today
07
Mar
Heidegger’s text on Serenity, written in 1949 at
a ceremony commemorating the centenary of Conradin Kreutzer’s death, in his hometown Meßkirch, which, as it was also Martin Heidegger’s hometown, was called to speak at the event, book This is part of your speech.
The text of serenity reveals how much we are induced to a calculated thought that runs from opportunity to opportunity, it is fundamental to understand that what is attributed to the digital world, was already happening long before this, and is not restricted to the digital universe: “ this thought continues to be a calculation, even if it does not operate with numbers, nor does it use a calculating machine, nor devices for large calculations” (pg. 13), even long before the digital universe, he talks about it and says that it is not the one you’re talking about.
The dynamic that many attribute to the digital universe was already very present in modern man: “thought that calculates (rechnend Denken) never stops, never comes to meditate. The thought that calculates is not a thought that meditates (ein besinnliches Denken), it is not a thought that reflects (nachdenkt), it is not the meaning that reigns in everything that exists” (idem, pg. 13), that is, of the late 1940s and before modern computers.
It is worth translating the German words: ein besinnliches Denken (a contemplative thought) and nachdenkt (to think about) and das rechnend Denken (calculative thought).
Thus, for the philosopher there are two forms of thought: that which calculates and that which meditates, and it can be thought that the second does not perceive reality, “contributes nothing to carrying out praxis” (pg. 14), can lead to pure reflection, persistent meditation being “too “high” for common understanding” (idem).
The author says that the only correct thing is that the truth of a thought that meditates appears as little spontaneously as the thought that calculates, both require efforts.
The fact that contemporary man is linked to a way of thinking is because this is the current way in which thought was elaborated and trained, linked to rational and ideal logos.
However, he considers that each person can follow the paths of reflection within their limits and in their own way: “We do not, therefore, in any way need to elevate ourselves to the “higher regions” when we reflect. We just need to linger (verweilen) close to what is close and meditate on what is closest: what concerns each one of us, here and now; here, in this piece of homeland; now, in the present universal hour” (pg. 14).
Of course, Heidegger reflected on the celebration in his hometown, but this applies to all the events we experience in our lives.
Heidegger, M. (no date) Serenidade (Serenity). Transl. de Maria Madalena Andrade e Olga Santos. Lisboa: Instituto Piaget, s/d.
Lonely Voices for Peace
06
Mar
The Uruguayan writer Eduardo Galeano took
a stand against the war, famous for having written “The Open Veins of Latin America”, who was the author of more than 40 books, including The Book of Hugs, which has a recording that was once again published in the youtube for the impact it has.
He begins his speech by saying: “No war has the honesty to confess: I kill to steal” and then goes on to unmask the various false reasons why they try to justify their attitudes, “wars always invoke noble motives, they kill in the name of Peace, in the name of God, in the name of progress” and others, but if they can’t, the media can help, and it’s not just the new media, he said in his time about the mainstream press.
The toxic culture that someone has the solution to the world’s biggest problems, that there is some “enlightened” group, prevents openness to dialogue and finding paths to peace.
The ancient models proposed: the Pax Romana that subjects the people, the eternal peace that is the idealistic model, the peace that solves the problems of social justice, all of them invoke war in the last instance.
There was a time when it was possible for people to take to the streets and demand peace, and call out the authorities for the insanity of their provocative and war-inducing positions, even if disguised in promises of peace as Galeano said, and all of them hide theft, the greed for wealth and the mockery of the people and the poor.
Also of little value are the “elevated” spirits who make beautiful romantic and ideal phrases, which have nothing of reality or serenity, they are just conscious or unconscious alienation, they are voices that flee from the real problems that humanity faces: a civilizational crisis.
The Pope is one of these voices, there are also lone voices in the UN, small countries that despite being in spheres of influence, have the wisdom and discernment that will also suffer if the war prospers.
Eduardo Galeano draws attention in his video that the countries that make up the UN Security Council are precisely those that have the most weapons, and the arms industry is also an economic source for those who own it, but it generates wealth for isolated groups.
There is a lack of unequivocal voices for peace, voices that do not ignore the situation and real positions.
Serenity and peace
05
Mar
Heidegger’s book “Serenity” divides contemporary
thought between what calculates and what meditates, about what calculates he states:
“The thought that calculates (das rechnende Denken) makes calculations. It makes calculations with continually new possibilities, always with greater perspectives and simultaneously more economical. The thought that calculates goes from opportunity to opportunity. Thought that calculates never stops, never comes to meditate.” (p. 13).
The text reflects that there is no “elevated” meditation, every man thinks and thought can lead to meditation, but calculation does not threaten this innermost being:
Heidegger reminds us that to truly think we must all think about our roots, in a more contemporary way, not to deny our origins and their influence on our worldview, even if limited, he states: “the rootedness (die Bodentändigkeit) of modern Man is threatened in its most intimate essence. Furthermore: the loss of rooting is not caused only by external circumstances and fatalities of destiny, nor is it the effect of negligence and the superficial way of Men. The loss of rootedness comes from the spirit of the times into which we were all born” (p. 17).
The most surprising thing about this text, which is from 1995, is that the “most tormenting characteristic is the atomic bomb”, we cannot forget that we have 440 atomic plants plus 23 under construction (in the photo the Fukushima accident), he realizes that the thought that he calculates only sees the industrial possibilities and the need for the energies of nature, but he meditates on what this domain of nature actually means.
“The power hidden in contemporary technology determines Man’s relationship with that which exists. It dominates the entire Earth. Man is already beginning to leave Earth towards cosmic space…” (p. 19), which in addition to being incredibly current also had a foreboding about the future.
But he did not fail to see the danger of these “great atomic energies”, and thus: “he assures humanity that such colossal energies, suddenly, anywhere – even without warlike actions – do not escape our control, and “take the brakes on teeth” and annihilate everything?” (p.20).
In addition to Fukushima, there is the fateful Chernobyl accident, precisely in Ukraine and carried out with Russian collaboration, and the current war there are battles very close to the largest atomic plant in Zaporizhzhia, built between 1984 and 1995, it is the largest nuclear plant in Europe and the ninth largest in the world.
Russia’s threats must be taken seriously, a nuclear war puts the entire civilization process and perhaps humanity itself at risk, serenity and peace are needed.
Western thought has submitted to the cold and calculating mathematical and physical thought, which even it is in check.
Heidegger, M. (no date) Serenidade (Serenity). Transl. de Maria Madalena Andrade e Olga Santos. Lisboa: Instituto Piaget, s/d. (portuguese)
Russia cornered and Israel questioned
04
Mar
The panorama of the two main wars that 
worry world leaders continues to have sad moments and episodes in their development, in Russia the death of an activist in prison in Siberia and in Gaza the difficulties of humanitarian aid.
While they win on the battlefield, these two superpowers lose on the diplomatic field since for many authorities the situation is one of inhumanity and a threat to civilians.
In Russia, the death of Alexei Navalny in prison brought thousands of people to his funeral (photo), the lawyer, activist and blogger was intensely active and was respected by a large part of the population, according to Russian sources 67 people were arrested at the funeral, and Sweden’s entry into NATO also exposes the confrontation with war.
Putin threatens retaliation against Sweden while raising tone with the West stating that an entry of Western troops into the Ukraine war would lead to nuclear chaos, in response to President Macron of France who said he would not hesitate to send troops, but other countries refuted this threat stating that they would not do so.
The sending of humanitarian support to the Gaza strip creates controversy with Israel, which it says facilitates, but the international reaction calling for an end to hostilities, while demanding the release of hostages still under Hamas control, appears prominently in the world press.
The one who raised the tone with Israel was the President of Turkey, Erdogan, who stated that Israel was committing an “attempted genocide” with the military operation in the Gaza Strip.
Numerous countries have already spoken out for the end of the war, and the Pope has also recently spoken out, saying “I carry in my heart every day, with pain, the suffering of the population in Palestine and Israel, and asking for safe access to humanitarian aid.
The dangerous escalation of these two wars could lead to a civilizational tragedy and wisdom and serenity are needed from world leaders.
The next and the business
01
Mar
The polycrisis that involves humanity, in the
words of Edgar Morin, which was also adopted (from another perspective) by Adam Tooze, professor of History at Yale University.
In the book Terra Pátria the author has already painted a picture of a reborn nationalism, it is written in the preface of the Brazilian edition written by Juremir Machado da Silva:
“Terra-Pátria, in which Anne-Brigitte Kern collaborated, is the fundamental book for examining the nationalist phenomenon today. Everything is in it: homeland, nation, universalism, identity, ecology, politics, community, etc. The mechanisms for understanding the complex contemporary social network are provided with the clarity usual in Morin’s text” (MORIN, 2003, 14).
However, history has moved in the opposite direction, unable to take a step forward, now wars, ancient utopias and fundamentalist spiritual models (not to be confused with orthodoxy because it is the true foundation of religions and cultures).
The social relationship deteriorates, the blame would be on techniques, individualism or even a wave of demonic possessions, however what happens is simply a lack of an authentic model of solidarity and here utopias and religious cultures must be analyzed.
Utopias because they retroacted models from the beginning of the 20th century, Adam Smith’s nationalism and Lenin’s Bolshevism, religious cultures because they took refuge in fundamentalism.
There is little outside of these perspectives, but they exist, there is hope where each person is treated with dignity, empathy is a model of coexistence and life as a whole treats man as a whole and it is possible to reintegrate him into standards of solidarity and respect.
The relationship with a neighbor is not a business, nor can it dissolve into a “social friendship” which is just a surface of what is truly human, the relationship with the Other.
Not a few authors wrote about this, even Jürgen Habermas addressed the topic, but it concerns the effective relationship between two people and not the generic social or cultural relationship, which generally involve interests and relationships with thought bubbles.
Christian singer Aymeê from Pará went viral when she sang the song “Evangelho dos Phariseus” which talks about child exploitation on the island of Marajó, the fires and the fact that tithe matters more than hearts in many churches that have transformed the message of love into business.
MORIN, E. E KERN, A.B. (2003) Terra-Pátria (Earth-World). Transl. Paulo Azevedo Neves da Silva. Brazil, Porto Alegre : Sulina ed.
The partner and the next
29
Feb
The concrete relationship of social friendship is
only effective in each neighbor, the idea of generalizing social attitudes can be inserted into a culture, but it will only be effective if in the relationship with each person with whom we interact it becomes effective, otherwise it is discourse and ideology.
Paul Ricoeur’s text “The partner and the neighbor”, which is part of the book “History and Truth” not only modifies the concept of historical truth but also reveals that there is only a concrete social relationship to the extent that we are part of our various social circles and to each concrete personal relationship.
Continuous selfishness, prejudice opens the soul into abysses of separation with the Other, makes it a continuum of separation, exclusion leading to disbelief in love and social solidarity.
Changing our attitude, transforming selfishness into gestures of kindness and living in each specific relationship a love that is even superhuman that gives dignity and respect to each being that passes by us, is not altruism or a way of ignoring social conflicts, it is also raising the soul to a stage of happiness with others, and spreading hope.
While the partner relationship is only of personal interest, the partner relationship goes beyond these limits and increases the level of trust, inclusion and different approach to the partner:
When discussing the difference between these relationships, he discusses charity: “Charity does not need to be where it appears; Also hidden in the humble and abstract post office is social security; it is often the hidden part of the social”, Paul Ricoeur in Le socius et le Prochain (1954), and is translated in the 1968 book History and Truth.
The text reminds us that just as institutions can only have corporate relationships, they can also have interpersonal relationships, of affection and solidarity, which make them less cold and less bureaucratic, where we see not a customer or a service more, but a close one in which you may be interested.
I t is not by chance that it is a chapter on History and Truth, because truth is only established between true friends who are close, and if they are partners it will only be to be closer, while maintaining social appearance, even with a spirit of empathy, is not yet the true human relationship if the personal one is not realized in a concrete way.
Thus, social friendship must necessarily involve true love for each person who passes by our side.
Ricoeur, P. : História e Verdade, trans. F. A. Ribeiro. Companhia Editora Forense: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
(Português) O próximo e a amizade social
28
Feb
Paul Ricoeur’s text “Le socius et le prochain” (the partner and the neighbor)
has already been explored in this post, highlighting the difference between a limited temporal relationship of partner and a relationship of philia and friendship that can last a lifetime: the next.
We now want to reread the comment made by Henri Bergson on this text, in which he articulates that the “I” starts from a “we” that we construct as an “I”, but that it is not separate from this, so the question arises that “we ” it’s that?
Does it designate these other people that we encounter every day in our family and professional environments, or this diffuse presence of others, of “everyone” that, for example, we claim when we try to make someone understand?
It means that we act in a way that is compatible or incompatible with life in society: “what would happen if everyone liked you?” in fact, there are, to say the least, two very distinct relationships with others: others as structure and others as praxis.
By the first term, this basis is understood as the efficiency of laws, institutions, and even more so, the awareness we have of our incessant visibility in the eyes of society: what is done is done based on the possible existence of others, even when no one is physically “there”, by the notion of another as praxis, we must understand the actions through which someone else, however, this distinction corresponds exactly to what Paul Ricoeur wrote in his book “History and Truth”, written to differentiate between “partner and neighbor”, because not only in the business world, but also in politics and social groups, what is true can be related to some narrative of the “society” belonging to.
We can speak of the presence of the Other as a structure in the sense that the socius designates this place, this simultaneously implicit and legal consideration of an invisible, anonymous, almost abstract other, but at the same time omnipresent, a bit like conditional, who would never cease to be presente, manifest to us in the Present, to become present, but never physically (but mentally, constitutionally).
By “near”, Paul Ricoeur designates the immediate, punctual physical presence of another person I know. We have good experiences of being close in big cities, as there we experience many promiscuous situations (subway, queues, etc.), but at the same time time, this crowd with which I am forced to compose is not made up of “neighbors”, since we do not know them.
If we activate praxis with others, always passing through the “socius” structure, the relationship presupposes a margin of choice, of election, of desire for approximation or rejection, as if our gross salary and our net salary, what is taken away of our salary paid, through supervision by an administrative authority, the “organization”, the State, social security, etc.
Thus the partner is linked to a social “praxis”, while the next depends only on a choice of human relationship independent of the structural relationship to which he is subject.
Ricoeur, Paul (1968) “The socius and the neighbor”, in History and Truth (in portuguese: História e Verdade), trans. F. A. Ribeiro. Companhia Editora Forense: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Procrastinate and do good well
27
Feb
Procrastination means postponing tasks that are normal in everyday life
Credits Harvard Business Review
and other exceptional ones that cannot be postponed, the same Society of tiredness (Byung Chul-Han wrote a book) is also the society of procrastination.
Postponing tasks is counterproductive, when you want to optimize your time and have time to rest, do leisure or meditate, you need to not procrastinate and do the necessary tasks so that there is time available to feel the Aroma of Time (another book by Byung Chul- Han).
However, we can be involved in unnecessary activities, in small and large vices, which in addition to stealing our time, also steal our time to stop, rest and Be.
It is a human problem of all times, for those who believe that this happens because of new media and cell phones, which can be addictions like others, as the ancient poet Hesiod (800 BC) wrote: “leaving your work until tomorrow and the next day” is a human problem.
Harvard researcher Caroline Webb in an article in the university magazine wrote: “this is because it is easier for our brains to process concrete things rather than abstract ones, and the immediate discomfort is very tangible compared to the unrecognizable and uncertain future benefits”, Therefore, activities that take us out of our routine and place us in a social dimension, that is, with the Other, move our brain to “uncomfortable” regions.
Believing that you have to wait until you’re in a good mood to do something is a trap that can lead to procrastination. Joseph Ferrari, a psychology professor at DePaul University in the United States, discovered that the thought “I’m not in the mood to do X task” can lead to a vicious cycle.
Perform small tasks, which professor and researcher Tim Pychyl tested and confirmed the effectiveness of: “one that students started, they evaluated the tasks as less difficult and less stressful, and even more enjoyable than they thought”, so this returns the routine.
Tasks such as making the bed, preparing breakfast, removing the dishes and washing them, and others can also bring a reward, taking away stress and restoring harmony around you.
If done to do something good, and if done well, they also bring a spiritual reward and they often feel an “inexplicable” relief that is the result of doing something well.
Reference:
Webb, Caroline. How to Beat Procrastination, Harvard Business Review, 2016, Access in: february 2024, Available in: https://hbr.org/2016/07/how-to-beat-procrastination
2 years of war and diplomacy
26
Feb
February 24th marked 2 years of Russia’s war
with Ukraine, which the Russian government calls a “special operation”, which has already killed thousands of civilians in Ukraine, which caused a rupture with the West and which has no prospect of a truce and can scale to Europe.
Despite the weakening, Zelensky’s speech promised victory, although he suffered setbacks at the beginning of the year on several fronts, Putin’s speech is increasingly fierce and eloquent and a direct confrontation with NATO forces, the which would be a tragedy for the entire planet due to the war and nuclear potential that would be involved.
In Palestine, Israel continues with bombings already reaching the border city with Egypt of Rafah, in the suburb of Shaboura, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health, 97 people were killed and there were also attacks in some neighboring villages.
Qatar will host a meeting between Hamas and Israel with the aim of finalizing a truce agreement this week, according to Egyptian sources, the United States always considers a definitive peace agreement possible, but continues to support Israel and continues conflicts with the Houthis of Yemen that prevents the passage of American-flagged cargo ships.
A new strategy in Yemen has been tactical forces, led by the United Kingdom (pictured), that assist in both mapping and bombing the Houthis’ land bases, as they have no vessels, carrying out attacks on ships from land bases.
Brazilian President Lula caused a serious crisis with Israel by comparing the current war in Israel with the Nazi period, precisely the biggest genocide and the most cruel war against the Jewish people and provoked reactions from the Netanyaho government, its allies and Jewish Brazilians who They demand equal treatment to that given to Palestinian refugees.
The series of wars and retaliations harden hearts and put into combat the forces that polarize power around the world. There are few countries that do not align themselves, although the hope of peace resists in a heroic way.
As the century-old educator and philosopher Edgar Morin says, it takes resistance of the spirit.
Clearing and the illumination of consciousness
23
Feb
There are different experiences of consciousness
that are different from the rational, of course they are not free from autosuggestion and in a way they all are, because some level of permission we give to an experience that goes beyond our senses, the musical is the most accepted and common cultural one, the spiritual one is the most rare and subject to fallacies and manipulations, but they all make some sense.
The clearing that Heidegger speaks of based on Plato’s myth of the cave is not tied to the rational level, since its ontology is back to Being, and the deepest experience of being will never cease to have a spiritual and cultural touch, but this clearing is strongly linked not to a collective idea, but to the inner and deep Being of each man.
Would it be possible to enlighten conscience in a collective way, what in Christian terms is called “Pentecost”, revival, rest in the spirit and other names, yes and no.
Yes, it is if it is in fact an awareness that leads to human and spiritual elevation, not if it is just self-suggestion through emotional technique and collective suggestion, there must be no falsification of true consciousness and it must not be confused with fanaticism.
The growing global political, cultural and military tension can lead to a state of fanaticism, hatred and social stress never imagined, but it is possible for minds to become alert and a new cultural and spiritual vision to evolve towards a different path, a kind of “help ”.
Walt Whitman was a poet, essayist and journalist from the 19th century, poorly understood and today read and reinterpreted by many authors, although still little understood, he says in his poems:
“As in a faint, for an instant, Another ineffable sun dazzles me,
And all orbs I knew, and brighter orbs unknown,
An instant of the future earth, earth of heaven.”
It can be read on a social level, a cultural change, on a spiritual level (new heavens and a new earth says the biblical reading) and even on a political level.
The apostles of Jesus had this moment provided by the Master himself, they climb Mount Tabor and there they see him illuminated with two other figures (the reading says: Elijah and Moses, it would not be the Trinity) and the ecstasy of consciousness is so high that the apostles Pedro, Tiago and João want to stay there.
