"We very often hear complaints of the shallowness of the present age, and of the decay of profound science. But I do not think that those which rest upon a secure foundation, such as mathematics, physical science, etc., in the least deserve this reproach, but that they rather maintain their ancient fame, and in the latter case, indeed, far surpass it. The same would be the case with the other kinds of cognition, if their principles were but firmly established. In the absence of this security, indifference, doubt, and finally, severe criticism are rather signs of a profound habit of thought. Our age is the age of criticism, to which everything must be subjected. The sacredness of religion, and the authority of legislation, are by many regarded as grounds of exemption from the examination of this tribunal. But, if they on they are exempted, they become the subjects of just suspicion, and cannot lay claim to sincere respect, which reason accords only to that which has stood the test of a free and public examination."
Immanuel Kant
Kant mustn't be considered - especially by a playwright - without considering his "heraklitian" friend Σκοτεινός Hamann, who worked as a "humble worker in God's vineyard" at the customs office.
ReplyDeletehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johann_Georg_Hamann
Within my open university course here in this blog, today I reread some passages of the critique of pure reason and it returned to my mind the thrilling messages of the critical theory proclaimed by the so called “Frankfurter Schule” in the years around 68. Here it is the spotting of ideological elements in social world, there it was the questioning of metaphysical subjects. Very equal.
ReplyDeleteRight?