The author of the article, a professor at The New School, Simon Critchley, ruminates on the nature of foolhardy hope, hope in the face of truth, as a method of ignoring reality, and describes grim consequences in classical literature of its effects (the Melian people are killed and enslaved as they hope beyond hope for salvation that does not come).
Such hope- and Critchley claims, with an eye toward the Easter holiday, that religious hope is generally of this variant- is not only self-delusional and foolhardy, but also de-motivates possible, positive, action. Real action must be based on a solid understanding of the here-and-now and of real possibilities for change.
The article rang an important note for me as I feel when faced with challenges of our world today (environmental degradation, for one) - people either have a tendency to ignore altogether or hope vainly. (Another interesting article this weekend highlighted a man in the UK who has become very critical of the quick fixes that cannot possibly really fix the big problem but that are nonetheless offered to followers of the movement as if hey could, and therefore bound to end in a sort of hard crash landing for anyone who truly heeds them.)
On the other hand, hating things and complaining about them, even if it is laudable to be honest with oneself and others, doesn't solve any problems either (that was of course the critique of the somewhat nihilist ex- environmentalist).
Gratitude in the way I've become interested in, is not an opposite, but maybe something of an alternative. It is about looking at the world with open, honest eyes and identifying what is good, what has been accomplished (so easy to forget across generations), and what must at all costs be preserved. What is it that is worth fighting for, actually?
I have thoughts on the importance of another kind of hope as well... For next time. Curious if anyone has thoughts on this.
No comments:
Post a Comment