The invention of ethical and political doctrines, which blossomed into our own social sciences, is a product of times when things appeared manageable. The same goes for the criticism of those doctrines, though as a voice from the past, this criticism proved prophetic.
Interpretation
This quote reflects on how ethical and political doctrines emerge in manageable times and are later critiqued, often with prophetic insight.
Joseph Brodsky's quote highlights the development of ethical and political theories as products of historical contexts that seemed stable and manageable. It suggests that while these doctrines shape our understanding of society, their criticism often arises from a perspective informed by history, allowing such critiques to gain prophetic significance as they anticipate future challenges and transformations in thought.
In practice
This quote could be used in a philosophy lecture discussing the evolution of social sciences.
Basically, it's hard for me to assess myself, a hardship not only prompted by the immodesty of the enterprise, but because one is not capable of assessing himself, let alone his work. However, if I were to summarize, my main interest is the nature of time. That's what interests me most of all. What time can do to a man.
One always pulls the trigger out of self-interest and quotes history to avoid responsibility or pangs of conscience.
On the whole, infinity is a fairly palpable aspect of this business of publishing, if only because it extends a dead author's existence beyond the limits he envisioned, or provides a living author with a future he cannot measure. In other words, this business deals with the future which we all prefer to regard as unending.
Try not to pay attention to those who will try to make life miserable for you. There will be a lot of those - in the official capacity as well as the self-appointed.
To put it in plain language, Russia is that country where the name of a writer appears not on the cover of his book, but on the door of his prison cell.
I remember myself, age five, sitting on a porch overlooking a very muddy road. The day was rainy. I was wearing rubber boots, yellow - no, not yellow, green - and for all I know, I'm still there.
The death sentence is a barbaric act.
The law discovers the disease, and the gospel the physician.
Once someone asked me, "What do you want to be your epitaph?" So I said, "Paulo Coelho died when he was alive.
The rush of battle is often a potent and lethal addiction, for war is a drug.
I project myself out through the glasses and across the street, a ghost in the morning sunlight, torn with disembodied lust.
Eternity will be wonderful, but there is one thing heaven will not contain, and that is the call, the possibility, and the privilege of living a supernatural life here and now by faith, before we meet Jesus face to face.
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