The Enlightenment, the Age of Reason, is seen as the beginning of modern depravity.
Umberto EcoRead
"You cannot believe what you are saying." "Well, no. Hardly ever. But the philosopher is like the poet. The latter composes ideal letters for an ideal nymph, only to plumb with his words the depths of passion. The philosopher tests the coldness of his gaze, to see how far he can undermine the fortress of bigotry."
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote suggests that both philosophers and poets explore deep emotions and truths, often questioning societal norms.
Umberto Eco's quote delves into the nature of philosophy and poetry, emphasizing that both reflect deeper human experiences. While poets create idealized visions through their work, philosophers probe into societal constructs, using reason to challenge and reveal biases. This interplay between emotional and rational inquiry showcases the complexity of understanding truth beyond surface-level perceptions.
Themes
PhilosophyPoetryTruthBigotryEmotion
In practice
Example use cases
In a philosophy class discussing the role of questioning beliefs, this quote could illustrate how philosophers examine societal norms.
More from Umberto Eco
All quotes →I think that at a certain age, say fifteen or sixteen, poetry is like masturbation. But later in life good poets burn their early poetry, and bad poets publish it. Thankfully I gave up rather quickly.
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But why do some people support [the heretics]?" "Because it serves their purposes, which concern the faith rarely, and more often the conquest of power." "Is that why the church of Rome accuses all its adversaries of heresy?" "That is why, and that is also why it recognizes as orthodoxy any heresy it can bring back under its own control or must accept because the heresy has become too strong.
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You die, but most of what you have accumulated will not be lost; you are leaving a message in a bottle.
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"Then we are living in a place abandoned by God," I said, disheartened. "Have you found any places where God would have felt at home?" William asked me, looking down from his great height.
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The lunatic is all idée fixe, and whatever he comes across confirms his lunacy. You can tell him by the liberties he takes with common sense, by his flashes of inspiration, and by the fact that sooner or later he brings up the Templars.
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