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March 29, 2008
the hand of western civilization
Our civilization is still split between a Hellenic cognition and aesthetic and a Hebraic morality and religion. One might say that the hand of Western (indeed of much Eastern also) civilization has five ill-assorted fingers: Moses, Socrates, Jesus, Shakespeare, Freud. Plato’s culture is entirely Socratic, by design, yet also Homeric, unwillingly. Between the Republic and ourselves come Moses, Jesus, Shakespeare, Freud, and though we cannot abandon Athens, still less could we avoid our tongues’ cleaving to the roofs of our mouths if we do not prefer Jerusalem to Athens.
Harold Bloom - Where Shall Wisdom Be Found?
Posted by amin at March 29, 2008 6:10 PM