When a quote is eminently quotable and widely applicable, but has no source other than a famous name, I am reminded of the famous CS Lewis. Long before the Internet was popular, he wrote, “I haven’t said half the things people claim I’ve said, especially online.”
Augustine could have smiled grimly. As mentioned above, he called the question of greatness “the most important question and worthy of passionate discussion.” He was trying to hold a philosophical retreat, which resulted in the participation of various friends and relatives, but none of them were particularly keen to discuss it. “Look into the matter of the critical moment.” In this context, Augustine’s reflections read more like an attempt at conversation than formal philosophy. His informal observations still centered around a unique view of greatness that contrasted sharply with modern Western ideals.
While Augustine emphasized the importance of God’s grace, the Enlightenment shifted the focus to self-reliance and individual potential. This shift sparked a deeper contemplation of greatness as something that was revealed rather than something that one made, something that was received before being achieved. Augustine makes several important points. His ideas on sexuality and original sin are noteworthy, but they are only part of his legacy in Western thought.
Whether in art, literature, or science, growth comes from discovery, not mere creation. It is as if we are discovered by what we study. Great composers embody the well-known principle of listening to great music to become a skilled musician. Similarly, great writers immerse themselves in great writing, and great scientists don’t invent new ideas out of thin air. Instead, we allow ourselves to be discovered by the phenomena we study, as if nature itself begs to reveal its secrets. “It is enough to try to understand a little of this mystery every day.” (Einstein)
Guercino studied Caravaggio and was fascinated by his use of shadow and color. (Light and Dark) Excellence is what it calls us, not the other way around. Jesus said to his disciples, “You did not choose me, but I chose you to go and bear fruit, which will last.” I got it. Augustine adhered to St. Paul’s words: And if you received it, why brag about it as if it were not a gift? … Let him who boasts boast in the Lord. ” you This means you and me. We are either “in” God or nowhere.
Excellence responds to greatness encountered, whether interpreted through faith or personal growth. Our own creativity is not the cause of great things, but the result of being attracted to them. Their inherent greatness encourages them to grow to commensurate greatness. we are not Sui generis (Homebrew), there’s nothing for us to do either.
Waiting for inspiration doesn’t mean sitting there passively and hoping the muse will perch on our shoulder. It can be a rehearsal for preparation. It’s like the wise virgins in Jesus’ parable who waited until late at night, making sure the lamps were lit and the oil filled, not knowing when their master would return. The foolish maidens have run out of oil. When the master returned, they were locked out of the banquet and left in the dark.
A “great moment” can turn tragic. Augustine spoke of excellence and grace, while others spoke of death and destruction. Despite witnessing the fall of Rome firsthand, Augustine’s understanding of greatness makes him appear to some as emotionally detached and oblivious to life’s tragedies; This is his misunderstanding. confession Dispel. Franz Kafka’s words come to mind, even though our worldviews are fundamentally different. “Our art is one that is dazzled by truth.” Whether in the suffering of “distorted faces” (Kafka), personal grief, or the death of an empire, “it is The light it casts may be dark.
Our art usually highlights how clever instead we It’s not that “great moments” elevate those with less ability, but that those who claim more ability consider themselves great moments. Like the mythical Atlas, we carry not only the earth but also the heavens—Otherwise you’ll be like Sisyphus forever. If you push a rock up a hill, it will roll back down.
“Try, try, try again,” they say. “But stop it now. There’s no point in being a dick about it.” We become fools about excellence, like the guy who gave up looking for his car keys one night. I might stop. I was looking for a place that would be easy to see under the street lights. The key was in a place he wasn’t looking at, in the dark off to the side.
You can’t force what’s waiting to be found. Sometimes we just hope to be found. Please believe it.
“Atlas holding up a celestial globe” by Guercino (Giovanni Francesco Barbieri, 1591-1666), whose nickname refers to the condition of his eyes (Guercino means “cross-eyed”). An important figure of the Baroque, “Guercino’s masterful chiaroscuro and emotional, dramatic style influenced by Caravaggio had a lasting influence on Italian and European art.”
notes and reading
[*] Augustine – “At critical moments…” – Full quote: “A happy life, the answer to the skeptics, providence and the problem of evil, soliloquy” (Fathers of the Church – New Translation, Volume 1. 5, Dennis J. Kavanaugh, OSA), eBook 2010, 112.
Augustine of Hippo: Biography (New edition with epilogue) – Peter Brown (2000). Cabinet order. Brown is professor emeritus of history at Princeton University. Also, Augustine: Conversion to Confession – Robin Lane Fox (2015). Fox is a British classics scholar and ancient historian at the University of Oxford, England. – and “Answer to the Skeptics” church fathers, OP. Quote.
Is the discovery inevitable or by chance?Although some discoveries have a spontaneous force of their own and are more likely to emerge, their realization still depends on the knowledge of individual scientists or groups of scientists, and is also subject to chance. play an important role. ” – Telmo Pievani nautilus magazine (September 24, 2024). Telmo is widely regarded as an expert in biodiversity.
discovered through our research – Consider literary scholar Harold Bloom and his modern classics anxiety about influence And from another angle, René Girard’s theory of imitation regarding the imitative nature of desire (violence and the sacred). – When it comes to music, closer to home, consider what we here on Substack actually call “Possessed by Music.” musical platypus Written by Robert Hart. Don’t miss the archives.
Jesus – John 15:16. Matthew’s parable of the maiden 25:1-13.
st paul – 1 Corinthians 1:31, 4:7. [NRSV]
albert einstein – ideas and opinions (1995). The definitive collection of Albert Einstein’s popular works, compiled under his supervision. – Einstein, in a calm but clear manner, would have challenged Richard Dawkins’ emphasis on solving the mysteries of nature and argued that awe, rather than being dispelled by awe, causes scientific inquiry. .
“Our art is to be dazzled by truth…” – Franz Kafka quote – Edited, introduced and commented by translators Rainer Stach and Shelley Frisch (2022), #63, 128.
Approximately 2+2=5: https://williamgreen.substack.com/about – revision
Source: 2 + 2 = 5 – williamgreen.substack.com
