Merely fact-minded sciences

«Merely fact-minded sciences make merely fact-minded people».

(Edmund Husserl, The Crisis of European Sciences and Transcendental Phenomenology, 1936).

In a world of madness who, if not the mad, could be on top of it?

 (Dr. Divago)

Love for poetry and academia

«I started a PhD in English at the university of Chicago because I loved poetry – which now I realize is like saying I studied vivisection because I loved dogs»

(Michael Donaghy, Verse)

Would rather that he were a beggar

And Almustafa cried out in the aloneness of his spirit, and he said:

“Heavy-laden is my soul with her own ripe fruit. Who is there would come and take and be satisfied? Is there not one who has fasted and who is kindly and generous in heart, to come and break his fast upon my first yieldings to the sun and thus ease me of the weight of mine own abundance?

My soul is running over with the wine of the ages. Is there no thirsty one to come and drink?

Behold, there was a man standing at the cross-roads with hands stretched forth unto the passers-by, and his hands were filled with jewels. And he called upon the passers-by, saying: ‘Pity me, and take from me. In God’s name, take out of my hands and console me.’

But the passers-by only looked upon him, and none took out of his hand.

Would rather that he were a beggar stretching forth his hand to receive – ay, a shivering hand, and brought back empty to his bosom – than to stretch it forth full of rich gifts and find none to receive.”

(Kahlil Gibran, The Garden Of The Prophet, 1933).

Where is the Life we have lost in living?

Where is the Life we have lost in living?

Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge?
Where is the knowledge we have lost in information?

T.S. Eliot, The Rock (1934).

Something to say

all’epoca un mestiere rispettabile...

«…era un bell’uomo e a trent’anni era già professore universitario, il che all’epoca era ancora un mestiere rispettabile».

 

(Milan Kundera, Nesmrtelnost, trad it. L’immortalità, Adelphi, Milano 1990, p. 26)