“pride / Is a far cry from dominance,” i.e. pride is not the same as the kind of excessive egotism which can often lead to unhelpful (and exploitative) ethnocentrisms. I am with you however when it comes to being dubious of [all] dogmas.
While I sympathize with your second point, I am wondering by what axiom you take action in this universe to be “of all and no consequences.” Well, which is it? Otherwise, is that not a nihilistic paradox?
I am also wondering if you believe all matter can be reduced to atoms? Do you mean to say that people are liable to lose their minds by way of embracing the scientific worldview?
I am happy you brought up Rimbaud! How exactly do you interpret his famous “Je est un autre?” Are you in the camp that views Rimbaud as an undiagnosed schizophrenic?
Ultimately yes I do think it is possible to interpret Rimbaud’s quest to attain the unknown as a project to destroy a superficial sense of self, in a bid to reach a theoretically deeper place from which a new self could possibly emerge. Perhaps a drunken boat realizes that it is made up of the same stuff as the abyss it floats upon?
From my point of view an increase in perception has often gone hand in hand with a more complete picture of egotism than before. That is to say, it becomes smaller. An analogy that I can think of would be using a telescope to gaze at a far off galaxy. I do not see how it immediately follows that this would lead to one viewing their place in the universe with an increased sense of importance, rather than a diminished one.
I can’t argue with the idea of egotism and irresponsibility being linked in some essential ways, but I don’t think it’s the whole picture. For example I am sure there are responsible egotists and feckless persons with a deflated self-esteem. Yet perhaps it is often an inability to grapple with the reality of death that can lead one wishing to cast off all sense of responsibility for existing as a human being in this particular time in history.
Sincerely thank you for engaging with this so completely. Without exchanges like this it is hard to see the process really being complete. I’m also happy to know another Rimbaud fan. Where would the state of modern art be honestly without le poète maudit.
While I sympathize with your second point, I am wondering by what axiom you take action in this universe to be “of all and no consequences.” Well, which is it? Otherwise, is that not a nihilistic paradox?
I am also wondering if you believe all matter can be reduced to atoms? Do you mean to say that people are liable to lose their minds by way of embracing the scientific worldview?
I am happy you brought up Rimbaud! How exactly do you interpret his famous “Je est un autre?” Are you in the camp that views Rimbaud as an undiagnosed schizophrenic?
Ultimately yes I do think it is possible to interpret Rimbaud’s quest to attain the unknown as a project to destroy a superficial sense of self, in a bid to reach a theoretically deeper place from which a new self could possibly emerge.
Perhaps a drunken boat realizes that it is made up of the same stuff as the abyss it floats upon?
From my point of view an increase in perception has often gone hand in hand with a more complete picture of egotism than before. That is to say, it becomes smaller. An analogy that I can think of would be using a telescope to gaze at a far off galaxy. I do not see how it immediately follows that this would lead to one viewing their place in the universe with an increased sense of importance, rather than a diminished one.
I can’t argue with the idea of egotism and irresponsibility being linked in some essential ways, but I don’t think it’s the whole picture. For example I am sure there are responsible egotists and feckless persons with a deflated self-esteem.
Yet perhaps it is often an inability to grapple with the reality of death that can lead one wishing to cast off all sense of responsibility for existing as a human being in this particular time in history.
Sincerely thank you for engaging with this so completely. Without exchanges like this it is hard to see the process really being complete. I’m also happy to know another Rimbaud fan. Where would the state of modern art be honestly without le poète maudit.
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