Размышления

           Andsomeexcellentlinesaswell.These,forexample:

           IfIandmytwochildrencannotmovethegods

           Thegodsmusthavetheirreasons

           Or:

           Andwhyshouldwefeelangerattheworld?

           And:

           Toharvestlifelikestandingstalksofgrain

           andagoodmanyothers.

           Then,aftertragedy,OldComedy:instructiveinitsfrankness,itsplainspeakingdesignedtopuncturepretensions.(Diogenesusedthesametacticforsimilarends.)

           ThenconsidertheMiddle(andlatertheNew)Comedyandwhatitaimedat—graduallydegeneratingintomererealismandemptytechnique.Thereareundeniablygoodpassages,eveninthosewriters,butwhatwasthepointofitall—thescriptandstagingalike?

           7.Itstaresyouintheface.Noroleissowellsuitedtophilosophyastheoneyouhappentobeinrightnow.

           8.Abranchcutawayfromthebranchbesideitissimultaneouslycutawayfromthewholetree.Sotooahumanbeingseparatedfromanotheriscutloosefromthewholecommunity.

           Thebranchiscutoffbysomeoneelse.Butpeoplecutthemselvesoff—throughhatred,throughrejection—anddon’trealizethatthey’recuttingthemselvesofffromthewholecivicenterprise.

           Exceptthatwealsohaveagift,givenusbyZeus,whofoundedthiscommunityofours.Wecanreattachourselvesandbecomeoncemorecomponentsofthewhole.