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Book 11
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.
