Eric Nilsson
07-30-2011, 12:21 AM
One of the unexpected benefits that comes from the purchase of materials from Memoria Press is that one ends up on a mailing list for The Classical Teacher. Having just received the most recent catalogue today there are a couple of thoughts regarding Mr. Cothran's Letter From the Editor and his article "Becoming as Rational as We Think We Are," that I'd like to share.
I also recently saw and enjoyed the movie The Book of Eli. What a lovely allegory for our times. The hero, Eli, journeys through a post-apocalyptic America that is less a prophecy than a symbolic vision of the bleak inner landscape of our post-modern world. Modern humanity is so bereft of spiritual substance, so irretrievably lost and hopelessly confused - less a pilgrim than refugee and fugitive from anomie. The villain of the movie seeks to appropriate the message contained within the Bible for his own purposes. Ironically, despite his ruthless search for and eventual seizure of the prized King James he finds himself unable to read it because he has destroyed the only person capable of translating it for him. His own lust for power has rendered the book unintelligible to him. I was also reminded of Ray Bradbury's great work, Fahrenheit 451, that describes a small body of people committed to the preservation of the great work's of western literature despite the apathy and even outright hostility of society towards the idea of transcendent, timeless truths. It never ceases to astonish me how prescient Bradbury was. The book was originally published in the early 50's and yet it's indictment of a world that turns its back on its rich heritage seems extraordinarily contemporary.
In his essay, Mr. Cothran quotes Marlowes' Dr. Faustus. In his introductory monologue Marlowe has Faustus inventory his vast learning, citing his study of logic, law, medicine, theology. In each instance Faustus has found his studies have not led him to his true goals, each has fallen short and been proven inadequate. "Yet thou art still but Faustus, and a man," he concludes by way of prefacing his explanation of why he will now take up the dark arts of magic. There is a profound irony in this opening speech that a number of critics have observed. Despite his claim to have mastered the studies he now dismisses as mundane Faustus again and again demonstrates a profound ignorance and lack of scholarship that Marlowes' audience would have been quick to appreciate. He reads from Aristotle's Analystics, but denounces Aristotle with supposed quote that Aristotle never wrote. He quotes Aristotle when he believes he is citing Gale and misquotes the jurist Justinian. Finally he denounces scripture by selectively lifting 2 Bible passages (Romans 6:23 and I John 1:8) to construct the so-called "devil's syllogism" that is a fallacious expression of the Christian faith. In exchange for his immortal soul Faustus is given god-like powers that only late prove to be a demonic delusion. What a perfect image for our time huh?
I also recently saw and enjoyed the movie The Book of Eli. What a lovely allegory for our times. The hero, Eli, journeys through a post-apocalyptic America that is less a prophecy than a symbolic vision of the bleak inner landscape of our post-modern world. Modern humanity is so bereft of spiritual substance, so irretrievably lost and hopelessly confused - less a pilgrim than refugee and fugitive from anomie. The villain of the movie seeks to appropriate the message contained within the Bible for his own purposes. Ironically, despite his ruthless search for and eventual seizure of the prized King James he finds himself unable to read it because he has destroyed the only person capable of translating it for him. His own lust for power has rendered the book unintelligible to him. I was also reminded of Ray Bradbury's great work, Fahrenheit 451, that describes a small body of people committed to the preservation of the great work's of western literature despite the apathy and even outright hostility of society towards the idea of transcendent, timeless truths. It never ceases to astonish me how prescient Bradbury was. The book was originally published in the early 50's and yet it's indictment of a world that turns its back on its rich heritage seems extraordinarily contemporary.
In his essay, Mr. Cothran quotes Marlowes' Dr. Faustus. In his introductory monologue Marlowe has Faustus inventory his vast learning, citing his study of logic, law, medicine, theology. In each instance Faustus has found his studies have not led him to his true goals, each has fallen short and been proven inadequate. "Yet thou art still but Faustus, and a man," he concludes by way of prefacing his explanation of why he will now take up the dark arts of magic. There is a profound irony in this opening speech that a number of critics have observed. Despite his claim to have mastered the studies he now dismisses as mundane Faustus again and again demonstrates a profound ignorance and lack of scholarship that Marlowes' audience would have been quick to appreciate. He reads from Aristotle's Analystics, but denounces Aristotle with supposed quote that Aristotle never wrote. He quotes Aristotle when he believes he is citing Gale and misquotes the jurist Justinian. Finally he denounces scripture by selectively lifting 2 Bible passages (Romans 6:23 and I John 1:8) to construct the so-called "devil's syllogism" that is a fallacious expression of the Christian faith. In exchange for his immortal soul Faustus is given god-like powers that only late prove to be a demonic delusion. What a perfect image for our time huh?