Date: Thu, 3 Oct 2002 09:12:07 EDT
Subject: Re: A SERMON



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In a message dated 03/10/2002 13:22:26 GMT Daylight Time, 
Villanova-AT-btopenworld.com writes:


> Subj:Re: A SERMON
> Date:03/10/2002 13:22:26 GMT Daylight Time
> From:    Villanova-AT-btopenworld.com (Paul Murphy)
> Sender:    owner-heidegger-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu
> Reply-to: <A HREF="mailto:heidegger-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu">heidegger-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu</A>
> To:    heidegger-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I think the problem lies at a deeper level, not the failure of machines, 
> the expense and so on, but the failure of Capitalism to reconcile itself 
> with the deeper needs and aspirations of man.  In this case Globalisation 
> came into conflict with one of the world's great religions, Islam, which 
> extends back much farther in time than Capitalism does.  As it has far 
> greater traditions and ensuing respect amongst its followers, who are 
> equally prepared to throw away their lives as a protest against the 
> purported iniquities of Capitalism, its apparant greed and selfishness.  
> Capitalism is an economic system, it does not serve the higher aspirations 
> of man, it simply satisfies those basic needs you describe, namely food, 
> entertainment, all kinds of mind and body candy to distract Western man 
> away from the pitiful void within.  The plea for a reconciliation between 
> science and religion, between Capitalism and religion, was made many years 
> ago in Aldous Huxley's novel 'Brave New World', it is obvious that the 
> message of this book looms ominously over the events of 9.11.  Communism 
> failed as an economic system, and also to satisfy those deeper needs, 
> mainly because it provides no satisfactory answer or conclusions about 
> human destiny, other than the dystopia it eventually became, which is not 
> to say that the Russian or Spanish Revolutions did not begin with great 
> idealism, enthusiasm and creativity.  Perhaps Communism might work in some 
> other, some different context today?  Capitalism must not be seen by the 
> masses in the West as a replacement for religion, but this is how it is 
> seen, and there is a void waiting to be filled, because orthodox, 
> conventional religion has also failed in the West, but not, as we have 
> seen, in the East.  Clearly this void is waiting to be filled, and some of 
> the tendencies that began to be made manifest in the last decade might 
> crystallise into a new movement.  For it to matter it has to be more 
> fundamentally transformative than the movements of the past, which all 
> failed miserably - all we might know is that there must be change.... 
> Paul Murphy  



Jud:
A very prudent assessment of the current situation and well described.

Thanks,

Jud Evans.


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