Thursday, February 5, 2009

HGG

The ideas of Hans Georg Gadamer are not easy to understand. But it's a task I have set myself for my doctorate. I've already made use of him anonymously in the blog on historical consciousness (click to reread it). But this morning I read the following and it rang true as I think of the 'experience' of losing Ben. Gadamer says:

"Real experience is that whereby man becomes aware of his finiteness. In it are discovered the limits of the power and the self knowledge of his planning reason. The idea that everything can be reversed, that there is always time for everything and that everything somehow returns, proves to be illusory. To acknowledge [this]...is to have the insight that all the expectation and planning of finite beings is finite and limited."

It's so easy to live as if life is full of endless possibilities and as if our planning and reason will find solutions to all problems. Life does have wonderful  times and possibilities. But if we don't also learn how finite and fragile our lives are then we are bound to be disappointed. It seems to me that experiences like Ben's death can teach us these things so that we are more careful about what we value and about how we will spend the time that is given to us on this earth. 1 Peter 1:24-25 comes to mind.

Sorry for the sermon!
Chris

2 comments:

  1. Hermosas palabras Chris.. creo que deberiamos reflexionar todos.. pero es tan difĂ­cil! Llevamos la vida dia a dia con una oculta seguridad de q es infinita.. y no solo no lo es, sino que nada es previsible y nada podemos controlar.. "finita y fragil".. que mejor manera de describirla..
    Desde aqui un abrazo a toda la familia..

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  2. Jill says:

    Thanks Judy that is lovely but my journey hasn’t even got me to the point that I acknowledge that won’t see Ben smile again so much hard the creases under his nose tighten – I still can get there yet – denial perhaps or just coping...

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