vendredi 26 juillet 2013

Sapere aude


18 commentaires:

Flocon a dit…

And so I've received another order from Anijo... An ancient one I remember is that one, posted 3 years ago. Hmmm... Anijo is a demanding follower.

Yes, the latest British pup will be the starting point of the post but it won't be ironic, this is not my type, nor cynical, I have too much respect for the Windsor (that was the ironic part of the post)...

But Immanuel will be the guest of honor.

Anonyme a dit…

Well, understanding some of your blog posts is demanding, so fair is fair. One has to know a lot of philosophy, and I don't, so I have to do some homework to know what you're going on about.

Flocon a dit…

As regards "What is enlightment", the next post will refer to it but anyone can understand ''Sapere Aude'' without knowing this short but seminal text by Kant. The latin phrase isn't from Kant as you know but he gave it a universal fame.

The text is all the more important to an American citizen (is SemperFidelis around?) since the core ideas exposed by Kant in this 1784 essay (does the date ring any bell in the US?) lay at the foundation of the American Constitution, no less.

It takes 10 minutes to read and is accessible to anyone with the ability to read.

Anonyme a dit…

Now, now SemperFi. Are you too shy and timid to respond? ;)

Anonyme a dit…

Anijo: I did read Flocon's link to Kant's essay. I had read about it, but never read the essay itself. Reading it started a train of thought running from the Federalist Papers and the discussions therein about the freedom of conscience and the marketplace of ideas, to an unexpected destination...the Christian criticism of the Founding Fathers for failure to submit to legitimate government.

I plan to say a few words about the above, but probably will not get it down until after Flocon gives us his piece on the scion of monarchy.

Then I can criticize him along with the Founders.

Dieu et mon droit...

SemperFidelis

Anonyme a dit…

Well, I had to Google Dieu et mon droit.

Anonyme a dit…

Je crois que Flocon ne pense pas que je suis bon public.... mais c'est pas vrai. ☺

Flocon a dit…

SemperFidelis,

Thanks for introducing Anijo to the motto of the British Monarch in England and therefore to the logo of the Times of London, (Honni soit qui mal y pense included), Anijo enjoys learning things related to History or philosophy in the company of decent, educated gentlemen ;-)

Also, this little a parte is a good reminder of the intertwined history of the three historically significant countries of the West from the Middle-Ages up to the XXth.

As pertains Dieu et mon droit, please note that your pal Abdullah of Saudi Arabia could as well make him the motto, and that Meiji Tennō actually pretended, like all others before and after him, that he actually was the son of God and therefore he was the personal embodiment of right, like the French and European kings of yesteryear posed that they were kings by divine right.

Somehow, I prefer the Founding Fathers' teaching based on reason rather than on faith. They most probably had read Kant ;-)

Flocon a dit…

Anijo,

The post will finally appear it's just that I'm like Paul MacCartney ;-).

And now I must shave (a chore I accomplish only three times per week and it's still a bore) and rush to my pilates lessons...

I live a hectic life!

Anonyme a dit…

Flocon,
Tu as souvent une chanson des Beatles à portée de main qui est apropos.

Pour moi, c'est Joe Dassin

Pour avoir la foi - il faut être charbonnier
Pour être mal chaussé - il faut être cordonnier
Pour séduire la foule - faut chanter la pêche aux moules
Et pour pas payer d'impôts - il faut naître à Monaco!

Et c´est comme ça, honni soit qui mal y pense
Faut souffrir en silence
Ça sert à quoi de vouloir quitter la France
Quand on est auvergnat?

Flocon a dit…

Anijo, you never told me the truth: You actually have a Ph.D. in the work of Joe Dassin !

Anonyme a dit…

More honi soit

But, who is that man with the pink highlights???

Flocon a dit…

Heck, I mistook John Cale with John Cage!

Nice find Anijo, please note how Honi is written with one N in English whereas in French it is now with 2 N (the conjugation has changed, the English motto is still that of the Middle Ages of course).

Have you noticed at the very beginning of Cale's video there's a British passport which bears both the Honi soit qui mal y pense but also Dieu et mon droit which SemperFidelis mentioned above.

As to your question about the man with pink highlights, it's no other that John Cale himself holding some decoration (could be the Legion of honour). But the picture certainly isn't from the year when he recorded "Honi etc." (1981) but a very recent one, say 2010).

Have done a quick research but couldn't find any indication that Cale was ever awarded the Legion of honour but may be was he though. Paul has been decorated very recently. Note the interpreter behind Paul.

Here is Liza Minelli receiving the honor. She apparently is rather emotional about it.

Flocon a dit…

Also, SemperFidelis must not be forgottent re videos.

James T. Conway in the Invalides

Anonyme a dit…

Aucune idée qui est l'interprèteur derrière Paul. Je me suis demandé, "Peut-être Ségolène Royal?" Mais non, l'interpréteuse(?) elle est trop jeune, òu peut-être une fille de Yoko Ono, mais non, car Paul McCartney et Yoko don't hit it off.. booff.. chai pas

Flocon a dit…

Oh, I now realize my " Note the interpreter behind Paul." could be interpreted like an invitation to guess who the person was. Actually she's just an anonymous professional translator.

When I wrote the phrase which led you into believing there was some interesting name to find I was just "exploring" the image.

As you can see, François Hollande is somehow rather blank and unassuming, even his supporters cannot mask this reality. On the other hand, absolutely nobody questions his personal integrity and yet his opponents are like mad blood thirsty hounds after him. Think Republicans and Obama.

This is what happens when a Constitution is such as yours and ours, wich is when the Nation is divided into two ferociously opposed camps.

As for the man who bestows the award to Liza Minelli, it's no other than François Mitterand's nephew who Sarkozy (our French Berlusconi) hired as a Minister of Culture.

So what ? will you (perhaps) ask. Just have a look here. Antony Weiner is a saint as compared to our politicians.

Flocon a dit…

re mad blood thirsty hounds, it reminds me of F.D.R who once said during a presidential campaign that his opponents hated him so much that they would take issue with his doggy. Couldn't find any reference though.

Thanks for the "Paul McCartney et Yoko don't hit it off." section of your comment, it is one these zillion expressions which one has to be a native English speaker to know.

Blogger has definitively suppressed the "Recents comments" functionality which makes it impossible to chat except on the current thread of the blog :-(

Anonyme a dit…

And there's also "hit the road", as in get in your car and take off.

Hit the road Jack