Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Dear Ahmed 4

'When we observe people, with their huge differences in natural talents, character, Behaviour and speech, we realize that what is given to us as “realty” is in fact “imagination”; and, from these same huge differences, we infer that there are two types of imagination: that of ordinary people, common to all; and an other type of imagination proper to a certain Euripides, Socrates or Plato. The latter is "creative imagination". Classical theatre transmits this message perfectly, through speech. That’s why we are so fascinated by Shakespeare.'

OK I have to disagree with you here. I personally do not believe that the cradle of Western civilisation was in ancient Greece. This is a subtle undermining of the huge diversity of cultures that have combined to form Western civilisation and a convenient way for the rich and powerful (and their acolytes) to excuse themselves from guilt / responsibility to numerous atrocities past and present.

Imagination, imho, cannot be separated into two groups. Nothing as esoteric, abstract and infinite as imagination could be so conveniently separated.

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