Friday, March 8, 2013

MEMENTO AMORI


(There is obviously a jocular twist  in posting an entry with such a title on the 8th of March…)

This futuristic section cannot ignore the leitmotif of a number of entries in this collection placed in different sections, but all united by their “love your enemy master theme. Although I do not contemplate duplicating any of them here, I must still give this subject some honorable mention, and also give myself a justification for hanging on to my excellent title. (Incidentally I have not quite forgotten the difference between eros and agape, but memento amori is too good to be spoiled by lengthy qualifications!)

However, this entry will stand on its own even without the clever title, by drawing attention to my analysis of Christ’s Great Commandment to love your enemy. Hence, I am pointing to the two aspects of such love, both complementing each other: love as a general extroverted attitude, and love as respect, particularly for your enemy, Nietzschean concept of the “noble enemy.

How is that applicable to the main Grundthema of this section, which is wishful thinking?

In the better, or at least desirable, world of the future, it is only natural for various nations to bear grudges against each other (falling short of the ideal of political morality: forgetfulness of former offenses, but who is without sin, among people or nations alike?). They may even be allowed to hate each other, in the worst case of our ideal scenario (after all, odi… et amo!), as long as they stay away from the unforgivable sin of disrespect.

Memento… mori!

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