Excerpts From Kierkegaards's "Present Age"

Philosophy Forums Society, Government, and Economics
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“A revolutionary age is an age of action; ours is an age of advertisement and publicity.
Nothing ever happens but there is immediate publicity everywhere. In the present age
a rebellion is, of all things, the most unthinkable. Such an expression of strength would
seem ridiculous to the calculating intelligence of our times. On the other hand a political
virtuoso might bring off a feat almost as remarkable. Hr might write a manifesto
suggesting a general assembly at which people should decide on a rebellion, and it would
be so carefully worded that even the censor would let it pass. At the meeting itself he
would be able to create the impression that his audience had rebelled, after which they
would all go home - having spent a very pleasant evening.”

I spent some time surfing the internet news programs this evening. All the news that is the
news. I didn’t keep score, but a rough estimate suggests that about 80% of what I watched
was talking heads analyzing and predicting not what was happening, but what might happen
in the future. The news of actual happenings probably didn’t take up five minutes of a half
of “news”, and that five minutes happened between 10 minutes worth of 30 second ads for
medications, cars, financial services, etc. Of course, after an hour of this, I was supposed
to know all the latest and I could go about my evening comforted by the knowledge that I
was up to date on world happenings. I think Kierkegaard was laughing at me.

“Nowadays not even a suicide kills himself in desperation. Before taking the step he
deliberates so long and so carefully that he literally chokes with thought. It is even
questionable whether he ought to be called a suicide, since it is really thought that takes
his life. He does not die with deliberation but from deliberation.”

Sometimes, we spend so much time knowing, that we forget acting out on our knowing.
Kierkegaard’s sarcasm is classic hyperbole, and while I would never suggest physical suicide,
I wonder how many commit intellectual suicide, and in just that fashion?

Incidentally, the essay “The Present Age” was written in 1846.….

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tent - this is one of those passages that I wish I could think of when someone makes one of those “things are worse now than they were before” posts. I am thinking about accumulating some like this, to have at the ready for such instances.

I come to ILP for my news, now.