"The owl of Minerva spreads its wings and takes flight only when the shades of night are falling " - Freidrich Hegel
The great German philosopher Hegel, who was the proponent of dialectical theories of philosophy, metaphorically made the above remark about the role of philosophers. Philosophers make prophesies, and create blueprints of utopias. However, they cannot transcend the culture in which they are steeped in. They can only make observations in retrospect with the benefit of hindsight. Philosophic wisdom comes too late in any society to transform it, and can only make it possible for the society to understand itself; to grasp the meaning of its own culture and the truth of the Absolute which it embodies. However by then dusk must have started falling and the culture must have started its withering process , with society at its vanishing point.
Nonetheless it is not to belittle the role of the philosopher, who, like an owl, is perched atop the high branches of his own ivory tower with a perpetual brooding glance over the humanity beneath. When the whole world sleepwalks and daydreams, the owl keeps its eyes wide open, unlayering the different shades of meaning in every human deed, howsoever trivial they might be. Like a sponge, the owl, in its dark solitude absorps every drop of wisdom, and assimilates them into its deep soul. Thus nourished with insights and intuition, the owl grows in age and wisdom; though not always in the fondeness of people. The owl's murmurs are ugly and spooky, because the thunder of truth is often unpleasant and disturbing.
Perhaps Hegel underestimated the power of philosophers when he said they can only interpret the world and cannot change it. History presents us the exhibit of Karl Marx, who started from where Hegel stopped, and set right the Hegelian dialectics into the Marxian thought, which sowed the seeds of revolution all over the world; thus proving philosophers can be potent agents of change.
When the owl speaks from the fullness of its wisdom, its words descend down upon the world like fire and sulphur, as it did on the decadant cities of Sodom and Gomerra. From the embers of the burning world a new world is created, where justice, fairness and truth prevail.
With the assembly of power and knowledge, the owl spreads its wings and takes the flight, to the higher realms of truth, carrying in its wings all the seekers of truth and wisdom.
The great German philosopher Hegel, who was the proponent of dialectical theories of philosophy, metaphorically made the above remark about the role of philosophers. Philosophers make prophesies, and create blueprints of utopias. However, they cannot transcend the culture in which they are steeped in. They can only make observations in retrospect with the benefit of hindsight. Philosophic wisdom comes too late in any society to transform it, and can only make it possible for the society to understand itself; to grasp the meaning of its own culture and the truth of the Absolute which it embodies. However by then dusk must have started falling and the culture must have started its withering process , with society at its vanishing point.
Nonetheless it is not to belittle the role of the philosopher, who, like an owl, is perched atop the high branches of his own ivory tower with a perpetual brooding glance over the humanity beneath. When the whole world sleepwalks and daydreams, the owl keeps its eyes wide open, unlayering the different shades of meaning in every human deed, howsoever trivial they might be. Like a sponge, the owl, in its dark solitude absorps every drop of wisdom, and assimilates them into its deep soul. Thus nourished with insights and intuition, the owl grows in age and wisdom; though not always in the fondeness of people. The owl's murmurs are ugly and spooky, because the thunder of truth is often unpleasant and disturbing.
Perhaps Hegel underestimated the power of philosophers when he said they can only interpret the world and cannot change it. History presents us the exhibit of Karl Marx, who started from where Hegel stopped, and set right the Hegelian dialectics into the Marxian thought, which sowed the seeds of revolution all over the world; thus proving philosophers can be potent agents of change.
When the owl speaks from the fullness of its wisdom, its words descend down upon the world like fire and sulphur, as it did on the decadant cities of Sodom and Gomerra. From the embers of the burning world a new world is created, where justice, fairness and truth prevail.
With the assembly of power and knowledge, the owl spreads its wings and takes the flight, to the higher realms of truth, carrying in its wings all the seekers of truth and wisdom.
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