In the VI book of the Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle describes wisdom (σοφία) as a combination of nous (νοῦς) and episteme (ἐπιστήμη), that is intellect and knowledge. Who could say today that wisdom is the main purpose of our leaders? Nobody, I’m afraid! Most of them seem not to use intellect and knowledge, but only incompetence and greed for money. This is the point: money, the new value of our world. For Aristotle the good was the same for the the singular person and for the city (common wealth). Today the intellect is used only for their own profit and the knowledge is serving for equity capital, for Finance. The technique has replaced the capability of Politics to lead the world, and has become a value it itself. No more the technique is in service of humanity, but on the contrary man serves it. The technique is not more the means of the human acting, but is it itself the subject around whom the human acting goes. The technique has become the way with whom everything is justified, and this is very, very dangerous. Everything could be done in the name of this new “god”, of this new absolute value, even killing people or making them slaves in many ways. Maybe I’m a nostalgic person: the ancient greek wisdom, miss me!
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| Raffaello Sanzio – The School of Athens |
