Society - a quote by James Baldwin

[AlexandraSilk]

In my readings I just came across the most insightful quote regarding society

"Society is held together by our need; we bind it together with legend, myth, coercion, fearing that without it we will be hurled into that void, within which, like the earth before the Word was spoken, the foundations of society are hidden."

Read more at Link is broken so has been taken down

 

[teddEbear]

It may be that I've had a few too many glasses of wine but this makes no sense to me alex. Can you explain the last half after void... Especially refrences to the word

 

[teddEbear]

My fav james a baldwin quote..... "to be sensual, I think, is to respect and rejoice in the force of life, of life itself, and to be present in all that one does, from the effort of loving to the making of bread"...... Beautiful.

 

[svengali]

It may be that I've had a few too many glasses of wine but this makes no sense to me alex. Can you explain the last half after void... Especially refrences to the word

A subtle clue is there in the fact that the word "word" is capitalised, meaning it refers to the word of God. In the opening lines of genesis the world is described as a formless void. Quantum physics refers to it as a "singularity" before the big bang. Same ideas, different approach.

Genesis 1 (New International Version)

Genesis 1
The Beginning
1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. "

The full text is here: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+1&version=NIV

I should add that most modern biblical scholars now regard Genesis as poetry rather than as literal fact but some fundamentalists still believe the world was just a week's work for the creator. (Pity we can't get Him (capital again) to build our new Football stadium.):

 

[lillian.tan]

I think in short, it means that humans tend to group together when they have the same needs or principles with one another and as the group starts to grow, it becomes a society where a structure needs to be put in place to create order...sometimes even with stories which are half true e.g: Santa Claus for kids so they will behave

To be said crudely, a mining town is not a city but they are a society on it's own and it all started with a few individuals living together on the same place and then they started growing...

 

[teddEbear]

Quantum physics? Whadda what? I thought it was a bible reference but wanted to be sure. Cheers for clearing that up sven.... I guess religion is easier than science for some to grasp. You sound like you have a degree in theology.

 

[svengali]

Nope, just the results of enforced bible-bashing during my formative years. It is amazing how much stuff learned at a young age is retained. Since then I have studied various philosophies and religions but always out of intellectual curiosity rather than by adopting any fixed set of beliefs.

Your remark about religion being easier to grasp than science is right on the money. In the good old days priests held a lot of power and even Kings and Caliphs would hesitate to cross them. It was at least a check on unbridled executive power and a means of encouraging good behaviour in the community. Priests and Monks were also often the only educated people in small villages which gave them a lot of clout as people had to go to them to have letters read and written.

Sadly, modern Churches seem more intent on doctrine than service and I really am not comfortable with their penchant for drumming their beliefs into young minds as facts before they have time to develop the faculty of critical thinking. When Joe Stalin and that nice Mr Hitler did that it was called "brainwashing" and rightly condemned.