The 'human' sense of life, so typical of the modern West…
““The 'human' sense of life, so typical of the modern West, confirms its plebeian and lower aspect. That which some were ashamed of – 'man' – others took pride in. The ancient world elevated the individual to God, made every effort to unbind him from passion, to adapt him to transcendence, with free air of heights in contemplation as well as in action; it knew traditions of non-human heroes and of men of divine blood. The Semiticised world not only deprived the 'creature' of the divine, but finally reduced God to a human figure. Bringing back to life the demonism of a Pelasgian substratum, it substituted the pure Olympian regions, vertiginous in their radiant perfection, with the terrorist viewpoints of its apocalypses, of hells, of predestination, of perdition. God was no longer the aristocratic god of the Romans, the god pf patricians, to whom one prays standing, in the light of the fire, head up high and which is carried at the head of the victorious legions [...]””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
The quote contrasts ancient reverence for the divine individual with modern Western reduction of humanity to a base, materialist view, lamenting loss of transcendence.
In simple terms: Ancient world saw humans as divine; modern West sees them as ordinary.
Key Takeaway
Recognize the depth beyond materialism.
Themes
philosophy
culture
spirituality
Mood
reflective
critical
Type
philosophical
analytical
When to use this quote
- academic discourse
- personal reflection
- artistic critique
Key Concepts
transcendence
mythology
modernity
Questions to Reflect On
- How does this view affect contemporary ethics?
- Can modern society reclaim a sense of the divine?
A Different Perspective
Modern reductionism can overlook practical realities.