Tuesday, September 16, 2008

the promise of a new day

my erudition in literature has led me to some satisfying and thought-provoking read, so much so that i make the effort of collecting seminal works by prominent writers and philosophers.

in the light of the interesting scenario in our country, i would like to share with you Jean-Jacques Rousseau's (rousseau is a French philosopher, and this book influenced the French Revolution) words. in his book "The Social Contract", Rousseau says

"Man was born free, and he is everywhere in chains. Those who think themselves the masters of others are indeed greater slaves than they."

in other words, the notion of controlling or having power over someone leads back to the person itself, as it binds and enslaves him, leaving him with no other alternative to break free from his notion.

we sometimes forget that we're put here for a reason, although one might say that this was the result of one man's weakness over a woman's request once upon a time in Eden. anyway, sometimes we're caught in a mayhem, that we cant seem to stop ourselves. we enjoy the ride so much that we forget about the others, that we assume that this is our right, and we plan to keep it permanent. enjoying the ride leads Napoleon to say in The Animal Farm "all are equal, but some are more equal than the others".

this leads me to Homi Bhabha's theory in The Location of Culture, in which he opines that in setting the narrative of the nation, it is the people who decide and shape the narrative, despite the rulers' efforts to mould the people.




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