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Quote by Mark Lilla

“Narratives of progress, regress, and cycles all assume a mechanism by which historical change happens. It might be the natural laws of the cosmos, the will of God, the dialectical development of the human mind or of economic forces. Once we understand the mechanism, we are assured of understanding what really happened and what is to come. But what if there is no such mechanism? What if history is subject to sudden eruptions that cannot be explained by any science of temporal tectonics? These are the questions that arise in the face of cataclysms for which no rationalization seems adequate and no consolation seems possible. In response an apocalyptic view of history develops that sees a rip in time that widens with each passing year, distancing us from an age that was golden or heroic or simply normal. In this vision there really is only one event in history, the kairos separating the world we were meant for from the world we must live in. That is all we can know, and must know, about the past.”

Quote by Mark Lilla

Book:The Shipwrecked Mind: On Political Reaction
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The Shipwrecked Mind: On Political Reaction

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Mark Lilla
Mark Lilla

Mark Lilla is an American historian known for his research on the history of modern European thought. His works delve into the origins and impacts of modernity, as well as the role of intellectuals in the public sphere. more

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Author:Will Durant
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