So farewell hope, and with hope farewell fear,Farewell remorse: all good to me is lost;Evil,be thou my good.
Interpretation
The quote reflects a rejection of hope and moral remorse, embracing evil as a potential source of goodness in despair.
In this quote, John Milton expresses a deep sense of loss and abandonment of hope, indicating a profound philosophical shift towards embracing evil as an alternative to the pain associated with lost goodness. It suggests a resignation to despair where traditional moral guides are rejected in favor of a darker, perhaps more authentic experience of existence, questioning the nature of good and evil.
In practice
In a debate about the nature of good and evil, this quote can be used to illustrate a perspective that challenges conventional morality.
They, looking back, all the eastern side beheld Of Paradise, so late their happy seat, Waved over by that flaming brand, the gate With dreadful faces thronged and fiery arms: Some natural tears they dropped, but wiped them soon; The world was all before them, where to choose Their place of rest, and Providence their guide; They, hand in hand, with wandering steps and slow, Through Eden took their solitary way.
The stars, that nature hung in heaven, and filled their lamps with everlasting oil, give due light to the misled and lonely traveller.
Ev'n them who kept thy truth so pure of old, When all our fathers worshipp'd stocks and stones.
Abashed the devil stood and felt how awful goodness is and saw Virtue in her shape how lovely: and pined his loss
The end of all learning is to know God, and out of that knowledge to love and imitate Him.
Apt words have power to suage the tumors of a troubled mind.
Every single person in this world is a minority in one way or another. It just depends on how you slice the pie.
Let no act be done without purpose.
Blind hate against the enemy creates a forceful impulse that cracks the boundaries of natural human limitations, transforming the soldier in an effective, selective and cold killing machine. A people without hate cannot triumph against the adversary.
We are a unique ape. We have language. Other animals have systems of communication that fall far short of that. They don't have the same ability to communicate complicated conditionals and what-ifs and talk about things that are not present.
Holy shadows of the dead, I'm not to blame for your cruel and bitter fate, but the accursed rivalry which brought sister nations and brother people, to fight one another. I do not feel happy for this victory of mine. On the contrary, I would be glad, brothers, if I had all of you standing here next to me, since we are united by the same language, the same blood and the same visions.
One of the things that I've come to understand is that as I talk a lot about Picard, what I find is that I'm talking about myself.
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