The Enlightenment, the Age of Reason, is seen as the beginning of modern depravity.
Umberto EcoRead
Political satire is a serious thing. In democratic newspapers throughout the world there are daily cartoons that often are not even funny, as is the case especially in many English-language newspapers. Instead, they contain a political message, and the artist takes full responsibility.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Political satire blends humor with serious commentary on political issues, emphasizing the responsibility of the artist.
Umberto Eco highlights the significance of political satire as a vital form of expression in democratic societies. While many political cartoons may lack humor, their primary function is to convey important political messages, and the artists who create them bear the responsibility for these messages and their impact on public discourse.
Themes
Political SatireArtResponsibilityDemocracyCartoons
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a discussion about the role of humor in political discussions during a debate.
More from Umberto Eco
All quotes →I think that at a certain age, say fifteen or sixteen, poetry is like masturbation. But later in life good poets burn their early poetry, and bad poets publish it. Thankfully I gave up rather quickly.
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But why do some people support [the heretics]?" "Because it serves their purposes, which concern the faith rarely, and more often the conquest of power." "Is that why the church of Rome accuses all its adversaries of heresy?" "That is why, and that is also why it recognizes as orthodoxy any heresy it can bring back under its own control or must accept because the heresy has become too strong.
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You die, but most of what you have accumulated will not be lost; you are leaving a message in a bottle.
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"Then we are living in a place abandoned by God," I said, disheartened. "Have you found any places where God would have felt at home?" William asked me, looking down from his great height.
Umberto EcoRead
The lunatic is all idée fixe, and whatever he comes across confirms his lunacy. You can tell him by the liberties he takes with common sense, by his flashes of inspiration, and by the fact that sooner or later he brings up the Templars.
Umberto EcoRead
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