The Russian yearning for the meaning of life is the major theme of our literature, and this is the real point of our intelligentsia's existence.
Utopias now appear much more realizable than one used to think. We are now faced with a different new worry: How to prevent their realization.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote reflects a shift in perspective regarding utopian ideals, suggesting that while they now seem achievable, the concern has moved to managing their potential consequences.
Nikolai Berdyaev's quote highlights the evolution of thought about utopias from mere dreams to attainable realities. In contemporary society, as advancements in technology and social structures make utopian ideals possible, the focus has shifted to the potential drawbacks and ethical dilemmas of bringing these ideals to fruition. The quote invites reflection on the implications of striving for a perfect society and the responsibilities that accompany such ambitions.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about the future of artificial intelligence and its societal impacts.
More from Nikolai Berdyaev
All quotes βFreedom is the power to create out of nothing, the power of the spirit to create out of itself.
There is a tragic clash between Truth and the world. Pure undistorted truth burns up the world.
God is a reality of spirit He cannot be conceived as an object, not even as the very highest object. God is not to be found in the world of objects.
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Jesus doesnβt dominate the other, avoid the other, colonize the other, intimidate the other, demonize the other, or marginalize the other. He incarnates into the other, joins the other in solidarity, protects the other, listens to the other, serves the other, even lays down his life for the other.
Democracy is not merely a form of government. It is primarily a mode of associated living, of conjoint communicated experience. It is essentially an attitude of respect and reverence towards fellow men.
We do not quite say that the new is more valuable because it fits in; but its fitting in is a test of its value - a test, it is true, which can only be slowly and cautiously applied, for we are none of us infallible judges of conformity.
If there is no other world and there is no fruit and ripening of actions well done or ill done, then here and now in this life I shall be free from hostility, affliction, and anxiety, and I shall live happily.
All of us, poor & rich alike, have been conditioned by our upbringings. Impoverished men & women may become lulled into a state of "learned helplessness" without hope to change their lives. Likewise, the wealthy can walk in a state of "learned blindness" ignoring the desperation of the local & global poor.
Obscenity only comes in when the mind despises and fears the body, and the body hates and resists the mind.