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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None of our prayers should ever be petitions for our own needs: for this is only another subtle way of trying to put ourselves on the same plane as God β acting as if we had no needs, as if we were not creatures, not dependent on Him.
I realized it for the first time in my life: there is nothing but mystery in the world, how it hides behind the fabric of our poor, browbeat days, shining brightly, and we don't even know it.
Is it astonishing that, like children trying to catch smoke by closing their hands, philosophers so often see the object they would grasp fly before them?
Those who believe for a while make only a brief tour in the kingdom, though thereafter they often feel qualified to inform those who know even less about the Church; but the fact is they were really only tourists - not natives who really knew the kingdom's countryside.