Es gibt Gespräche, die man führt und danach das Gefühl hat, gar nicht wirklich anwesend gewesen zu sein. Man hat Worte gesagt, Gedanken geordnet, vielleicht sogar präzise formuliert, und trotzdem ist das Wesentliche irgendwo auf der Strecke geblieben. Nicht aus Nachlässigkeit. Nicht aus Schweigen. Sondern weil zwischen dem, was man ist, und dem, was man von sich übermitteln kann, eine […]

One more thing about French philosopher Paul Ricoeur’s theory of Hermeneutics that I find interesting. It's not often that the same concepts can be used in the contexts of politics and the occult sciences. I think this is one of those. The world creating power of Hermeneutics can be and is experienced in both.

For me, ancient texts create a world I literally inhabit where I live the life of an Alchemist in the company of divine beings and transformative processes.
 
The basis of Ricoeur’s work was to extend and provide a methodology to that of the Frankfort School of Marxist revisionists. They understood that the world economy was expanding out of exclusively industrial production. They wanted to find out what in classical Marxism was still applicable in the new culture. They decided that what was still relevant was the pure Criticism that needed to be constantly applied to capitalistic culture to preserve ourselves . Criticism for criticism’s sake was the primary value and the value of Marx's work in particular was to create, through his writing, a world without Capitalism.
 
The point is for all of us to be aware of the world creating power of books and other media. Yes, it brings our magical worlds to life, but we need to keep an eye out for and criticize that which would be harmful to the kinds of lives we want.
 
Back now to your regularly scheduled programming--
 
#occult
#philosophy
#Ricoeur
#politics

@khthoniaa I've just finished Paul Ricoeur's “Hermaneutics and the Human Sciences", a collection of essays. It was a tough read because there were many references to philosophies I was unaquainted with. Had to do a little side research. But I got a lot out of it- mainly his original thought.
He looks at interpretation in general as a process not of discovering hidden meanings, but entering into a relation that creates meaning as it develops according to a given structure.
He claims by psychologically fusing horizons with a “text” an alternate world is created that expands our finite possibilities. He then goes on to expand the scope of "text" into actions as well.

I really then understood this all as an alchemical process! Go figure!

Too heavy? Well, I like trashy novels too!
 
#reading
#Ricoeur
#Alchemy

"I believe in the efficacy of #reflection because I believe that man’s greatness lies in the #dialectic of #work and the #spoken #word. #Saying and #doing, #signifying and #making, are intermingled to such an extent that it is impossible to set up a lasting and deep opposition between ‘#theoria’ and ‘#praxis.’ The word is my kingdom and I am not ashamed of it."

- Paul #Ricoeur, History and Truth