All Arrogance Will Be Punished
11/02/2008
- Opinión
Our Western culture is characterized by its extreme arrogance, exacerbated by techno-science, with which it dominates the world. It is excessive in everything: in the limitless exploitation of nature, in the imposition of its political and religious beliefs and, when considered opportune, in war, unleashed in every corner of the world. Western culture suffers from the "God-complex", because it considers itself omniscient and all-powerful.
This brings to mind a fable by Philipp Otto Runge, the XIX century German painter, that I read when I was a student in Bavaria. I remember it was in Gothic script, that, to the surprise of my professors, I had learned to use in my academic work. It is about a husband and wife who were fishermen. I will relate the fable with minor adaptations.
A couple lived in a miserable hut by the lake. Everyday the woman would go fishing to get something to eat. One day she caught a very rare fish that she could not identify. The fish told her: "do not kill me, I am not just any fish; I am an enchanted prince, condemned to live in this lake; please let me live." And she let him live.
When she arrived home, she told her husband what had happened. He, very astute, suggested: "if he is really an enchanted prince, he can help us a lot. Hurry back to him and see if he can transform our hut into a castle." The woman, grumbling, went. She called loudly to the fish. The fish came and asked: "what do you want from me?" She answered: "you must be powerful, can you transform my hut into a castle?" "Your wish shall be fulfilled," replied the fish.
When she returned home, she found an imposing castle, with towers and gardens, and her husband dressed as a prince. A few days later, pointing to the green fields and the mountains, the husband said to the wife: "All these can be ours. It will be our kingdom; go see the enchanted prince and ask him to give us a kingdom." The woman got upset with her husband's exaggerated request, but she ended up going. She called the enchanted fish, and he came. "What do you want from me now?," asked the fish. To which the woman answered: "I would like to have a kingdom with lands and mountains as far as the eye can see." "Your wish shall be fulfilled," replied the fish.
And, once home, she found an even bigger castle. Inside, her husband was dressed as a king, wearing a crown, and surrounded by princes and princesses... And all were very happy for a long time.
But one day the husband dreamed of something higher, and said: "Dear wife, can you ask the enchanted prince to make me pope, with all his splendor?" The woman became indignant. "That is absolutely impossible. There is only one pope in the world." But he pressured her so much that finally the woman went to ask the prince: "I wish you would make my husband pope." "Then your wish may be fulfilled," answered the fish.
When she returned, she saw her husband dressed as the pope, surrounded by cardinals, bishops and multitudes kneeling in front of him. She was dazzled. But a few days later, the husband said: "I have only one more wish that I want the prince to grant: I want to be able make the sun and the moon. I want to be God." "Surely the enchanted prince cannot do that," said the fisherwoman. But, bewildered by her husband's strong insistence, she went to the lake. She called the fish, and the fish asked: "what more do you want from me?" She told him: "I want my husband to be God." The fish told her: "go back home and you will have a surprise." Upon returning, she found her husband sitting in front of the hut, poor and all disfigured. I believe the two of them are still there...
According to Greek tragedies, this is what happens to those who live by hybris, this is, with excessive pretension. They will inexorably be punished.
May not this perhaps be the destiny of our civilization?
(Free translation from the Spanish by Melina Alfaro, done at Refugio del Rio Grande, Texas).
This brings to mind a fable by Philipp Otto Runge, the XIX century German painter, that I read when I was a student in Bavaria. I remember it was in Gothic script, that, to the surprise of my professors, I had learned to use in my academic work. It is about a husband and wife who were fishermen. I will relate the fable with minor adaptations.
A couple lived in a miserable hut by the lake. Everyday the woman would go fishing to get something to eat. One day she caught a very rare fish that she could not identify. The fish told her: "do not kill me, I am not just any fish; I am an enchanted prince, condemned to live in this lake; please let me live." And she let him live.
When she arrived home, she told her husband what had happened. He, very astute, suggested: "if he is really an enchanted prince, he can help us a lot. Hurry back to him and see if he can transform our hut into a castle." The woman, grumbling, went. She called loudly to the fish. The fish came and asked: "what do you want from me?" She answered: "you must be powerful, can you transform my hut into a castle?" "Your wish shall be fulfilled," replied the fish.
When she returned home, she found an imposing castle, with towers and gardens, and her husband dressed as a prince. A few days later, pointing to the green fields and the mountains, the husband said to the wife: "All these can be ours. It will be our kingdom; go see the enchanted prince and ask him to give us a kingdom." The woman got upset with her husband's exaggerated request, but she ended up going. She called the enchanted fish, and he came. "What do you want from me now?," asked the fish. To which the woman answered: "I would like to have a kingdom with lands and mountains as far as the eye can see." "Your wish shall be fulfilled," replied the fish.
And, once home, she found an even bigger castle. Inside, her husband was dressed as a king, wearing a crown, and surrounded by princes and princesses... And all were very happy for a long time.
But one day the husband dreamed of something higher, and said: "Dear wife, can you ask the enchanted prince to make me pope, with all his splendor?" The woman became indignant. "That is absolutely impossible. There is only one pope in the world." But he pressured her so much that finally the woman went to ask the prince: "I wish you would make my husband pope." "Then your wish may be fulfilled," answered the fish.
When she returned, she saw her husband dressed as the pope, surrounded by cardinals, bishops and multitudes kneeling in front of him. She was dazzled. But a few days later, the husband said: "I have only one more wish that I want the prince to grant: I want to be able make the sun and the moon. I want to be God." "Surely the enchanted prince cannot do that," said the fisherwoman. But, bewildered by her husband's strong insistence, she went to the lake. She called the fish, and the fish asked: "what more do you want from me?" She told him: "I want my husband to be God." The fish told her: "go back home and you will have a surprise." Upon returning, she found her husband sitting in front of the hut, poor and all disfigured. I believe the two of them are still there...
According to Greek tragedies, this is what happens to those who live by hybris, this is, with excessive pretension. They will inexorably be punished.
May not this perhaps be the destiny of our civilization?
(Free translation from the Spanish by Melina Alfaro, done at Refugio del Rio Grande, Texas).
https://www.alainet.org/en/articulo/127751
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