There's a
subway poster up these days, quoting Kant: "Out of the crooked timber of humanity, nothing entirely straight can be built." The
Times riffed on that the other day, declaring that it was descriptive of present-day dysfunctional Albany.
But I wonder, is the corollary true?
Out of the straight timber of humanity, nothing crooked can be built.
So Utopian, no?
even out of the crooked timber, great things can be built.
ReplyDeleteneither trees nor humans are perfect, after all.
Ya, I wonder if we want straight at all. I don't think I do.
ReplyDeleteGod, call me a cynic but I just can't buy humanity as straight timber. Call me a cynic but just don't call me a Kantian.
ReplyDeletehmmm...i think what's most interesting is a subway poster featuring kant. these are strange times indeed.
ReplyDeleteI would question the assumption that "straight" is a desirable condition, valued above crooked.
ReplyDeleteStraight isn't 'always' the best, isn't it?
ReplyDeleteDo you ever read Crooked Timber? It has some interesting stuff once in a while.
ReplyDeleteFor the most part, I don't see the timber, the raw material, as crooked - I see it bend, twist, curve gracefully in the winds of chance even as it strives ever upward.
ReplyDeleteOf course, that could be the chocolate talking...
Shade and Sweetwater,
K
something about moments like the one you describe, seeing that there reminds me of order in the chaos.
ReplyDeleteI wish all timber were straight. My husband the carpenter says, sorry, but no.
ReplyDelete