Quote by Alfred North Whitehead, Symbolis
It is the first step in sociological wisdom, to recognize that the major advances in civilisation are processes which all but wreck the societies in which they occur: like unto an arrow in the hand of a child. The art of free society consists first in the maintenance of the symbolic code; and secondly in fearlessness of revision, to secure that the code serves those purposes which satisfy an enlightened reason. Those societies which cannot combine reverence to their symbols with freedom of revision, must ultimately decay either from anarchy, or from the slow atrophy of a life stifled by useless shadows.
Summary
This quote highlights the essential components of sociological wisdom. It suggests that significant progress in civilization often brings about significant disruption. The art of a free society, therefore, lies in two aspects: firstly, in upholding the symbolic code that defines the society, and secondly, in the courage to critically examine and revise that code to ensure it aligns with the goals of an enlightened perspective. Societies unable to balance respect for their symbols and the freedom to adapt face the risk of either chaotic anarchy or a gradual decline as life becomes suffocated by obsolete traditions.
Topics
Society
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