Quote by Milan Kundera
High culture is nothing but a child of that European perversion called history, the obsession we have with going forward, with considering the sequence of generations a relay race in which everyone surpasses his predecessor, only to be surpassed by his successor. Without this relay race called history there would be no European art and what characterizes it: a longing for originality, a longing for change. Robespierre, Napoleon, Beethoven, Stalin, Picasso, they're all runners in the relay race, they all belong to the same stadium.
Summary
This quote by Milan Kundera suggests that high culture, specifically in the European context, is a product of the continuous march of history and the obsession with progress. History, seen as a relay race, fuels the European art and its distinct features - a constant desire for originality and change. The quote implies that figures like Robespierre, Napoleon, Beethoven, Stalin, Picasso are all part of this historical narrative, with each generation surpassing its predecessor and being surpassed by the next. It highlights how this obsession with progress shapes and characterizes European high culture.
Topics
Culture
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