Thus the Age of Reason has turned out to be the Age of Structure; a time when, in the absence of purpose, the drive for power as a value in itself has become the principal indicator of social approval. And the winning of power has become the measure of social merit.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- The Age of Reason became the Age of Structure where power itself became the primary social value.
- In plain terms
- Power replaced purpose as the main social goal.
- What can you take from it?
- Social merit is now measured by power acquisition.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What values should drive society?
- Is power the only metric of success?
Another view
Purpose still matters to many people today.
More from John Ralston Saul
We talk endlessly of the individual and of individualism, for example, when any sensible glance at major issues indicates that we live in an era of great confo…
Permalink to quote #4 Neither Capitalism nor Socialism can pretend to be an ideology. They are merely methods for dividing ownership and income. What is most peculiar for such theor…
Permalink to quote #6 Elites quite naturally define as the most important and admired qualities for a citizen those on which they themselves have concentrated.
Permalink to quote #3
Related quotes
But Hitler didn't strive for the annihilation of the Jews - he stressed that fact in public life and in the newspapers. Hitler merely said at the beginning tha…
Franz von PapenFranz von Papen quote #1 History, in other words, is just a device to be used by well-paid boobherds to drive the American cattle in bovine content to their pastures or to the abattoir.
Revilo P. OliverRevilo P. Oliver quote #3 He in a few minutes ravished this fair creature, or at least would have ravished her, if she had not, by a timely compliance, prevented him.
Henry FieldingHenry Fielding quote #4