I’ve been following a lecture series on philosophers of the 20th century and one lecture was about Hannah Arendt. One point of the lecture stuck with me and I took the following question home with me:
Are we not involved enough in politics anymore? Do we have a duty to get involved?
Hannah Arendt saw the public sphere as the sphere of freedom, in the sense of freedom of speech, etc.; and as the sphere in which we can claim our rights. Our lecturer also mentioned her belief that the ‘animal laborans’ (working animal) is dominating the ‘zoon politikon’ (political being) in our times. It’s been a while since the lecture and I must admit I’ve forgotten her main argumentation, but as I said, it stuck with me.
I’ve never considered myself a very political person. There was a time when I didn’t even watch the news because they depressed me and I felt there wasn’t anything I could do, anyways. Still, lately the feeling’s been nagging on me that maybe I should do more, put my thoughts into words, do something. Anything.
This blog started with the idea of sharing photography, lifestyle, food recipes and such and while there is nothing wrong with those things and I love, adore and admire many blogs focussing on those or one of those things, it’s not all there is to life. I don’t have the time, energy or political involvement to write a political blog, nor am I sure I’d want to. Consider this a fair “warning”, though: There might be political thoughts on this blog from now on. Or just thoughts in general.
It is my blog, after all. And a little depth never hurt anyone, right?
