The Vacua Death of Politics

In a 1995 speech outlining his “Visions for the 21st Century”, celebrated astrophysicist Carl Sagan warned of the fragility of human civilization, given our infinitesimal presence in the cosmos. Our future, he warned, depends entirely on us learning to live together with wisdom and humility. It is clear that we did not understand the message. Three decades later, our planet, that “silent blue spot” is torn by geopolitical turmoil, and the hope a…

This statement is based on the idea that people, by nature, live in community and not as isolated individuals. According to Aristotle, it is within the community that human beings find their true essence and fullness. Politics, therefore, becomes a fundamental activity for human life, since it is the practice of living in community, organizing and managing common affairs. Community social character, and not isolated individuality, is what forges…