Thought Provoking Poets & Writers
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Amiel's Journal "Spite is anger which is afraid to show itself, it is an impotent fury
conscious of its impotence." It is direct reflections such this that lead me to read
Amiel's Journal. When Henry Miller made reference to Amiel in one of his books,
I was curious to read further into Amiel's work. There is much written about
Henri-Frederic Amiel, he is often quoted in philosophical works. Amiel's Journal is
not a quick read. It is a book to be savored, discussed and reflected upon.
Here is an sample musing from his journal:
The age of great men is going; the epoch of the ant-hill, of life in multiplicity, is beginning. The
century of individualism, if abstract equality triumphs, runs a great risk of seeing no more true
individuals. By continual leveling and division of labor, society will become everything and man
nothing.
As the floor if valleys is raised by the denudation and washing down of the mountains, what is
average will rise at the expense of what is great. The exceptional will disappear. A plateau with
fewer and fewer undulations, without contrasts and without oppositions, such will b the aspect
of human society. The statistician will register a growing progress, and the moralist a gradual
decline: on the one hand, a progress of things; on the other, a decline of souls. The useful
will take the place of the beautiful, industry of art, political economy of religion, and arithmetic
of poetry.
Both simple lines and complex paragraphs detail an account of Amiel's spiritual
discoveries from books that Amiel read and events that he participated in. His
journal was not written for public consumption, although he had a certain
awareness that his journal may be published in the future. A great philosophical
treasure for any library.
conscious of its impotence." It is direct reflections such this that lead me to read
Amiel's Journal. When Henry Miller made reference to Amiel in one of his books,
I was curious to read further into Amiel's work. There is much written about
Henri-Frederic Amiel, he is often quoted in philosophical works. Amiel's Journal is
not a quick read. It is a book to be savored, discussed and reflected upon.
Here is an sample musing from his journal:
The age of great men is going; the epoch of the ant-hill, of life in multiplicity, is beginning. The
century of individualism, if abstract equality triumphs, runs a great risk of seeing no more true
individuals. By continual leveling and division of labor, society will become everything and man
nothing.
As the floor if valleys is raised by the denudation and washing down of the mountains, what is
average will rise at the expense of what is great. The exceptional will disappear. A plateau with
fewer and fewer undulations, without contrasts and without oppositions, such will b the aspect
of human society. The statistician will register a growing progress, and the moralist a gradual
decline: on the one hand, a progress of things; on the other, a decline of souls. The useful
will take the place of the beautiful, industry of art, political economy of religion, and arithmetic
of poetry.
Both simple lines and complex paragraphs detail an account of Amiel's spiritual
discoveries from books that Amiel read and events that he participated in. His
journal was not written for public consumption, although he had a certain
awareness that his journal may be published in the future. A great philosophical
treasure for any library.
| Amiel's Journal |