5) On Kierkegaard, what is the problem with talkativeness, and why is silence valuable in relation to his conceptions of the present age and a revolutionary age?
When Kierkegaard says that there is a problem with talkativeness, he doesn’t necessarily mean that there’s a problem with talking or speaking, but rather the act of talkativeness, speaking empty words that don’t really contribute to anything, talking for the sake of talking. He argues that only someone who can remain silent can really talk (The Present Age, 43). In this sentence not only does he mention that those who can remain silent can talk but act essentially as well, insinuating that only those who know how to stay silent know how to act properly. Talkativeness doesn’t care …show more content…
A person who can stay silent will have access to the essence of inwardness, or inner life (The Present Age, 43). The person can look deep inside themselves and judge what is worth being talked about. He then mentions that in a passionate age – or a revolutionary age – people will start talking and acting passionately, but when it is over one should stay silent and remember such a passionate age. In the present age however, people will just gossip and succumb to the talkativeness in fear of the emptiness of silence. Talkativeness can also contribute to Kierkegaard’s idea of leveling. Talkativeness prevents you from seeing inside yourself, and it is our inwardness where our personalities and uniqueness lies. Therefore, talkativeness contributes to leveling which makes silence valuable since silence would be the antidote to leveling which would be a benefit to society. Kierkegaard goes as far as to say that “At its maximum the levelling process is a deathly silence in which one can hear one’s heartbeat, a silence which nothing can pierce, in which everything is engulfed, powerless to resist (The Present Age 24). This idea of his that …show more content…
Calculative thinking is scientific, logical, and mathematical thinking. STEM thinking in a nutshell. Meditative thinking on the other hand is a more philosophical sort of thinking, thinking of nature, your surroundings, yourself, and your experiences. Calculative thinking is more popular, especially in this age, because it is efficient, it brings about technological results. Whereas meditative thinking is very abstract, and a definitive conclusion cannot be made. With calculative thinking everyone can agree that 2+2=4, but not everyone can agree on the purpose of life. Meditative thinking “profits nothing in carrying out practical affairs” and “requires greater effort”. Heidegger says “Calculative thinking never stops, never collects itself. Calculative thinking is not meditative thinking, not thinking which contemplates the meaning which reigns in everything that is.” (Discourse on Thinking, 45-46). For example, calculative thinking might go something like “I need to rush to catch the train or else I’ll be late to work, and if I’m late to work my boss will fire me!” but meditational thinking would be “If I rush to work I’ll be in a very chaotic state of mind; why am I so worried about losing my job anyways?” To explain how this relates to the essence of technology, first we must define what the essence of technology is. According to Heidegger, the essence of technology isn’t technology,
When Kierkegaard says that there is a problem with talkativeness, he doesn’t necessarily mean that there’s a problem with talking or speaking, but rather the act of talkativeness, speaking empty words that don’t really contribute to anything, talking for the sake of talking. He argues that only someone who can remain silent can really talk (The Present Age, 43). In this sentence not only does he mention that those who can remain silent can talk but act essentially as well, insinuating that only those who know how to stay silent know how to act properly. Talkativeness doesn’t care …show more content…
A person who can stay silent will have access to the essence of inwardness, or inner life (The Present Age, 43). The person can look deep inside themselves and judge what is worth being talked about. He then mentions that in a passionate age – or a revolutionary age – people will start talking and acting passionately, but when it is over one should stay silent and remember such a passionate age. In the present age however, people will just gossip and succumb to the talkativeness in fear of the emptiness of silence. Talkativeness can also contribute to Kierkegaard’s idea of leveling. Talkativeness prevents you from seeing inside yourself, and it is our inwardness where our personalities and uniqueness lies. Therefore, talkativeness contributes to leveling which makes silence valuable since silence would be the antidote to leveling which would be a benefit to society. Kierkegaard goes as far as to say that “At its maximum the levelling process is a deathly silence in which one can hear one’s heartbeat, a silence which nothing can pierce, in which everything is engulfed, powerless to resist (The Present Age 24). This idea of his that …show more content…
Calculative thinking is scientific, logical, and mathematical thinking. STEM thinking in a nutshell. Meditative thinking on the other hand is a more philosophical sort of thinking, thinking of nature, your surroundings, yourself, and your experiences. Calculative thinking is more popular, especially in this age, because it is efficient, it brings about technological results. Whereas meditative thinking is very abstract, and a definitive conclusion cannot be made. With calculative thinking everyone can agree that 2+2=4, but not everyone can agree on the purpose of life. Meditative thinking “profits nothing in carrying out practical affairs” and “requires greater effort”. Heidegger says “Calculative thinking never stops, never collects itself. Calculative thinking is not meditative thinking, not thinking which contemplates the meaning which reigns in everything that is.” (Discourse on Thinking, 45-46). For example, calculative thinking might go something like “I need to rush to catch the train or else I’ll be late to work, and if I’m late to work my boss will fire me!” but meditational thinking would be “If I rush to work I’ll be in a very chaotic state of mind; why am I so worried about losing my job anyways?” To explain how this relates to the essence of technology, first we must define what the essence of technology is. According to Heidegger, the essence of technology isn’t technology,