Abraham Joshua Heschel (1907–1972) Polish-American Conservative Judaism Rabbi
Prologue p. 5
The Sabbath (1951)
Richter is questioning here the 'picture of reality'
Source: after 2000, Doubt and belief in painting' (2003), p. 87, note 13
Abraham Joshua Heschel (1907–1972) Polish-American Conservative Judaism Rabbi
Prologue p. 5
The Sabbath (1951)
“Since we cannot change reality, let us change the eyes which see reality.”
Nikos Kazantzakis (1883–1957) Greek writer
M. C. Escher (1898–1972) Dutch graphic artist
1950's, On Being a Graphic Artist', 1953
Context: As far as I know, there is no proof whatever of the existence of an objective reality apart from our senses, and I do not see why we should accept the outside world as such solely by virtue of our senses. These reality enthusiasts are possibly playing at hide-and-seek; at any rate they like to hide themselves, though they are not usually aware of it. They simply do it because they happen to have been born with a sense of reality, that is, with a great interest in so-called reality, and because man likes to forget himself.
Johann Gottlieb Fichte book The Vocation of Man
Jane Sinnett, trans 1846 p. 60
The Vocation of Man (1800), Knowledge
Witold Pilecki (1901–1948) World War II concentration camp leader and resistor
Source: Lawrence W. Reed, Witold Pilecki: Bravery Beyond Measure, 23 October 2015 https://fee.org/articles/he-volunteered-to-go-to-auschwitz/
“Nothing we see or hear is perfect. But right there in the imperfection is perfect reality.”
Shunryu Suzuki (1904–1971) Japanese Buddhist missionary
Wherever You Are, Enlightenment Is There (page127)
Not Always So, practicing the true spirit of Zen (2002)
Kofi Annan (1938–2018) 7th Secretary-General of the United Nations
Truman Library address (2006)
Context: I believe we have a responsibility not only to our contemporaries but also to future generations — a responsibility to preserve resources that belong to them as well as to us, and without which none of us can survive. That means we must do much more, and urgently, to prevent or slow down climate change. Everyday that we do nothing, or too little, imposes higher costs on our children and our children’s children. Of course, it reminds me of an African proverb — the earth is not ours but something we hold in trust for future generations. I hope my generation will be worthy of that trust.