Josep Pla, El quadern gris, November 6 1918:

Coromina and my brother–a chemistry student–get entangled in an endless discussion about science. Coromina attacks–to my great surprise–my brother’s rooted conviction of the absolute priority of science in any system of human knowledge. Like all anti-rationalists, Coromina creates beautiful, brilliant phrases: he says, for example, that the discovery of Hertzian waves owes perhaps more to poetic intuition than to systematic observation. My brother is outraged. For me it has always been a mystery why some people are fated to be rationalists and others to be anti-rationalists. Why? Because of differences in the course of their studies and interests? I think not. Some very sensitive people, with an artistic temperament, are rationalists. And there are people obsessed by a certain technology who are anti-rationalist. Because of differences in temperament? Because of differences in their degree of curiosity? Some rationalists have very closed minds. Generally, anti-rationalists are not interested in, are disturbed by, concrete knowledge. Why?

The smallest basic problem precipitates me into an abyss of ignorance and melancholy.

Kus op je neus FB, 1976-2008.

Tags: anti-rationalist, Josep Pla, rationalists
Categories: Heathen philosophers, Liberals & locals, Lightning, Poets

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