Tuesday, April 3, 2018

Dazu gibt es bis heute keine Alternative

Das Christendom ist für das normative Selbstverständnis der Moderne nicht nur eine Vorläufergestalt 

Christianity is, for normative understanding of modernity, not only a preformation

oder ein Katalysator gewesen.

or a catalyst.

Der egalitäre Universalismus, aus dem die Ideen von Freiheit und solidarischem Zusammenleben, 

Egalitarian universalism, from which the ideas of freedom and communal concord

von autonomer Lebensführung und Emanzipation, von individueller Gewissensmoral,

of autonomous life and emancipation, of individual moral conscience

Menschenrechten und Demokratie entsprungen sind, 

human rights and democracy have sprung from, 

ist unmittelbar ein Erbe der jüdischen Gerechtigkeits

is an unmitigated inheritance from the Jewish doctrine of justice

-und der christlichen Liebesethik. 

and the Christian ethic of love.

In der Substanz unverändert, 

In unchanged substance

ist dieses Erbe immer wieder kritisch angeeignet und neu interpretiert worden. 

this inheritance has been critically adopted, over and over, and newly interpreted.

Dazu gibt es bis heute keine Alternative.

For that [meaning for producing all those things] there is till today no alternative.

Auch angesichts der aktuellen Herausforderungen einer postnationalen Konstellation 

Even given the present challenges [to Christianity] in a post national world,

zehren wir nach wie vor von dieser Substanz. 

we feed from this substance [ the combination of Jewish justice and love in Christianity]

Alles andere ist postmodernes Gerede".

Everything else is postmodern babble.

In other words, Christianity isn't a mere precursor or a catalyst for those things listed, it is the very thing that nourishes them, even today, there is no alternative source of those things. 

Jürgen Habermas - "Zeit der Übergänge"  [Time of Transitions] (Suhrkamp Verlag, 2001) p. 174f.  With my phrase by phrase, even word by word translation.   I don't generally do translation because if some idiot wants to quibble over it, it's pointless to argue it to an audience that doesn't read the language.  The boob I translated this to argue over it with clearly couldn't read German and he couldn't tell me what I'd gotten wrong but he claimed it didn't mean what it clearly does.

I know you think the world of yourself and they think you're real kew-el at the ol' "brain trust", but, really, you ain't no Jürgen Habermas.  Your empty categorical statement on that is no more meaningful than any of the empty categorical statements of Camille Paglia or Glenn Beck or Jordan Peterson.  You've never done anything for anyone just as your audience has pretty much never done anything for anyone.   And you don't have the slightest idea of what you're talking about on the blog of a bored, lazy fop. 

6 comments:

  1. Why don't you translate this into German, Sparkles. It makes far more sense than the crap you just postd.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8r-e2NDSTuE

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. George Carlin, you're answering one of the most respected European intellectuals in the post-war period with a cheezy George Carlin vid. Yeah, that's typical of the remains of the play group at Duncan's.

      Your idea of "sense" is well represented, it basically means the same thing as it does for Trump, whatever you find gratifie you and support that.

      I can't say you've exactly taught me anything but I have learned a bit from observing you and the rest of those at Eschaton, the lower end of pseudo-lefty online media. I would guess it prepared me for my disillusionment with the higher end stuff.

      Ich starb für Schönheit -- doch ich war

      in's Grab gekommen kaum,

      als einer, der für Wahrheit starb

      kam in den nächsten Raum --


      "Wofür gescheitert'?", fragt' Er sacht.

      "Für Schönheit", sage Ich --

      "Und ich -- für Wahrheit -- Gleiches macht

      Geschwister uns" -- Er spricht.


      Und als Verwandte -- nachtbekannt --

      der Raum manch' Zwiesprach' weckt --

      bis Moos die Lippen uns erreicht --

      die Namen -- uns bedeckt --

      That's not a fate that is likely to befall you and your playmates.

      Delete
  2. "Pearls before swine" comes to mind.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. But age before beauty didn't apply in our cases.

      I might, on occasion answer him in the future if it seems useful. So it won't be very often.

      Delete
    2. I wasn't impugning you, just the response to what you originally posted. That post was worthwhile. The responding comment was Trumpian in its insight and understanding.

      Delete
    3. I know, I was just taking another opportunity to twist Simp's nose.

      Delete