THE OWL OF MINERVA

Hegel the philosopher said that " Whatever happens, every individual is a child of his time; so philosophy is its own time apprehended in thought." "As the thought of the world, it appears only when actuality is already there cut and dried, after its process of formation has been completed ... The Owl of Minerva (Roman goddess of Wisdom) spreads its wings only with the falling of dusk."

A literary reviewer of On the Road , praised Jack Kerouac for "setting his sentimentality to the mad rhythm of an ebullient new language." With admiration the reviewer called the manic-depressive author a missing link between Thomas Wolfe and Tom Wolfe. Words from the wise bird about the free verse poem, however, should be heard as pornographic filth. The reviewer was a self-professed child of Kerouac’s time so his present views unwisely dredge up his past.

A female columnist suggests "there isn’t a woman in America who hasn’t been patronized - or worse - for being a woman." I can prove her major premise wrong with an exception, myself. She draws her lesson from history, the history of the 60's revolution with its feminist philosophy. But I have never been there or experienced that. As a child of her times, she believes that the wise owl should hoot for everyone, including me.

Why can’t we learn the lessons of history and move forward after we have found answers through our love of wisdom (philosophy)?