June 21, 2002, Moscow, 8.57
Clash of civilizations: in Russia word "interest" doesn't mean "profit,"
it means only "something of interest," "curious." How any
capitalism is possible if money are of no interest!
The word "interest" derivies from "inter esse," "to
me between", "to be one of the partners in the company." But in
Russian tradition "inter esse" was explained by some philosopher as
"to deal with something which touchs the inner problems of essence."
I think that Russians have the shorter life also because they are not as interested
in money, in communication (even in communication which is profitable.) And "Russian
spirituality" is too often a sort of escapism. Certainly. Dostoyevsky and
Tolstoy were Russians of another sort. But in the spgere of spirit peaks are not
the logical continuation of bottoms. Greeks have no more rights on Plato and Aristotele
than Russians on Dostoyevsky and Tolstoy.
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