Jean Arno’s literary brilliance makes a triumphant comeback on the world stage with his latest book “Soliloquies (in French, Soliloques) .” This bilingual (FR–EN) compilation of philosophical aphorisms follows the metaphysical poeticisms witnessed in his earlier work, “Trophies (in French, Les Trophées).” With this profound meditation, Jean Arno joins the sacred pantheon of literary and philosophical masters that includes such illustrious figures as Seneca, La Rochefoucauld, Ackermann, Goethe, Nietzsche, Wilde, and Cioran.
“Soliloquies” need not envy its precursors, as each reader can partake in the abundant wisdom unveiled through Jean Arno’s philosophical and poetic musings. Fearlessly, Arno confronts the grand illusions prevalent in our era, unmasking the hollowness of materialism and superficiality within the artificial paradises that ensnare us, diverting our attention from our true greatness. Employing an extraordinarily exquisite poetic style, which stands as a hallmark of his oeuvre, he strikes a fatal blow to the cherished ideals of humanity: “In the narcotic haze of entertainment, humanity seeks to evade the inexorable call of fate.” The vastness that resides within us, conquerable only by our creative endeavors, becomes the sacred duty of each creator—to transform the randomness of existence into destiny: “To attain the pinnacle of one’s destiny, one must summon the fiery inner forces within.”
Indeed, the corruption of noble ideas, sometimes at the hands of those entrusted to safeguard them, presents a disheartening spectacle. It appears that the human spirit has lost its capacity to effectively counter the rise of ignorance, often resorting to mere expressions of concern rather than engaging in direct confrontation with logical arguments and practical demonstrations. In our contemporary era, the looming danger of regressing into a state reminiscent of historically darker times is more pronounced than ever, primarily due to the pervasive influence of social media, whose platforms have provided a stage for all individuals, irrespective of their educational backgrounds, on which to possess an equal voice. Yet, society has failed to supply everyone with an adequate education, thereby undermining the very essence of democracy, an ideal that relies on an informed and educated populace. A robust educational system should equip individuals with scientific methodologies and cultivate philosophical thinking on an equitable basis.
Regrettably, we must also acknowledge that spirituality has been overshadowed by moralistic constraints, science has veered into dogmatism and excessive academia, and philosophy, often associated with metaphysics and phenomenology, has succumbed to the allure of technical jargon, concealing the absence of genuine deep thought. Art, too, finds itself confined within the bounds of conceptual discussions, having lost its ability to evoke profound experiences and intense emotions.
Today it seems that contemporary humanity seeks solace for its soul in the deceptive glow of certainties. “Where dogma prevails, no thought thrives.” Acknowledging the existence of truth appears to imply the surrender of thought, whose most profound tragedy lies in ceaselessly conquering shadows and eliciting light: “Every seeker’s horizon is but a hazy sky,” and “To illuminate the abyss, that is the task of the intrepid mind, which persistently seeks.” Truth is a process of construction, only existing step by step, never attaining a finality, merely a petrification of the world, an alteration: “Truth petrifies.” Thought knows no end. Those who dream of order and stability, of the absolute and the universal, invariably act against it, recoiling from the instability of movement, for life is an ever-constant motion in which only “becoming” is genuinely “being,” a movement that brings living matter to its supreme unfolding: “It is through the alchemy of a fired pneuma that life blossoms, and through love that a human being grows.” Instead of seeking to embrace the greatness and vastness within, individuals now seek to escape into artificial paradises, diminishing their essence as they indulge in the decline of their intrinsic forces, displayed on the fading stage of social networks, where falsity reigns and an artificial ego triumphs. What greatness can still be hoped for when all that remains of our inner life is this dull and faded medal? An empty representation of ourselves, this social comedy that vanity honors, this slave of recognition: “In the opium of entertainment, everyone escapes the supreme call of destiny.”
It is as if all endeavors should be avoided, and mere existence suffices, reducing us to nothing more than shadows of ourselves, while a potent fire urges us to “sculpt the highest heavens of destiny.” Are the younger generations only dreaming of monetizing content, often bereft of substance, squandering their time on the decline of human forces instead of employing them to elevate themselves? Are those engineers and visionless scientists merely attempting to recreate, in a diminished form, the complexity of diverse and synesthetic human intelligence? Against this technocratic dream, Jean Arno posits the artistic genius of humanity, fully unfurled in its vastness, in defiance of transhumanism. If scientists are to shape the world, they must possess vision beyond their technical expertise; they must also be philosophers and poets. This indeed marks the era that is unfolding, often referred to as the “Neo-Renaissance,” wherein individuals are expected to be versatile and multifaceted.
One exhilarating aspect of our time lies in the need to reinvent everything. Technology has propelled us into a new digital era, where boundless possibilities await us. However, amidst this sea of possibilities, it is essential that we establish and uphold a philosophical vision that guides our actions. Faced with rapid technological advancements, it is this philosophical vision that will provide us with direction and ensure that we make choices that align with our values and aspirations. By embracing this vision, we can navigate the vast landscape of possibilities and shape the digital era to serve the betterment of humanity.
Humanity is beckoned by transcendence and urged to reach new heights and ascend to new summits. It is to art that this profound task falls: to fulfill this noble mission of art—to love the supreme skies of life—and especially of poetry, which embodies the culmination of philosophical thought: “In the vertigo of life, the notes of the soul collaborate to compose a superior symphony,” and “Nothing ascends as high as when carried by the flame of love.” Analysis, however, must serve creation, which embodies the fulfillment of a philosophical vision: “Within every perspective lies a metaphysical foundation,” and “All artwork inspired by a supreme love of life shines with eternal brilliance.” The horizon must be free and open, for it is yet to be constructed. Idealism closes it off by denying reality, just as pessimism, disguised as reality, hinders the horizon’s potential by embracing negativity. To all cynics, those whom life’s arrows have struck down, whose love and great faith have been reduced to bitter shouting and envy towards those whose obstacles have strengthened their ascent, those now soaring in inaccessible skies: “Envy is destined to contemplate and curse,” or “To the cynics, bitterness from undone efforts.” All these tendencies thwart the momentum towards the existential fulfillment of our superior forces: “The future only has meaning that we confer upon it, thus dream the conquerors.”
The mind, nourished by the wellsprings of philosophy, science, and art, enabling us to question the world by analyzing, understanding, and inventing it, can aspire to reach its own heights from which one may contemplate the possibilities of what can be built and perfected—an infinite task destined to remain unaccomplished.
It is incumbent upon us to rediscover the spirit that shall illuminate the world and celebrate its rebirth. We must reach our own inner foundation and delve deeper within ourselves to access what constitutes our inner being. Thus, art becomes a form of self-exploration, an ontological quest: “All art is a quest for oneself and the world,” and the most spiritual means to attain this inner vastness, which still remains a spark: “A powerful fire calls to ignite itself, to transcend itself, to create at a higher level, to itself become a celestial body.” One must search hard “in reverse, in order to surpass worlds,” not in the Nietzschean eternal return, but rather in the spiral where “the inner forces that compose being,” move and combine, occasionally awakening those who slumber and, through their intertwining, transcend themselves as “simultaneously the same and already different” in the alchemical fire of creation. However, this world is only enriched through our senses. The powerful being, ever different and in motion, ever deepened and amplified, “a pure ‘towards what,’” “carries rays” only through synesthesia, through the blending of sensations that allows for perceiving the world in multiple ways. For this being, a “gigantic alchemical furnace” will grow and unfold richer with a flourishing life: “a living force, contrasting mighty matter.”
This being creates itself while simultaneously becoming “greater than what it was and smaller than what it will be.” Yet, unlike worlds that move indiscriminately, human beings assert themselves through the meaning they choose and construct: “The artist does not want to owe anything to chance.” The world may be understood, but above all, it is to be invented. Everything must serve the act of creation anew. Driven by a “love of heights” and “destinies,” heightened by the synesthetically absorbed “fragrances of the world,” the intellect ascends to these dedicated summits. The act of creation is the fire that assembles and multiplies: “New heavens are dedicated to the fires, concealed in the abyss.”
If philosophy is an art of being, it is also, and above all, an art of living and creating: “Each person is entrusted with being the architect of their own kingdom.” Every philosopher is a creator of values, the very values that will lead them on the path to their truth. Truth is no longer a mere coincidence or agreement; it is destined for analytical science that each must cultivate while being aware of its limitations. It is also a product of creation—the completed vision brought into existence: “One can only dance freely when following the rhythm of one’s soul.” Thus, the philosopher becomes a maker of existence, and it is by becoming a poet—the supreme stage of ontological transformation—that they bring together the complexity of the world in the unity of their work. This is why art is not meant to be contemplated; it is a real experience that should open up one’s perception of their own vastness. In his preface, Jean Arno emphasizes the active role of the reader, stating that “Great truths are conquered in the fire of the mind,” truths that are intended to mature the luminous echoes of a work by delving in and extracting its essential essence, with the intent to prolong the sacred chain, to “perfect the sketched star.”
A reader’s objective should be to enter the hidden worlds within the palimpsest work and explore its mysteries, recompose the scattered gems, and extend the rays of a new clarity. Once one has reached their own summits, the individual, the creator, must still look beyond to humanity, to the “living cathedral” to which they belong, as a “living stone.” Humanity only shines when individuals are fulfilled, and it is to this ideal that all our forces of love must strive. We must love our destiny, the illustrious amor fati, and even more, try to fulfill it to its rightful heights, to radiate the light that we all carry within ourselves.
Are there any thoughts more beautiful than those that invite us to take our destiny into our own hands, that guide us in our journey towards our own summits, those that force us to doubt and question, and sometimes leave us to our sudden void, illuminated by flashes of wisdom? With torches torn from the swamps of the world that Jean Arno, like Orpheus, has probed and explored—he who sought the beauty of song and the depth of thought in the most uncharted lands—this fire is transmitted because it must lead each of us to forge our own throne. Like “Trophies (in french, Les Trophées),” “Soliloquies (in french, Soliloques)” is a book that one absolutely must have in their library—a life changer.
Anderson
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