Problems of Interpretation

Anyone who undertakes a general survey of the political and cultural landscape of our time is bound to leave with a sense of apprehension. Throughout the world, we not only observe the rise of political extremism, irrespective of conservative or liberal dispositions, but also the prevalence of a looming confusion, created by a social milieu where knowledge is found in abundance. Although such ubiquity of information has put vast stores of truth and wisdom at our disposal, it has rarely translated into prospects of making meaningful decisions. No matter where we turn, we are confronted with an endless array of choices and the very act of choosing, if anything, is either paralysing or simply reminds us of our own insignificance. The lived experience of those born into this world of excess can hardly be pleasant. And with increasing age one is almost forced to participate, making choices as the reality around them grows infinitely more complex. Even old ways of life which were largely…