THE CRUCIBLE OF HUMANITY

No one knows what a human is. We have a body like other creatures but possess a mind that both separates us from simple nature and terrifies us at the same time. We don't just think, we think about ourselves thinking. In this way we separate ourselves from the world around us. But what then can we trust - our feelings, our thoughts, ourselves or others? If we get close to other people we fear being overwhelmed by their issues; if we pull back from them we feel lonely. Is there an optimal position? Can we open up to the sheer wonder of the world by refusing to be seduced by its surface appearance and let that which lies hidden emerge at last? Or would this involve us losing our minds? The ancient Greeks had pored over all these vital questions. Their conclusions are both astounding and yet the height of simplicity. They were first raised in the riddle that the Sphinx presented to Oedipus.