Abstract
This contribution aims at reactivating the charming idea of ‘angelic economics’ launched in a reflective note by Laszlo Zsolnai in 2015. In the first section we explore the role of angels in theology and arts and focus on the Annunciation as a paradigmatic scene to understand their meaning. The second section deals with the enigmatic presence of future generations who do not exist but, on the other hand, have a moral voice and a moral impact. Can we consider angels as representatives of future generations? The third section distinguishes three models of exploring the future: (1) scientific prediction models (2) utopian and dystopian blueprints and (3) spiritual methods of representing the future. The main point in this section is: to what extent do these models give space to the voice of future generations?
Giotto’s Angel
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Notes
- 1.
The note and a reproduction of Giotto’s angel is published in Zsolnai’s intellectual self -portrait (sub 2015), see http://laszlo-zsolnai.net/content/intellectual-self-portrait
- 2.
For an overview see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angel (October 15, 2017).
- 3.
According to St. Augustine: ‘Angel’ is the name of their office, not of their nature. If you seek the name of their nature, it is ‘spirit’; if you seek the name of their office, it is ‘angel’: from what they are, ‘spirit’, from what they do, ‘angel’ . (Augustine of Hippo, Enarrationes in Psalmos, 103, 1, 15, retrieved from Wikepedia, Angels 2017).
- 4.
Vanderlelie, Paul Klee’s Angels, Retrieved from https://owlcation.com/humanities/paulkleeangels, 2016.
- 5.
The Socratic ‘aporeia’ (I know that I do not know), the ‘wuwei’ approach of Lao Tzu, ‘the cloud of not knowing’ in Christian mystic, the Buddhist ‘nirwana’ are classical references in spiritual literature.
- 6.
See Peter Pruzan’s contribution in this book on spirituality and science.
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Zsolnai, Laszlo. 2015. Intellectual self-portrait (section: Post-Materialistic Business and Bhutan). Retrieved from http://laszlo-zsolnai.net/content/intellectual-self-portrait. 2017/10/15.
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Bouckaert, L., Ghesquiere, R. (2018). Angels from the Future. The Voice of Coming Generations. In: Bouckaert, L., Ims, K., Rona, P. (eds) Art, Spirituality and Economics. Virtues and Economics, vol 2. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-75064-4_10
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