Contemplative life and hope in the face of postmodernity

Abstract:

According to Saint Thomas Aquinas, following Saint Gregory the Great, acedia or sadness in the face of divine blessings is one of the causes of despair. To the extent that joy in contemplating the truth is a remedy for acedia, knowledge can be considered an instrument at the service of hope. The philosopher Byung-Chul Han characterizes today’s society as a society without hope and appeals to the contemplative life as a necessary counterpoint to recovering the spirit of hope. In this communication, we attempt to delimit the scope and limits of such a proposal in light of the teachings of Aquinas.

Keywords:

Thomas Aquinas, Byung-Chul Han, hope, postmodernity