by PerCLupi
Thu Jul 3rd, 2008 at 08:21:01 AM EST
I've always been a citizen of the world, and especially pro-European. I am already old, but I would like to contribute to the emergence of a European consciousness and a European community. Although I did not live to reach that.
For some time, I'm thinking about that. And I think that knowing aspects of European culture can contribute to the emergence of such consciousness of common belonging.
When we talk about culture, we usually think of art, literature and customs... But I thought that there are certain works of science or thought, which would shape a common European acquis. For example, there is a little work of Archimedes, which provides an extraordinary approach to the value of π, or the famous article of Émile Zola "J'accuse". These two works -the one in ancient Greek, the other in French- and other similar in other languages (such as text which sets out the theory of universal gravitation in latin...) could form part of that common acquis, with whom we would all Europeans concerned.
In ET, we could go presenting (in original language with English translation), little by little, some of these pieces (without excluding art, music, customs...) as a common European fund.
What do you think about this?
I am translating Archimedes, with textual and scientific notation. My work on "The measurement of the circle" (little work, with the value of π) brings textual criticism and it has a certain value. I would be delighted to offer this work to that ET'fund.
Do I am an old man being in one's dotage? :-D
