Opposing forces
In the context of this project, black and white thinking (evil & good) is another aspect. Black and white thinking refers to an attitude that does not allow for any shades in between. Possible shades of grey are not considered because they simply do not exist in this way of thinking.
Light and darkness, heaven and earth, good and evil, enlightenment and ignorance, yin and yang – there are many things that cannot exist without each other. Everything needs a balance: without evil there is no good, without poverty there is no wealth and without fear there is no courage. There are always two opposing forces that are in harmony with each other.
Prof. Dr. Johann Kreutzer formulated this aptly in his contribution: “Light as a Metaphor in Philosophy”:
“This already begins with the simplest, everyday things, which show themselves in the ingrained use of words. That ‘a light comes on’, that something ‘lights up’, that something becomes ‘clear’: these are all statements with positive connotations – statements that denote desirable things. ‘Dark men’, ‘dark forces’, that something closes itself off to insight – these are not desires, this is rather fear-coded and documents unwillingness.”
source: Das Licht als Metapher in der Philosophie
For me, it’s all about overcoming this prevailing way of thinking and taking a more differentiated look at the wealth of detail in our surroundings. In our media overload and daily hectic pace, we have lost sight of what is essential. Questions about our increasingly complex world receive only simple answers and essential connections are overwhelmed with half-truths. Black-and-white thinking is seductive and comfortable, but usually far removed from reality.
