“Only the victors have a destiny. The irrelevant do not, they are deprived of it. They are not recognized.”
A challenging read; to be honest, some complex concepts deserve a second period of reflection, which we intend to dedicate to in the future, to catch our breath from the depths of certain concepts. Philosophy, history, theology, and sociology intermingle in the author’s torrent of words, memories, and reasoning.
This is not surprising, considering that the author has been a major figurehead for Italian journalism and intellectual life for many decades. A beacon of culture and vision, he presents himself in this text as a man, in his most intimate thoughts and the doubts that all men experience at different stages of life. The chronological thread extends from school events to adulthood, moments forever fixed in memory where the meaning of life unfolded; above all, his relationships with others, and with himself.
Scalfari’s life parallels the history of Italy. The great moments of the twentieth century saw him, in some ways, as a supporting actor, while many others were content to remain extras.
The title may be an unanswered question, but isn’t the author’s relationship with the Creator, and thus with all of us, the same? How many unanswered questions? How many doubts still linger despite profound philosophical reflections? How deep is the sea that divides nostalgia from melancholy? Thoughts that must be confronted to give meaning to one’s existence, to find a reason for life and what comes after.
An awareness of being human that once arose during school, amidst haphazard reading and bad teachers one shouldn’t listen to, while today it arises later and later, with a diminished hunger for knowledge and a diminished faith in school education. A veil of melancholy envelops the pages and the reader, a shared state of mind that has allowed us to reflect on our own lives.
A book worth reading because it helps us grow, at any age.
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Eugenio Scalfari, L’uomo che non credeva in Dio, Einaudi, Torino, 2010