Harnessing The Void

In a recent First Things article, David Bentley Hart writes that

[Francis Bacon's conceptual and practical program] was a remarkably successful project, as every new successful therapy for a previously fatal disease and every new weapon of mass murder reminds us.

I realize that the same Voiding which occurs to wipe out an entire Japanese city is also at work in our "war against disease" -- we are still only breaking things, or neutralizing them from breaking us. It is still the power of warring, of nihilation, of Voiding.

I wrote about Voiding first here, then here.

Comments

[joe]

The war against disease seems to be a good thing if you accept the premise that extending human life is a good thing. As you know, life expectancy is nearly doubled in the last century or so. New diseases that we did not live long enough to suffer in the past attack us now? Yes, they do. A strep throat that would have sent one to the grave a century ago now demands a trip to the doctor for some antibiotics. Which is better? The doctor's visit feels more appealing, and certainly costs less, than a funeral. We live long enough to experience dreadful cancers, and we are starting to fight back at them successfully. Is it worth it? You decide.