"Prospective readers puzzled by the somewhat enigmatic title
Backing into the Future may well come to the conclusion that it is
a reference to the amusing film produced in 1985, called Back to
the Future. But in fact the source of the title is much older. The
phrase is based on a number of expressions found in ancient Greek
literary texts: the chorus's description of its bewilderment in
Sophocles's Oedipus the King, for example -- 'not seeing what is
here nor what is behind' -- or the characterization of an older man
in Homer's Odyssey as 'the one who sees what is in front and what
is behind.' The natural reaction of the modern reader is to
understand the first of these expressions as 'not seeing the
present nor the past,' and the second as 'who sees the future and
the past.' But the Greek word opiso, which means literally 'behind'
or 'back,' refers not to the past but to the future. The early
Greek imagination envisaged the past and the present as in front of
us - we can see them. The future, invisible, is behind us. Only a
few very wise men can see what is behind them; some of these men,
like the blind prophet Tiresias, have been given this privilege by
the gods. The rest of us, though we have our eyes, are walking
blind, backwards into the future." --from the Foreword
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!
Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
(2)
(1)
