It may be, after all, that I quite wrongly misunderstand and captiously fail properly to appreciate German Idealism (which I take to be the erection of illiberal personal prejudices into universal generalities)...though I rather think I've got this one right. To be fair, however, I herewith promise that I will seek out someone who has read and understood, and found merit, in Kant and Hegel, and ask him to explicate and justify their seemingly barbarous jargon and (as I say) illiberal philosophies--in terms, of course, of rational humanism.

Meantime, I've been pursuing my readings in Buddhism; now reviewing the development of Mahayana Buddhism, beginning with the Lotus Sutra, finding in it that which speaks to my heart. And trying meanwhile to listen to Bach's St. John Passion: Noxious morbidity. I infinitely prefer Bach's Latin vocal music to his German; and even more infinitely prefer Vivaldi's vocal music to Bach's. Need I say why?