“I am the way into the city of woe,
I am the way into eternal pain,
I am the way to go among the lost.
Justice caused my high architect to move,
Divine omnipotence created me,
The highest wisdom, and the primal love.
Before me, there were no created things
But those that last forever—as do I.---”
“Abandon all hope you who enter here.” Dante
completed it on the last line.
“No, mine was different. My realm held
promises. Mine read as “Hold on to your hope you who comes with me.” I am every
merciful. As death is merciful to a lifetime of torture. That was what the
Empire offered to the states; a lifetime of torture without freedom. I offered
freedom. I waged my war to eradicate that.”
Dante sat down on his rear haunches. Was he
listening to a mad man who thinks his world was better? Dante knew in his mind,
neither was perfect, for chaos in the realm needed some form of orders although
some may be seen as draconian. His thoughts went back to the archive readings.
“Freedom is less about doing one’s will than about being
subjected to that of others; it still consists in not submitting the will of
others to ours “. (https://www.the-philosophy.com/rousseau-philosophy-summary).
The notion of freedom can be understood as synonymous with a
total absence of constraints, obstacles to the desires of each and their
realization. Freedom would then be synonymous with “license”. Now, to say yes
to all that one may desire also the manifestation of a lack of freedom, of
alienation, to be a slave of one’s passions. Freedom presupposes constraints,
limits, prohibitions because freedom is also that of others. But freedom
presupposes limits, what are they? It involves a difficult game between the
singular and the individual. Does not freedom for all presuppose a limit for
everyone’s freedom? Is freedom than an illusion? (https://www.the-philosophy.com/freedom-in-philosophy).
“If you see my aide, Sancho Paza. Get him to
retrieve my book. Tell him Dante’s poems. The word is Alagia. It’s the key.”
The laid soul reminded Dante who was then motioned by Virgil to move. He did as
instructed by the laid soul and some distance away, he asked Virgil.
“Why did you stop me?”
“The soul there is demented. He may be the Supreme
Leader but still demented. If we told him of this place, he may go mad, or
alert the Doctor of our whereabouts.” Virgil explained. “There was something
else in his words. He as the Supreme Leader could have commissioned the program
here, as his act of God but was sent here to serve it. It may need
clarification but there are possibilities.”
“He may be right. He was ---” Dante was
hushed by Virgil.
“We are to distance from judging or
assumptions. We are to get through Purgatory here as in this version, and then
we can question all the doubts later.”
“But---” Dante was to speak his mind as that
was his as a poet but Virgil stopped him.
“Poet, Freedom consists not so much in
doing one’s will as in not being subjected to that of others; it still consists
in not submitting the will of others to ours. That was also Rosseau's words.”
Virgil said. “You are a living soul with a free will while I am a construct
with set routines, and maybe some creative analytical tools but still
restrained by the rules of the main program. Freedom will --- does not exist
inside me. I am a construct to guide you and that will be my task.”
With that, Virgil moved on ahead side-stepping
the laid souls there. He looked to the sun and saw it was setting. They need to
find a place to rest the night. He turned to look at Dante who was lagging.
There will be the silence that night.
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