René Girard

And there will be others, in any case, who will repeat what we are in the process of saying and who will advance matters beyond what we have been able to do. Yet books themselves will have no more than minor importance; the events within which such books emerge will be infinitely more eloquent than whatever we write and will establish truths we have difficulty describing and describe poorly, even in simple and banal instances. ― René Girard

In this passage, Girard is emphasizing the idea that the evolution and advancement of human thought will always be a collective process. Although books and written works have value, they are only a small part of a larger tapestry of human experience and dialogue.

Girard suggests that the events and contexts in which books and ideas emerge are more significant than the written works themselves, as they shape and influence the collective understanding of truths. He acknowledges that no single author or book can perfectly capture or describe these truths, and that it is through the continuous exchange of ideas and experiences that we progress as a society.

This passage encourages readers to look beyond the texts themselves and consider the broader context and conversations that surround them. It serves as a reminder that the pursuit of knowledge and understanding is not limited to the pages of books but can be found in the real-world events and experiences that inspire and drive the ongoing evolution of human thought.

― #genAI/chatgpt