Against Narrative: Are stories bad for us? Part 2

In this book, Mircea Eliade explores the concept of the eternal return, which is the belief that one can become contemporary with or return to the 'mythical age'—the time when the events described in myths occurred. Eliade contrasts the ontological orientation of archaic societies, which distinguished between the sacred and the profane, with the modern worldview. He argues that archaic societies sought to model their behavior on divine archetypes through rituals and that these rituals allowed them to re-enter sacred time. The book also critiques modern historical perspectives and their impact on human understanding and experience of time and history.

Written under the pseudonym Constantin Constantius, 'Repetition' is a philosophical novel that delves into the concept of repetition in multiple dimensions, both existentially and aesthetically. The book follows two parallel storylines: Constantius's attempt to repeat a previous vacation to Berlin and the tale of a Young Man struggling with the decision to marry his beloved. Kierkegaard argues that repetition is forward-looking and tied to hope and action, contrasting with recollection, which is backward-looking and tied to reminiscence. The work explores the philosophical importance of repetition for grasping the meaning of existence, emphasizing its role in faith, personal development, and the reconciliation of past experiences with present choices and future possibilities.