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Anonymous Posted 14 years ago
Vocabulary

Backward eddies

John Ruskin, the famous art critic of the Victorian era said the following about the relation of art to religion:

Such I conceive generally, though indeed with good arising out of it, for every great evil brings some good in its backward eddies——such I conceive to have been the deadly function of art in its ministry to what, whether in heathen or Christian lands, and whether in the pageantry of words, or colours, or fair forms, is truly, and in the deep sense, to be called(idolatry)——the serving with the best of our hearts and minds, some dear or sad fantasy which we have made for ourselves, while we disobey the present call of the Master, who is not dead, and who is not now fainting under His cross, but requiring us to take up ours.

What does 'backward eddies' mean in this context?
  

Top answer

Anonymous What does 'backward eddies' mean in this context? I'd say they're something like unintended consequences. ) While these things get their energy from the main flow, they are opposite in direction, and generally considered insignificant.

  • Anonymous What does 'backward eddies' mean in this context?
  • I'd say they're something like unintended consequences.
  • ) While these things get their energy from the main flow, they are opposite in direction, and generally considered insignificant.
  • However, -- Anonymous for every great evil brings some good No great loss without some small gain.
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1 Answers
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AnonymousWhat does 'backward eddies' mean in this context?
I'd say they're something like unintended consequences.
(I assume you're on board with the river analogy.)

While these things get their energy from the main flow, they are opposite in direction, and generally considered insignificant. However, --
Anonymousfo

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