Wonder and gratitude
Sir: Roger Scruton, in a very personal and moving portrait of his year (‘My Strange Year’, 21 December), reminds us that crisis is opportunity; and concludes that the meaning of life is gratitude — something we may only realise when, as Virgil put it, ‘mentem mortalia tangunt’.
I think that language may betray us a bit on this great question and that there is no meaning of life. Rather, the meaning is life. Our response to this is-ness — this amazing, often painful gift — may be to turn aside into the ressentiment which Nietzsche warns against; or — as Roger Scruton does — to feel wonder and sheer gratitude at what is, might never have been, and one day will not be.
Hugh Hetherington
Sandwich, Kent
How to empower workers
Sir: Corbyn may be on his way out of frontline politics but Corbynism is still live and kicking and it would be fatal for the Conservatives to ignore the damage it could still do (Rod Liddle, 21 December).
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