Purposive Drift

The Sage of Leeds

I've been meaning to write something about Zygmunt Bauman for some time. Partly, because he is the first person I've come across who uses the term "post-modern" in a way I actually find useful in understanding what is going on now. But more, because being well into middle age myself, I find the idea of a man in his late seventies, tucked away in a suburb of Leeds, having a much better idea of what is happening in the world than many much younger commentators and publishing his thoughts about it prolifically, very encouraging. For me, Zygmunt Bauman stands as a beacon of hope, representing the possibility that aging doesn't have to be a process of decline, but can be a period of active, intelligent engagement with a changing world.