In this second episode of \"Philosophy for All,\" we analyse what a sign is and its difference from a symbol. Both sign and symbol point us to a reality beyond themselves. The sign and the symbol, without which we cannot live, are not the reality they point us to. Paul Ricœur (1913–2005), a French Philosopher, tells us that idolatry occurs when a symbol is mistaken for the reality. Idolatry, we can add, can also occur when the reality is mistaken for the symbol and everything becomes merely symbolic.
Every first Sunday of the month, at 2pm, in St Jospeh's Hall - Tangier Road - Portsmouth (UK), we meet in person for a lecture on Philosophy open to and made easy for all.","author_name":"Marian Franciscans Gosport"}