Boccalini's "General Reformation of the World

 

Boccalini's "General Reformation of the World


Boccalini's "General Reformation of the World" is eerily prophetic when you think about today’s situation in the U.S. — or really, in much of the modern world.

Apollo sets up a committee of the wisest philosophers to try and fix humanity, only to find that the problems (greed, corruption, debt, selfishness, injustice) are so deeply rooted that the only real cure is time, suffering, and disaster — a devastating commentary.

It’s as if Boccalini is saying:

"You can gather all the wisdom of the world, but if human nature remains the same — grasping, fearful, self-interested — no policy or reform can truly fix it. Only hardship and the slow grind of experience might teach people better."

It mirrors today:

  • Protective tariffs? Check.
  • Debt crises? Check.
  • Political corruption? Check.
  • A sense that the problems are bigger than the solutions? Very much check.

Boccalini’s genius  wrapped all this in a fable with Apollo at the center — so it felt distant and allegorical — but his readers knew exactly what he was talking about.

The irony Boccalini intended: humanity keeps repeating itself, dressing old evils in new clothes.


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