Arne Næss

Arne Næss died yesterday.

He was the one who inspired me to adapt to philosophy. I had the fortune to meet him - amongst other things, I conducted a couple of interviews with him, I arranged two public talks in Oslo, and I attended a 3-day seminar on deep ecology.

He was a great man.

Too great for his time, which was not mature for his thought, his instinct.

Too great for his (and my) country, which barely understood him, embracing only his entertaining, clown-like side. In Norway everybody knew who he was - and yet hardly anyone knew what he was all about. Though his persona in the Norwegian context out shadowed his philosophy, he leaves behind him a philosophy that is internationally greater than the image of his persona, and that remains alive and thriving - a seed inspiring much needed change for our global civilization, at this critical point in history.