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5 days ago
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Living without the magnifying glass: A reflection on Nikos Kazantzakis's novel, ‘Zorba the Greek'
Is reason the ultimate guide to living a successful life? Are analysis and evaluation the surest paths to a better life? Should instincts and emotional responses be dismissed from human experience altogether? To such questions, the character Zorba in Zorba the Greek by Nikos Kazantzakis would offer a firm 'no.' In a world that celebrates logic, scientific progress, and intellectual achievement, Zorba, with all his raw instinct and emotional vitality, swims, walks, and dances – effortlessly and joyfully. Published in Greek in 1946 and later translated into English twice, Zorba the Greek is a rare novel. Its protagonist does not tell us how to live, he lives it – fully, freely, and deeply, unburdened by the weight of intellectualism, which, though powerful in its own domain, cannot alone help us understand life's meaning. The compass for a meaningful life Albert Camus, in The Myth of Sisyphus, famously argued that reason is just a tool – a way to grasp the observable and logical aspects of the world. But if one sees the world as more than just a collection of sensory impressions – if one believes in a deeper, mysterious layer beneath the surface – then reason alone is insufficient. At the heart of that mystery lies the question of life's meaning. Scientific reasoning, however powerful, is not equipped to unravel such existential questions. Zorba seems to understand this instinctively. He knows that reason is a tool, but not the compass for a meaningful life. Philosophy, especially metaphysics, tries to go further – seeking to understand life's meaning through speculation and abstract thought. But too often, it becomes entangled in endless intellectual conundrums, stripping life of its immediacy and joy. It chases understanding at the expense of experience. It is here, between the reasoning man and the metaphysical philosopher, that Zorba steps in – full of spirit, full of life. Alongside the men who falsely believe that reason can help them live, and those lost in the quagmires of metaphysics, there are others who thoughtlessly indulge in life's sensory pleasures. These individuals live carelessly, chasing excess and luxury, without ever contemplating the value of their existence. Between these extremes – the thinker, the philosopher, and the hedonist – Zorba stands apart. And, paradoxically, he lives the kind of life that each of them may secretly envy. Throughout the novel, Zorba delivers countless expressions of worldly wisdom – often as direct challenges to the scholarly, bookish knowledge. The Greek tradition divides knowledge into two realms: sophia and phronesis. Sophia is scholarly knowledge, acquired through study and instruction – knowledge from books and teachers. Phronesis, on the other hand, is practical wisdom – gained not through study, but through experience, through actual doing of things, through the act of living. Zorba is the embodiment of phronesis. His knowledge arises from experience, from fully immersing himself in the messiness and immediacy of life. He lives deeply, instinctively, without the filter of detached analysis that so often characterises the scholarly mind. While the men of Sophia, wrestle with abstractions, Zorba is already out in the world, realising those abstractions through work, song, dance, and love. Though unschooled and at times even brutish, Zorba understands how to live – joyfully, intensely, and appreciatively. He is not dulled by the weight of reason or the lens of scientific detachment. Because he does not see the world through intellectual filters, he sees it fresh every single day. The sea, the birds, the mountain – all reveal themselves to him as if for the first time, again and again. Through Zorba, Kazantzakis's novel glides across many philosophical ideas. Zorba often declares that he trusts only himself – because only his own actions are within his control. Others, he claims, are mere ghosts. Here we see a hint of Stoicism: the notion that we can control only our own behaviour. At the same time, we glimpse solipsism – the philosophical idea that the self is the only reality one can be sure of. Yet, Zorba is not a philosopher. He is simply a man who knows how to live, and in doing so, he becomes a living critique of all the philosophies that try to reduce life to formulas. A novel of ideas The novel is rich with ideas – serendipity, discovery, curiosity, and existential urgency. Zorba, with his undiminished wonder and grounded joy, feels like a prototype for today's mindfulness movement. But his mindfulness is not passive or aesthetic. He discovers joy not just in contemplation but also in effortful work. For Zorba, true happiness is paradoxical: it is to have no ambition, yet to work like someone who has every ambition in the world. What a contrast Kazantzakis presents – living without goals, yet working with full-hearted intensity. Zorba's effort is not directed at any objective; the goal of his life is simply living itself – living fully, immersively, moment by moment. Some readers might take issue with Zorba's religious outlook or his unorthodox behaviour. But his openness to experience – and his willingness to embrace risk – is a lesson in phronesis for anyone willing to pay attention. At one point in the novel, Zorba condemns the magnifying glass because it reveals all the worms in a cup of water. He urges his friend to throw it away, to stop analysing the water, and instead, to drink it. That is how Zorba lives: not through analysis, but through acceptance. He drinks life deeply, without fear of worms. Despite its philosophical richness, Zorba the Greek is not a difficult novel. It is warm, accessible, and filled with vitality. The novel is well worth the time and attention of any reader – especially if read immersively, with the same openness Zorba brings to life itself.
The Sun
06-06-2025
- Business
- The Sun
The major new £422million airport set to transform European island with 18million passengers a year
GREECE'S biggest island is getting a huge new £422million airport. Heraklion, on the island of Crete, is currently preparing for a new airport in Kastelli which is scheduled to open in February 2027. 4 4 4 According to the New Heraklion International Airport, the new airport will serve 10million passengers each year, after opening. This number will then rise to 18million after some time. There will be 19 boarding gates, eight of which will be of combined use for Schengen and Non-Schengen flights. There will be space for 27 aircraft and also a terminal building with five levels of retail space and permanent exhibition areas. A masterplan map also shows an area shaded in purple that suggest future retail space. In addition, the airport is due to be one of the biggest in the country and when it opens it will replace the existing Nikos Kazantzakis International Airport in Heraklion. Nikos Kazantzakis International Airport opened back in 1937, however, it can only accommodate eight million passengers a year. Greece each year. The airport will be located a 25-minute drive away from Heraklion, which is the largest city on the island. In total, the airport is expected to cost €500million (£422million) to build and generate a total of 7,500 jobs in the area as well as a further 37,000 indirect jobs. The new £7billion mega terminal opening at Changi Airport In addition, the new airport is expected to give new life to Crete's tourism. According to Tornos News, the new airport will create a number of new roads and contain one runway which stretches 3,200 metres long with one parallel aircraft movement taxiway, A trial launch of of the airport will take place next summer, before a full opening in 2027. Currently, airlines including easyJet, Jet2 and British Airways fly to Crete. These are likely to move to the new airport when it opens. And there are a number of other new exciting airports opening around the world. A new £25billion mega airport is also opening in Europe to 'take on Heathrow and Dubai' with 65milllion passengers. Plus, one of the world's busiest airports reveals plans for new £7billion mega terminal with 50million more passengers.
