I was thinking this morning about cowardice, an old fashioned word.
I wonder if our problem might be that in order to move back to the ‘heart’, away from the scientific/materialistic:reductionist/deterministic view of existence you have to confront the counter argument: that we live in entirely random uncontrollable and unpredictable universe. The horror of this is too much for the modern mind to process. Thus conformity to the illusion is preferable.
Very interesting, thx for the post! Appreciate learning more about Lewis. Yes, the machine has exacerbated wacky behaviors and control freaks, and also the following bit from the Tao Te Ching (Thou Dei Jinn, from ~2,500 years ago yet reads as if written today) alludes to a root issue of which the machines are imho a symptom: "The more clever the devices the people have the more confused the state and the ruling house. The more scientific knowledge there is the stranger the anomalies that spring up."
"What he is on to here is the whole conscious strategy of post-war liberals to undercut the strong claims of value which such thinkers saw as contributing to the rise of ‘the authoritarian personality’"
Indeed. The 'liberalization' of value means the wiping out of value, the prohibition (so to speak) of value perceptions and discussions... supposedly to avoid the rancor sometimes arising in such discussions... which rancor is then blamed for exacerbating calls for imposed 'uniformity' as the road to social 'peace' .... Remember Mussolini: "No false note!"
I think it involves an effort to obliterate ‘difference’. To bring about a ‘Unity’ of uniformity. Paradoxically in our time in the name of respecting diversity.
Well said, Michael ".. too much for the modern mind to process. Thus conformity to the illusion is preferable". There's a book by Alan Watts i haven't read but the title reflects embracing the unknown, "The Wisdom of Insecurity". So the more people that can at least try to process, the better chance of busting the illusion bubble.
Great piece WD
I was thinking this morning about cowardice, an old fashioned word.
I wonder if our problem might be that in order to move back to the ‘heart’, away from the scientific/materialistic:reductionist/deterministic view of existence you have to confront the counter argument: that we live in entirely random uncontrollable and unpredictable universe. The horror of this is too much for the modern mind to process. Thus conformity to the illusion is preferable.
Thanks Michael. I’m hoping we can recover a sense of order that is not reductive and scientists. Either way, as you allude to, courage is essential.
Very interesting, thx for the post! Appreciate learning more about Lewis. Yes, the machine has exacerbated wacky behaviors and control freaks, and also the following bit from the Tao Te Ching (Thou Dei Jinn, from ~2,500 years ago yet reads as if written today) alludes to a root issue of which the machines are imho a symptom: "The more clever the devices the people have the more confused the state and the ruling house. The more scientific knowledge there is the stranger the anomalies that spring up."
https://spirit-alembic.com/thou.html#text
Great quote!
"What he is on to here is the whole conscious strategy of post-war liberals to undercut the strong claims of value which such thinkers saw as contributing to the rise of ‘the authoritarian personality’"
Indeed. The 'liberalization' of value means the wiping out of value, the prohibition (so to speak) of value perceptions and discussions... supposedly to avoid the rancor sometimes arising in such discussions... which rancor is then blamed for exacerbating calls for imposed 'uniformity' as the road to social 'peace' .... Remember Mussolini: "No false note!"
We need a name for that dynamic of liberalization and value you describe so succinctly.
"Liberal values death spiral'? What do you think?
I think it involves an effort to obliterate ‘difference’. To bring about a ‘Unity’ of uniformity. Paradoxically in our time in the name of respecting diversity.
Well said, Michael ".. too much for the modern mind to process. Thus conformity to the illusion is preferable". There's a book by Alan Watts i haven't read but the title reflects embracing the unknown, "The Wisdom of Insecurity". So the more people that can at least try to process, the better chance of busting the illusion bubble.
Thanks man!
Cool!