[iDC] Vision

[sascha brossmann]

On 12/11/05, Malian Lahey <mlahey at artic.edu> wrote:
> why not just refuse to reproduce it?

like it or not, but considering that you are a product (and,
consequently, bearer) of this culture, even your total refusal will be
within its frame, thus reproducing at least parts of it.

> Reasons why not that I have experienced: 1. People will hate you 2.
> survival is a lot harder when people hate you.

pardon me, but this sound slightly exaggerated to my ears. imho most
propably people will just give you strange looks and ignore you. even
though survival is still harder, if people give you strange looks and
ignore you. ;-) but then, it might well depend on the (missionary)
aggressiveness one is exhibiting.

> Why do we think the solutions to our problems lie in the
> philosophical canon of the culture that has successfully reproduced
> itself in spite of so very much criticism?

maybe *because* it has successfully reproduced (partly adapting to the
criticism)? in spite of your vague use of some evolutionary terms you
do not seem to draw the according conclusions.

> In order to do that, we need to have the courage to put ourselves in
> the shoes of another person - or even another species!

just call it empathy. it has been around ever since in varying degrees
in most people with the notable exception of socio- and psychopaths.
society would not work without it, though its range seems normally to
be limited to someone's real or perceived peer group.

> The more angry they are, usually, the more you know you've done
> something right.

but then it's just another kind of self-righteous ego-trip, gaining
smug satisfaction from the conviction of "being right". this won't get
humanity anywhere, quite in contrary. people who were driven by "being
right" have been amongst the worst butchers of mankind's
slaughterhouses in history. it seems high time to me to abandon the
atrocities of this kind of suprematist moralism: it is self-delusional
and defective in its very core. try to question your own beliefs as
radically as those of others.

don't get me wrong. i am quite remote from leaning towards a kind of
dull and cosy all-embracing affirmation. but i _am_ opting for more
self-awareness - and also a certain degree of pragmatism - as sensible
companions for strong commitments of any kind. which also means that
one will also have to live with the instabilities and tensions created
by all kinds of 'impurity' and such. so what. one will have more than
enough stability and relaxation of tension in death.

best,


sascha brossmann
--
:: www.brsma.de :: ..: .:. . :.. ..:  .   .  .   .  .       .
:: public key id 0x2EA549A0 ::.. :: . .  .  . ..    .    .   .
:: fingerprint 0A0C AE42 62F5 DB65 C5A1  E335 53FB 3888 2EA5 49A0