If modern pessimism was rational or consistent I would have littler quarrel with it... but it's a kind of targeted pessimism combined with this strange utopianism and naivete. It's a new kind of worldview, one which I suspect is only possible in a society as comfortable and neurotic as ours...
Free will fits the Bible narrative. Suppose the Creator wanted to create helpers to keep the creation going. Suppose further, that the more powerful/intelligent the helper, the more willful. The result could be helpers gone rogue, which is what is described in Genesis.
Now how would one create willful but good helpers? How about creating mortals with free will but limited power and choose those who perform well given their limited powers to be granted more power?
Compare with the parables, especially the parable of the talents. Compare with 1 Corinthians 5 and 6. Do a word search on "crowns" in the New Testament.
I am inherently optimistic, though I tend to write about the chaos of the times. If I were a pessimist I would not bother.
Dion Fortune would call it the difference between order and chaos, that which is about growth and expansion, and that which is about destruction, building and deconstruction. Some humans predisposed to chaos will bring that to terrible extremes. A psychopath as Harrison discusses would be all about chaos, but able to appear to be about order. That says a lot about the left in America, always talking about the good/order/democracy but their actions near total destruction.
I consider pessimism to be more realistic, but optimism more productive. You NEED some degree of irrational optimism (or at least a kind of Stoic equanimity towards failure) to do great things.
On of the worst features of our society is a kind of gleeful, privileged pessimism. Cynicism is cool, patriotism and virtue and eudaemonia are not. Transgression is praised, striving and standards are denigrated. These are HUGE trends among the young.
If modern pessimism was rational or consistent I would have littler quarrel with it... but it's a kind of targeted pessimism combined with this strange utopianism and naivete. It's a new kind of worldview, one which I suspect is only possible in a society as comfortable and neurotic as ours...
Great essay
Thanks!
Free will fits the Bible narrative. Suppose the Creator wanted to create helpers to keep the creation going. Suppose further, that the more powerful/intelligent the helper, the more willful. The result could be helpers gone rogue, which is what is described in Genesis.
Now how would one create willful but good helpers? How about creating mortals with free will but limited power and choose those who perform well given their limited powers to be granted more power?
Compare with the parables, especially the parable of the talents. Compare with 1 Corinthians 5 and 6. Do a word search on "crowns" in the New Testament.
It's hard to articulate the reality behind this paradox, but you did a good job. Jesus' parables are profound, especially the one about the talents.
I am inherently optimistic, though I tend to write about the chaos of the times. If I were a pessimist I would not bother.
Dion Fortune would call it the difference between order and chaos, that which is about growth and expansion, and that which is about destruction, building and deconstruction. Some humans predisposed to chaos will bring that to terrible extremes. A psychopath as Harrison discusses would be all about chaos, but able to appear to be about order. That says a lot about the left in America, always talking about the good/order/democracy but their actions near total destruction.
I consider pessimism to be more realistic, but optimism more productive. You NEED some degree of irrational optimism (or at least a kind of Stoic equanimity towards failure) to do great things.
On of the worst features of our society is a kind of gleeful, privileged pessimism. Cynicism is cool, patriotism and virtue and eudaemonia are not. Transgression is praised, striving and standards are denigrated. These are HUGE trends among the young.
https://jmpolemic.substack.com/p/the-philosophy-of-bitterness
https://jmpolemic.substack.com/p/the-poverty-of-transgressive-allegiance
Brilliant!
Thanks!