gmgauthier

Simone Weil argues for a kind of liberty of the intellect for Catholics, based on the problem of The One and The Many, and the way Christ fits into that problem.

While Havel's description of the relationship between the individual and the state, characterized by a bond of ideology is compelling, still, try as he might, he cannot escape his Marxist training. This is fundamentally a Marxist analysis of his own predicament.

Roger Scruton offers a compelling argument in defense of privilege.

The core of Havel's thesis, is the opposition between "the authentic aims of life" and "the lie" at the center of totalitarian dictatorship. What stitches this opposition together, is IDEOLOGY.

Harari describes the highest value of science "as an institution" to be power. He's not wrong, but he falls down in the implication that there's nothing wrong with this. His questioner gets the problem intuitively, but can't articulate it. It's precisely what Vaclav Havel describes as the equation of truth and power in modern technocratic totalitarian dictatorships.

Havel describes the modern technocratic dictatorship as one in which there is no distinction between truth and power.

Why do you suppose George Lucas scored the final escape scene in THX1138 with Bach's Kommt, Ihr Tochter? Come, you daughters, help me lament, Behold! - Who? - The groom! See him! - How? - As like a lamb! O Lamb of God, innocent slaughtered on the trunk of the cross, See! - What? - See the patience! Ever invented patiently, Although you were despised. Look! - Where? - Upon our sins! You have borne all your sins Otherwise we would have to despair. See him out of love and grace Carry the wood of the cross yourself! Have mercy on us, O Jesus!

"I was raised a secular Jew, an upbringing that, as most people know, is but a hairsbreadth from atheism. But my vague beliefs in a God were abandoned almost instantly when, at seventeen, I was listening to the Beatle's *Sergeant Pepper* album and suddenly realized that there was simply no evidence for the religious claims I had been taught -- or for anybody else's, either. From the beginning, then, my unbelief rested on an absence of evidence for anything divine." - Jerry Coyne, Faith vs Fact

Torba is wrong on this one. But his prejudice prevents him from seeing that.

I read The Power of the Powerless. Here are my thoughts, in 5-10 minute chunks. This is the first chunk

While the wealthy and powerful have been selling you the fantasy of ownership, they've been busy buying up all the land for themselves. What are you gonna do about it?

I don't generally do reactions or reviews, but I have a few comments about this movie that deal directly with the implications of the assertions made in this trailer.

When is a metaphor not a metaphor? Also, why are Bret Weinstein and Jordan Peterson so damned confused?

What are the areas of common understanding? Where are the divergences? What can they learn from each other? This is just a brief overview, mostly raising more questions than it answer. Perhaps this will be the first of many new videos on the topic.

Edward Feser was right, and we should be listening to him

Wherein I discuss the distinction between moral claims and civic privileges, and consider the implications of choosing the one over the other...

Wherein I riff on Truth, Goodness, and Beauty, and speculate as to their relationship with the three primary professions: poet, priest, philosopher

Modern science is all about efficient causality. What about the other sciences?

Every good society requires a common conception of The Good. What is ours?

The world of pleasure, or the world of excellence. Which will you live in?

I try to begin the process of building a definition of justice

Reality is shot through with binary categories. explaining them does not eliminate them. Eliminating them entails denial of Reality.

What does it mean to exist? Is matter all there is? Or is there something more?

The agricultural and industrial revolution are well known for the physical and political changes they imposed on human society. But what is the internet doing to us?

What is a thought? What kinds of thoughts are there? How do we use thoughts? This isn't a comprehensive treatise. Just a thumbnail overview. Hope you enjoy it.