The Hypothesis
A clear biological binary in the sexes (male vs. female) exists for nearly all people. The two genders (man vs. woman) are the stories and profiles of those two sexes throughout history, and how they have been manifested in multiple societies. These profiles have been formed over many millennia of lived experience and intuitive reflection.
Continue reading “A Hypothesis, Restated Succinctly, After Engaging With Those Who Disagree”
I know not why this grief has come upon me,
But I know You are good.
Thomas Aquinas is a towering figure in Christian medieval thought. In his work, On Kingship, he presents a defense of the monarchical system of government. He begins by asserting that “it is natural for man, more than for any other animal, to be a social and political animal.” Though this claim is not immediately apparent, Aquinas gives little justification for it. Hobbes and Rousseau both disagree with him, instead positing that men require a social contract in order to live in society. They both believe that society does not come about naturally. But instead of defending his claim, Aquinas merely says, “This is clearly a necessity of man’s nature.” As Aquinas frequently refers to Aristotle in his other works, it is possible that he is relying on Aristotle’s famous conclusion that “man is by nature a political animal” and does not feel that it is necessary to give his own justification. Another possibility is that he takes it as a natural conclusion to God’s statement in Genesis 1 that “It is not good for man to be alone.” After Aquinas declares that man is political by nature, he extrapolates several benefits that man receives through his political nature, such as having access to each other’s discoveries. However, these are not justifications for his claim, but rather conclusions drawn from his claim.
Continue reading “Political Philosophy: Aquinas and Monarchy”
In Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, we are given a picture of two men’s experiences of life in Africa. Soon after Marlow is told that Kurtz has died, he summarizes his view of life in one long paragraph (p. 70-71). The experiences and reactions of Marlow and Mr. Kurtz that are discussed in this paragraph can be understood as being a temptation towards nihilism.
Continue reading “Wisdom of the Moderns: A Brush with Nihilism”
Lewis writes that infinite joy is offered to us, but we reject it for silly things. How do we do this? Why do we do it? Socrates says that people act unvirtuously only because they act in ignorance. Maybe we do not understand how joy in Christ is supposed to work. We try to understand it, but can’t quite grasp it.
A primary theme in the works of Friedrich Nietzsche is the duality of master and slave morality. His master morality can be summarized in Ralph Waldo Emerson’s declaration in Self-Reliance that “virtue is Height.” Nietzsche says that slave morality is essentially a psychological trick used by the lower castes of society to take revenge on the nobility for being better than they are. It can be seen that Kurtz from Joseph Conrad’s novella Heart of Darkness is an adherent of master morality rather than slave morality.
This is not about anyone in particular, but is meant to portray a common theme of life.
He told me the story of what is happening in his life, and here I feel an emptiness in my stomach. I am no longer with him, but I am the only one here, solitary in my room, curled on the floor, wielding a wrath and grief against the Evil One who did this and the Divine One who allowed it. His words brought me some unspeakable anguish that raises a mountainous cry that can never be heard by men. It twists my soul into unretractable knots, surges of anger and pain and confusion and hatred and tormented helplessness and blazing hopelessness. My heart does not ache metaphorically. A passion rears large, then is turned to passionate defeat by the thought, “This passion can do nothing, and is felt in vain.” A tremendous, unconquerable spurning in my side to change the past, to pummel the evil thing that has happened until it is dead and then keep beating it over and over until my rage has passed in twenty lifetimes, and knowing I can’t do that and it will happen to millions of others until the End.
Thoughts of a Novice 