Excellent piece and idea. That's why they set about renaming everything in the nineties during that first wave of leftist pantymelt political correctness and have accelerated their efforts the past decade. One aside...the statistical probability of a non portly women joining any group in the states must be down to 18% after the five point BMI increase post lockdown to an already 67% obese or overweight demographic. which means the adjectives petite, athletic or skinny are the only ones needed now for deviation. How's that for sad truth?
I’ve always thought of my way of thinking - this way of thinking that you have described - as objectivism. Either way, the defining characteristic of such a thinker will always be his willingness to lay bare the working of his mind.
Are the ideologues just not that smart? Thinkingthat words are “magic” and they can’t worry about two things at the same time? (Electric cars are charged by the coal plant? Whaaaa?!?!)
May 21, 2022·edited May 21, 2022Liked by John Carter
One important thing that is also misunderstood is how little ideological beliefs matter. The notion that people behave the way they do because of their beliefs, and thus to change their behaviour you must first change their beliefs does not have a whole lot of empirical support. Certainly it happens sometimes, but the more usual direction is the other way -- I behave the way I do because I want to or because I must, and I therefore shop around for the beliefs to justify it.
For example -- many people become Vegetarians or Marxists or Musicians because they think that it will make them attractive to cute members of the appropriate sex (who already profess these beliefs). Later they will assert that it was the theory that convinced them. Others join groups because it gives them the right to hate people they already wanted to hate, or were already hating -- including themselves. The theory tells them why these people deserve it. 'I'm in it for the violence and the looting' doesn't get mentioned a lot, as if this sort of thing is 'unthinkable'. But many people do indeed make a hobby of such things. Academics have a problem with this, and search for deeper pyschological, economic, or sociological reasons for such behaviour in people while they mostly are not looking for similar reasons behind socially acceptable hobbies. 'I play boardgames because it is fun and I want to' is good enough for most people for most of the time.
Alitheology... reminds me a bit of ichthyology... I think I need to hear it pronounced a few times :D
I like this idea a lot. I am not sure I am 100% on the inapplicability of ideology to our sort, but I find this argument pretty damned compelling. I need to reread this once I have more sleep and less sickness making my head fuzzy. Names are important.
I don't know that I would say Marxism came out of liberalism. I am not entirely certain how I would draw that lineage, but I am pretty sure even in the US liberalism still meant freedom and essentially capitalism when Marx was writing. I am too muzzy to figure that out right now, though.
I love this article, and will do my best to incorporate your new nomenclature for where many people across a broad spectrum of core beliefs now find themselves into my everyday thoughts and speech.
My earnest hope is that this wil spread, for I think it’s very likely that we alitheologists must find ways of uniting together in local groups to find means and ways of getting through the trials that almost assuredly lie ahead.
An excellent thesis which should explode a few ideological heads, but will get a conformational head nod from those who can handle a truth.
The history of the Branch-Covidian Crusades is so eloquently encapsulated in the perambulating run-on sentence. I will add that to my list of quotable literature.
I love it. Alitheology, as you describe, certainly seems to encapsulate the essence of what we are trying to do - articulate what we see to be true (in reality, as opposed to theoretically) by observing the 'whole', in the full context of whatever it is we are observing.
I'm writing right now about our love for the machine model, a metaphor so embedded into our psyche we find it near impossible to not see everything through this limitation. The alitheologue however, would not first come with a model, and then make an observation of an object, in isolation, with the goal of fitting that observations into the model to make sense of it (yet this is what happens all the time in 'science'). Rather the alitheologue see the object in its context for what it is (a right hemisphere specialty requiring appreciation of the whole, relationships and the indeterminate). And if a metaphor is required, which it almost certainly will, then it comes AFTER the observation.
Anyway - thanks for the word - count me in as part of the alitheology camp!
Really really fabulous! A very nice neologism. It is completely needed. I’m reading a book right now, called “Krivda.” Krivda is a Russian word that means a bent or crooked truth. It’s useful in that it describes much of our modern narrative discourse, and in fact the discourse from the time of the ancients. The author is attempting to identify the differences between what she calls the Godtrix and the matrix.
Alitheology Is certainly the subject she is pursuing. If you haven’t read the book, I can’t recommend it yet as I am still reading it. But it starts out with a very strong thesis, and the particulars of her life fill out it’s epistemological value. Thank you John Carter
I just wanted to challenge one of your premises. “Covid: The Musical” didn’t seem to spread, per se, so much as It seemed to pop up in select locales. Denis Rancourt has done the analysis that best supports the idea of non-spread.
"They ground their view of the world in their ideas. The sane alternative is to ground one's ideas in one's view of the world." That nails it. Excellent essay! (Like everything else on here!)
If We Could Escape the Control of the Controllers: A Vision
We could make a world that benefits everyone including the environment. Let me share a vision, not a blueprint. Each continent would have its super quantum computer with AI to sort out the needs and offerings (services, goods, and resources) of every village and city minute by minute. This could be coordinated on a world scale. It would be managed horizontally with no central authority. It could also be used as a repository for all innovations.
There would be an agreed upon social contract that guarantees human rights, perhaps similar to the United Nations Charter, which unfortunately, is not currently followed. The platform for organizing would be horizontal governance, which is extremely transparent, autonomous, and virtually incorruptible, politicians and lobbyists would not exist (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wywMhg604W8).
The world would be confederated under the social contract, for the purpose of collaboration and cooperation.
The aim would be to create social environments where everyone flourishes. Where the needs that all humans share would be most easily met. A world of caring, of unconditional love for everyone and respect for the environment.
There would be no militarization.
It takes one generation for people to be acculturized (look at Germany). If there is a healthy, just, and caring culture, there would be a healthy, just, and caring people. A society, if not controlled (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btF6nKHo2i0) by psychopaths, narcissists, nazi/eugenicists (https://canadianpatriot.org/2021/05/09/for-victory-day-its-time-to-think-about-finally-winning-wwii/)or anyone is dependent on the quality, the personal integrity and empathetic abilitiy of the people. We need societies of honest, kind, reliable, caring, rational, and humble people if we are ever going to create the more beautiful world that every heart longs for.
I know from living in a small intentional eco-community (chambalabamba.org), that we can only succeed by having people with noble characteristics. One person lacking these, can undermine and destroy the community. The same holds for the macrocosm, the whole world.
And thus there is the existential conundrum: We need a just and caring society to create just and caring people and we need just and caring people to create a just and caring society. Oh, how can we do this? Maybe, just start doing it, but first we must restructure from vertical to horizontal and rid ourselves of the tyrannous grip of the controllers by organizing on a global scale, by using encrypted apps, by invitation only, like element/matrix.
We bring the world to a standstill once again but this time we inform as many as we can to stock up on food and necessities for at least 3 months. The indigenous did it in Ecuador recently with the STOP for 18 days. The truckers did it in Canada. And we demand restructuring ALL governments from vertical to horizontal. And we begin.
First however, people need to be informed about what is horizontal governance (link above), and why it is necessary as explained in the Confessions of an Economic Hitman (linked above). We don't need leaders who promote war and militarism, and vaccine mandates that are unnecessary, dangerous, tyrannical, and don't work, that is, that perpetrate crimes against humanity. Or to be constantly propagandized with false information to manufacture our false beliefs, in order to manipulate us.
People can begin being activists by sharing this vision and these 2 videos
Excellent piece and idea. That's why they set about renaming everything in the nineties during that first wave of leftist pantymelt political correctness and have accelerated their efforts the past decade. One aside...the statistical probability of a non portly women joining any group in the states must be down to 18% after the five point BMI increase post lockdown to an already 67% obese or overweight demographic. which means the adjectives petite, athletic or skinny are the only ones needed now for deviation. How's that for sad truth?
I’ve always thought of my way of thinking - this way of thinking that you have described - as objectivism. Either way, the defining characteristic of such a thinker will always be his willingness to lay bare the working of his mind.
"For words are wise men’s counters; they do but reckon by them: but they are the money of fools"
Are the ideologues just not that smart? Thinkingthat words are “magic” and they can’t worry about two things at the same time? (Electric cars are charged by the coal plant? Whaaaa?!?!)
One important thing that is also misunderstood is how little ideological beliefs matter. The notion that people behave the way they do because of their beliefs, and thus to change their behaviour you must first change their beliefs does not have a whole lot of empirical support. Certainly it happens sometimes, but the more usual direction is the other way -- I behave the way I do because I want to or because I must, and I therefore shop around for the beliefs to justify it.
For example -- many people become Vegetarians or Marxists or Musicians because they think that it will make them attractive to cute members of the appropriate sex (who already profess these beliefs). Later they will assert that it was the theory that convinced them. Others join groups because it gives them the right to hate people they already wanted to hate, or were already hating -- including themselves. The theory tells them why these people deserve it. 'I'm in it for the violence and the looting' doesn't get mentioned a lot, as if this sort of thing is 'unthinkable'. But many people do indeed make a hobby of such things. Academics have a problem with this, and search for deeper pyschological, economic, or sociological reasons for such behaviour in people while they mostly are not looking for similar reasons behind socially acceptable hobbies. 'I play boardgames because it is fun and I want to' is good enough for most people for most of the time.
Alitheology... reminds me a bit of ichthyology... I think I need to hear it pronounced a few times :D
I like this idea a lot. I am not sure I am 100% on the inapplicability of ideology to our sort, but I find this argument pretty damned compelling. I need to reread this once I have more sleep and less sickness making my head fuzzy. Names are important.
I don't know that I would say Marxism came out of liberalism. I am not entirely certain how I would draw that lineage, but I am pretty sure even in the US liberalism still meant freedom and essentially capitalism when Marx was writing. I am too muzzy to figure that out right now, though.
I love this article, and will do my best to incorporate your new nomenclature for where many people across a broad spectrum of core beliefs now find themselves into my everyday thoughts and speech.
My earnest hope is that this wil spread, for I think it’s very likely that we alitheologists must find ways of uniting together in local groups to find means and ways of getting through the trials that almost assuredly lie ahead.
An excellent thesis which should explode a few ideological heads, but will get a conformational head nod from those who can handle a truth.
The history of the Branch-Covidian Crusades is so eloquently encapsulated in the perambulating run-on sentence. I will add that to my list of quotable literature.
I love it. Alitheology, as you describe, certainly seems to encapsulate the essence of what we are trying to do - articulate what we see to be true (in reality, as opposed to theoretically) by observing the 'whole', in the full context of whatever it is we are observing.
I'm writing right now about our love for the machine model, a metaphor so embedded into our psyche we find it near impossible to not see everything through this limitation. The alitheologue however, would not first come with a model, and then make an observation of an object, in isolation, with the goal of fitting that observations into the model to make sense of it (yet this is what happens all the time in 'science'). Rather the alitheologue see the object in its context for what it is (a right hemisphere specialty requiring appreciation of the whole, relationships and the indeterminate). And if a metaphor is required, which it almost certainly will, then it comes AFTER the observation.
Anyway - thanks for the word - count me in as part of the alitheology camp!
Really really fabulous! A very nice neologism. It is completely needed. I’m reading a book right now, called “Krivda.” Krivda is a Russian word that means a bent or crooked truth. It’s useful in that it describes much of our modern narrative discourse, and in fact the discourse from the time of the ancients. The author is attempting to identify the differences between what she calls the Godtrix and the matrix.
Alitheology Is certainly the subject she is pursuing. If you haven’t read the book, I can’t recommend it yet as I am still reading it. But it starts out with a very strong thesis, and the particulars of her life fill out it’s epistemological value. Thank you John Carter
I just wanted to challenge one of your premises. “Covid: The Musical” didn’t seem to spread, per se, so much as It seemed to pop up in select locales. Denis Rancourt has done the analysis that best supports the idea of non-spread.
take back reality, a life time goal.
"They ground their view of the world in their ideas. The sane alternative is to ground one's ideas in one's view of the world." That nails it. Excellent essay! (Like everything else on here!)
If We Could Escape the Control of the Controllers: A Vision
We could make a world that benefits everyone including the environment. Let me share a vision, not a blueprint. Each continent would have its super quantum computer with AI to sort out the needs and offerings (services, goods, and resources) of every village and city minute by minute. This could be coordinated on a world scale. It would be managed horizontally with no central authority. It could also be used as a repository for all innovations.
There would be an agreed upon social contract that guarantees human rights, perhaps similar to the United Nations Charter, which unfortunately, is not currently followed. The platform for organizing would be horizontal governance, which is extremely transparent, autonomous, and virtually incorruptible, politicians and lobbyists would not exist (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wywMhg604W8).
The world would be confederated under the social contract, for the purpose of collaboration and cooperation.
The aim would be to create social environments where everyone flourishes. Where the needs that all humans share would be most easily met. A world of caring, of unconditional love for everyone and respect for the environment.
There would be no militarization.
It takes one generation for people to be acculturized (look at Germany). If there is a healthy, just, and caring culture, there would be a healthy, just, and caring people. A society, if not controlled (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btF6nKHo2i0) by psychopaths, narcissists, nazi/eugenicists (https://canadianpatriot.org/2021/05/09/for-victory-day-its-time-to-think-about-finally-winning-wwii/)or anyone is dependent on the quality, the personal integrity and empathetic abilitiy of the people. We need societies of honest, kind, reliable, caring, rational, and humble people if we are ever going to create the more beautiful world that every heart longs for.
I know from living in a small intentional eco-community (chambalabamba.org), that we can only succeed by having people with noble characteristics. One person lacking these, can undermine and destroy the community. The same holds for the macrocosm, the whole world.
And thus there is the existential conundrum: We need a just and caring society to create just and caring people and we need just and caring people to create a just and caring society. Oh, how can we do this? Maybe, just start doing it, but first we must restructure from vertical to horizontal and rid ourselves of the tyrannous grip of the controllers by organizing on a global scale, by using encrypted apps, by invitation only, like element/matrix.
We bring the world to a standstill once again but this time we inform as many as we can to stock up on food and necessities for at least 3 months. The indigenous did it in Ecuador recently with the STOP for 18 days. The truckers did it in Canada. And we demand restructuring ALL governments from vertical to horizontal. And we begin.
First however, people need to be informed about what is horizontal governance (link above), and why it is necessary as explained in the Confessions of an Economic Hitman (linked above). We don't need leaders who promote war and militarism, and vaccine mandates that are unnecessary, dangerous, tyrannical, and don't work, that is, that perpetrate crimes against humanity. Or to be constantly propagandized with false information to manufacture our false beliefs, in order to manipulate us.
People can begin being activists by sharing this vision and these 2 videos
A most useful concept!
You've upgraded both my lexicon and maps of this world.
Thank you!
Jacques Barzun (no relation) wrote ‘The House of Intellect’ in 1959 in which he makes the distinction between intellect and intelligence.