Succession’s iffy American grip

The Great Genius of 'Succession' Was Hovering Two Inches Above Reality

The show captured the terrifying, mesmerizing interplay between fact and fiction — and turned it into great television.

"...the blurring of reality and fantasy isn't merely fascinating. Americans' knack and weakness for these mixtures amount to a founding national predisposition — what made America the global center of show business, from P.T. Barnum to Hollywood to televangelism to reality TV. Our wise forebears also built walls between important reality over here and entertainment and make-believe over there and installed useful establishment gatekeepers to decide what belonged where.

During the past half-century, those barriers crumbled gradually, then suddenly. America's iffy grip on reality turned from a chronic condition to acute and pathological, metastasizing beyond entertainment and spreading throughout the real world, most disastrously into our information and political systems, a phenomenon for which no single individual and enterprise has been more responsible than the real-life inspirations for Logan Roy and ATN. Early this season, Logan told his children, "I love you, but you are not serious people." He could have been talking to America, where people now feel entitled to their own facts as well as their own opinions..." Kurt Andersen

What College Students Need

...Dr. Peña-Guzmán dismissed the idea that a course like his is only suitable for students who don’t have to worry about holding down jobs or paying off student debt. “I’m worried by this assumption that certain experiences that are important for the development of personality, for a certain kind of humanistic and spiritual growth, should be reserved for the elite — especially when we know those experiences are also sources of cultural capital,” he said. Courses like The Reading Experiment are practical too, he added: “I can’t imagine a field that wouldn’t require some version of the skill of focused attention.”

The point is not to reject new technology but to help students retain the upper hand in their relationship with it. Ms. Rodriguez, the economics major who took Living Deliberately and Existential Despair, said that before those classes she “didn’t distinguish technology from education; I didn’t think education ever went without technology. I think that’s really weird now. You don’t need to adapt every piece of technology to be able to learn better or more,” she said. “It can form this dependency.”

The point of college is to help students become independent humans who can choose the gods they serve and the rules they follow, rather than allowing someone else to choose for them. The first step is dethroning the small silicon idol in their pocket — and making space for the uncomfortable silence and questions that follow. The experience stuck with Ms. Ouyang, the nursing major: “I didn’t look forward to getting my phone back,” she said.

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/25/opinion/college-students-monks-mental-health-smart-phones.html?smid=em-share

Against Despair: An Open Letter to Graduates

My generation has wrecked so much that is precious. How could I dare to offer you advice?

...You are children of the 21st century, and yours is the first generation to recognize the inescapable urgency of climate change, the first not to deny the undeniable loss of biodiversity. You have grown up in an age permeated by the noise of a 24-hour news cycle, by needless political polarization, by devastating gun violence, by the isolating effects of “social” media. You have seen hard-won civil rights rolled back. You have come of age at a time of existential threat — to the planet, to democracy, to the arc of the moral universe itself — and none of it is your fault.

I wouldn’t blame you if you’re wondering how somebody of my generation, which wrecked so much that is precious, could dare to offer you advice. My only response is that age has exactly one advantage over the energy and brilliance of youth: Age teaches a person how to survive despair...

Margaret Renkl https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/15/opinion/letter-to-graduates-hope-despair.html?smid=em-share

Q & A

"I would rather have questions that can't be answered than answers that can't be questioned."
— Richard P. Feynman

Degraded personhood

"The Turing test cuts both ways. You can’t tell if a machine has gotten smarter or if you’ve just lowered your own standards of intelligence to such a degree that the machine seems smart. If you can have a conversation with a simulated person presented by an AI program, can you tell how far you’ve let your sense of personhood degrade in order to make the illusion work for you?"

Jaron Lanier, You Are Not a Gadget: A Manifesto [2010]
https://a.co/6Rs2n1i

Natality

"… And so maybe the twenty-first century is a time to think more carefully and deeply about birth, about what it has been throughout history, is today, and could be in our future. Maybe it is time for all people, and not just new mothers, to wrestle with human natality—to think anew about how birth has shaped our lives and societies, and how it has altered the course of our planet's history. Can our reckoning with birth's ubiquity and magnitude, its private and public significance, re-attune us not only to its difficulties but also to what Hannah Arendt called a "shocked wonder at the miracle of Being"? Can it remind us of our innate capacity to always begin again?"

https://www.commonwealmagazine.org/natality-mortality-banks-arendt-children-india-feminism

Why Conscious AI Is a Bad, Bad Idea

Something to consider in MALA's tag-team course on Knowledge, next semester.

Our minds haven’t evolved to deal with machines we believe have consciousness.

"...Future language models won’t be so easy to catch out. Before long, they may give us the seamless and impenetrable impression of understanding and knowing things, regardless of whether they do. As this happens, we may also become unable to avoid attributing consciousness to them too, suckered in by our anthropomorphic bias and our inbuilt inclination to associate intelligence with awareness..." Anil Seth

https://nautil.us/why-conscious-ai-is-a-bad-bad-idea-302937/

George Berkeley’s Name Removed from Trinity College Dublin Library

Trinity College Dublin has decided to seek a new name for its central library, the Berkeley, after concluding that the alumnus it honors, the 18th-century philosopher George Berkeley, owned slaves in colonial Rhode Island and wrote pamphlets supportive of slavery...

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/08/world/europe/george-berkeley-trinity-college-dublin.html

Presentations conclude Thursday May 4, 10 a.m. via Zoom

Thanks to all for participating.

Grades should be posted by the registrar early next week.

Have a good summer.

jpo

Final report blog post

• OPEN YOUR EMAIL AUTHOR INVITATION, then look for the NEW POST tab in the upper right on our blogsite (do NOT create a new blog, post your final report on our site)
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• The final draft is due May 2.

Religious Influence in Politics

In Kurt Andersen’s ‘Fantasyland: How America Went Haywire’, Andersen presented his ideas on how and when the GOP became increasingly unhinged and how crucial a role religion played in it. The root of the problem was that beginning in the 1990s, the unhinged members of the right increased in size and influence, which marginalized moderates and lead the whole of the party to become more open to make-believe in its politics and policy. In my post, I want to focus on how religion has played a detrimental role in American politics.

Despite 3 in 10 Americans identifying as religiously unaffiliated Christians make up 88% of Congress, one possible explanation for this is that it has become more common for politicians to overstate their religious practices or use religious language and symbols to enhance their image or attempt to appeal to their voter base. Research has shown that voters who are more religious tend to favor candidates who share their religious beliefs or at least claim to identify with their religious tradition. It is interesting that this behavior is not unique to any one particular political group because it shows how religion has become so significant across the entire political scope, and it is concerning to me how much it shapes our political discourse.

And while religion, particularly Christianity, itself is not the cause of the bigotry, intolerance, and discrimination we see in society, we have seen how rather than embracing the virtues of compassion and inclusivity that many religions espouse, too many vocal and influential members of the GOP have used religion as a thin veil to justify their own hateful ideas. Whether it's anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric, anti-immigrant policies and ideas, or discriminatory voter suppression laws, these agendas are commonly framed as the GOP doing what is ‘righteous’ or what upholds their perversion of Christianity represents. It is very popular in politics to spread a 'us vs them' mentality in order to generate solidarity between politicians and their voters and framing opposing political groups as 'Christian' vs 'nonchristian' or 'good' vs 'bad' has made it so the division between opposing political groups continues to grow.

The American political climate has become increasingly polarized, there is less and less room in politics for compromise and cooperation, and, as Kurt Andersen pointed out, there is a stubborn unwillingness to consider alternative perspectives. The animosity between Democrats and Republicans has grown significantly over the past few decades, with multiple studies showing that both sides have become increasingly radicalized with a decrease in political moderates and more and more members of both sides holding increasingly negative opinions of the other side. This unwillingness to hear the other side out or accept when one wins out over the other has been shown to lead to unprecedented levels of social unrest.

Sick Souls, Healthy minds by John Kaag

I AM HAVING TECH ISSUES WITH COMPUTER SO I CAN ONLY SEND THE LINKS TO IMAGES. MY APOLOGIES. below is the link to a picture of William James https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/17/books/review/sick-souls-healthy-minds-william-james-john-kaag.html “Take the happiest man, the one most envied by the world, and in nine cases out of ten his inmost consciousness is one of failure. —William James, The Varieties of Religious Experience, 1902 (Kaag) William James wrestled a lot with his mental health and struggled to find some sort of meaning that could help him go on. William’s discontentment with life was not for lack of success. He even got a medical degree in New England but this did not fulfill him. He had trouble finding where he belonged, he didn’t exactly fit in any boxes society had for him. He was “part poet, part biologist, part artist, part mystic. He was pulled in too many directions, like a man on the rack, and therefore, for a time, couldn’t move, forward or otherwise.” The more unique a man is, often the more lonely he can become. I relate to this as well for I am a very unique individual and it can often feel deeply lonely. below is a link to a youtube summmary of Williams James https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=XH0qf2crD9Y William James struggled between the argument of free will and predestination He wondered if he had any say in his own destiny at all or if his destiny was laid out for him and there was nothing he could do to change it. Free will and predestination is something that has been argued years and years. I personally believe it is a mix of the two in a mystery only God understands. below is a link where someone talks about what the Bible says about free will and pre destination. https://www.gotquestions.org/predestination-vs-free-will.html The book states, “Meaninglessness was the problem, James’s problem, and it drove him to the edge of suicide. In the late 1860s, he used a red crayon to sketch a portrait in a notebook: a young man sitting alone, shoulders hunched, head down. Over the figure James wrote, ‘HERE I AND SORROW SIT.’ But if you look closely, very closely, you will see a faint line that makes all the difference. Read it again: the ‘N’ might actually be an ‘M.’ It says, “HERE I AM.” This was a self-portrait. (Kaag) Loneliness and meaninglessness are a bad combination for mental health. Nihilism is a dangerous road to tread on. I know if it wasn’t for Jesus Christ i would not be alive today. James is often remembered as someone who battled their mental health issues without the help of doctors. He looked for his medication in philosophy where he committed himself to searching for reasons to embrace life and and embrace it the fullest. below is a link to an article about William James and the problem of evil https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3143883/ I myself take medication and it helps me I think, I’m still not too sure how I feel about it but I’m thankful for a family that supports me financially and medically. James’s cynical perspective is for the people that are on the brink of eternity and can’t seem to find a rhyme or reason in this life. The author himself mentions that when he was thirty he was divorced while also having to watch his father who was an alcoholic die. The author claims that Williams philosophy saved his life and not to coware back from experiencing life but to embrace it. The author explains how this philosophy might not work for every person and that it doesn’t work for him 100% of the time. But that it has at least helped him enough for him to write about. below is a youtube link about the philosophy of William James https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7pc_eQ99kTI The book writes “James wrote for our age: one that eschews tradition and superstition but desperately craves existential meaning; one that is defined by affluence but also depression and acute anxiety; one that valorizes icons who ultimately decide that the life is one that really ought to be cut prematurely. To such a culture, James gently, persistently urges, “Be not afraid of life. Believe that life is worth living, and your belief will help create the fact.” To me without faith in God there is no meaning to this life. God is the only true meaning. I believe when I suffer God uses for my good even when it is hard and I can grow out of it into a more mature Christian and person in general. In the prologoue it is mentioned that the author is taking a ride on his bike and passes by William James Hall. But he noticed that there was yellow police tape surrounding the building. The author goes on to talk about how large the structure is and that it was even built by the designer of the World Trade Center. He explains that the fifteenth floor of the building is 170 feet from the ground. He says this because in February 6th, 2014 a former student of Harvard named Steven Rose committed suicide by jumping off the building. He was 29 years old. The book also mentions that, “more than forty thousand people” (Kaag) had also killed themselves that year. The author was so impacted by the dark event that he decided to write a book discussing lifes value and the pursuit of meaning. This book is known as “Sick Souls, Healthy Minds” below is a youtube link of a book review of sick souls and healthy minds https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hk0iMi6KJjw&pp=ygUcc2ljayBzb3VscyBhbmQgaGVhbHRoeSBtaW5kcw%3D%3D below is the link to the image of "Williams James Hall" https://chsi.harvard.edu/william-james-hall below is a link of britannicas encyclopedia of William James https://www.britannica.com/biography/William-James I believe it suffering that leads people to seek out truth. For when life is easy and happy no one seems to really care what is true or not true as much. It seems that when life is most difficult is when we as humans start asking the most questions. So even when life is hard, since suffering is inevitable, I say choose to embrace it and use it for growth. I myself tend to have cowardice tendencies for when life gets hard like really hard…deep down I just wanna runaway but I choose to trust God and trust that He has a plan even when it is difficult and I believe that I will come out whatever hard season I am dealing with a better and stronger person because of it. So keep on hoping, keep on believing, keep on fighting, keep on persevering, keep on dreaming, and choose to finish the fight and run your race that has been set out before you. I choose to believe and trust that He will give me the strength to run my race, that is what I believe. (104) Harvard Campus: William James Hall - YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDa3CHNeu9Q&ab_channel=FolkloreApp Kaag, John. (2020). Sick Souls, Healthy Minds. Princeton and Oxford. Princeton University Press. Folklore App. “Harvard Campus: William James Hall. Youtube uploaded by Folklore App, 5 May 2012. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDa3CHNeu9Q&ab_channel=FolkloreApp

William James's Moral Equivalent to War is Incorrect

https://brocku.ca/MeadProject/James/James_1911_11.html Text in PDF form.

William James was an American philosopher and psychologist who lived between 1842 and 1910. Originally in a lecture given at Stanford in 1906, James proposed a "moral equivalent to war. 

The main idea of James’s proposal is that human beings have a for conflict, which according to James, has traditionally been met by war which provides a sense of purpose, meaning, and excitement that is difficult to find in normal everyday life. James, however, was a pacifist, and believed that war was abhorrent, and thus sets out to find an alternative way to satisfy these needs. James would ultimately propose what he called a "moral equivalent" to war, something that would provide the same sense of struggle and purpose that was provided by war without the violence and destruction brought upon by it. James believed that this moral equivalent could be achieved through shifting mankind's aggression towards nature. More specifically towards injustices that exist in nature.

The way he sees his idea being achieved is by nations conscribing youth to a so-called army to combat nature. "To coal and iron mines, to freight trains, to fishing fleets in December, to dishwashing, clothes washing, and window washing, to roadbuilding and tunnel-making, and to the frames of skyscrapers, would our gilded youths be drafted off to get the childishness knocked out of them, and to come back into society with healthier sympathies and soberer ideas. They would have paid their blood-tax, done their own part in the immemorial human warfare against nature; they would tread the earth more proudly, the women would value them more highly, they would be better fathers and teachers of the following generation." he writes in the essay. 

This, however, is flawed, in my opinion. What William James proposes is both partly irresponsible and unfulfilling. It is first of all irresponsible to call for a war on nature. Calling it a war on nature is open ended enough that it can be up for interpretation.  A war on nature can be seen as simple subduing nature’s more dangerous aspects, like the elimination of certain diseases. However, it can also be seen as a call for the destruction of nature. Mankind is hardwired for destruction, and calling it a war can, and ultimately would lead to, in my opinion, a person or a group of people destroying nature as we know it, all in the name of satisfying mankind’s needs.

William James’s idea of a moral equivalent is unfulfilling. Who is to say that people of higher social status would not use that status to get out of their duty, similar to Civil War draft dodgers. Along with that, war is romanticized in ways most other activities are not. It is seen as brave for one to selflessly fight for ones nation. This goes for those who do and do not fight in it. When World War One broke out, many young men lined up to join the army in the United Kingdom. During the war, those who could not, or chose not to fight were harassed. It hard to see this same fervor fallowing a war on nature.

 

 

                                                 Love and free will                                               

                     Sick Souls Healthy minds

As I went over in class, the author of Sick Souls Healthy Minds talked about this thing called a second wind. The second wind gives you a reason or something worth living for. For many people who suffer from depression or self-image issues, there can come a time when everything around you seems helpless, and they may try and take their life. For some people who come out of that place, this creates a force that propels people forward in life and gives them a second wind (SSHM pg.46). I had a time in my life when I felt helpless, struggling to find something worth having time for. I struggled to have passionate relationships and find something worth living for. I was desperate, and it seemed like the helpless pit was getting deeper and deeper. I didn't feel like anything was going well for me and I started thinking it would be better if I weren't here. Then during my sophomore year of college, I found out what was worth living for, my second wind: living a life serving God and loving other people.

                                                                                          Are religious people happier, healthier? 

In the same way, William James decided to believe in free will (SSHM pg. 49), and I also started to think that I had control over my life and had the option to be free from faults. It just was in a very counter-culturally way. It required that I submit myself to God; we often in this society think that submitting ourselves and humbling ourselves is terrible, but it is essential in God's eyes. I was given hope, something to live for, and faith in something greater than myself. Faith in someone who will never let me down, someone who already gave their life for me when I was unworthy. Someone who designed me personally when I was in my mother's womb, who has been watching and waiting for a time I needed him. As the author's example of falling in love and free will are the same, I also think that using your free will to submit to God will have the same radical effects on your life. His plan will alter your life, and since it's a personal relationship with him, it's forever growing, and it's all a unique experience. Having confidence in the teachings of Jesus Christ leads you into a life worth living because it's no longer for yourself but for your neighbors, friends, family, and the King of all Kings.

                                                                                                         Free will? Why is it important? 

There were two things that Jesus asked all of humankind to do after he left. That was to love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. We know we have come to love the Lod when we keep his commandments. We all have sinned, fallen short of God's glory, and don't deserve his love. But after all of that, the best part is that God demonstrated his love for us because while we were still sinners, he sent his son to die for us on the cross. He paid the debt of sin in full so that we may live according to the commandments, and if we do sin, we have an advocate who can say, "Your sins are forgiven." The second thing Jesus asked us to do is to love our neighbor as ourselves. I find no greater joy than unselfishly seeking the best for other people in my life. True love means you give everything you can to people without expecting anything in return. So, when the author talks about William James and how his falling in love with his wife changed his life, and how he took a leap of faith into something, it sounds a lot like biblical love.

                                                                                                                            What is Love?

William James was affected by his father telling him that there is no free will in life which is not valid. This cause James to be very depressed and hopeless as it seems like you have no power over his life. That is not true; we do have free will to either live our life according to r own selfish desires or to submit ourselves to God and serve his kingdom. I lived my life for 20 years thinking that everything would happen for a reason, that my decisions were the best, and that I knew the best ways to do things. Then when I finally put my life in God's hands and allowed him to be the center of my life, he changed me for the better. I had to choose to submit myself, though, and I had to mean it. That meant giving up many things that I liked, but they were not healthy for me. I just convinced myself that it was ok. My decisions led me into hardship because I didn't want to humble myself before the lord. None of my hardships came from God, but they all allowed his glory to shine because I am such a different person from who I used to be. Even if I do suffer or face troubles, it's never going to be able to pull me away from God's love.

                                          If God Is in Control, Why Do Bad Things Happen to Us?                                                                                    

I think love is a strong enough emotion to give us something to live for. I believe godly love brings peace and something worth living for. Love is more potent than anything I can think of. It makes me do some crazy things. God loves us so much and doesn't want us to suffer. He is slow to anger and is patient with us, allowing us to walk freely and even curse him, yet when we call on him, he answers lovingly without hesitation. When we do make God upset with us, he doesn't look at us in our shame. He looks at the Lamb of God, the holy sacrifice, and thinks that was enough. He is more significant than our sins. That all comes from the fact that he loves us. Free will and love do go hand in hand. It is different from what the world will tell you because it's not love from the world. It's love from a higher power.

    The Biggest Question Why ?        

Alone but not lonely

Kevin Rodriguez

Sec 7     

 

    At some point in our lives, we all have felt lonely. But what some people may not know is that being lonely can be particularly acute in midlife. Philosophers argue that it’s because loneliness is a fundamental part of being a human. Before we begin, we must differentiate loneliness from being alone. For example, someone enjoying quiet solitude is alone but not necessarily lonely while someone else can feel lonely even if they are in a crowd.  

 

 

     Loneliness is a complex emotion that can be described as feeling isolated, disconnected or as a feeling of emptiness. Kieran Setiya's book Life is Hard dedicates a chapter on this topic. He discusses the etymology and concepts of loneliness and closes the chapter by providing practical suggestions on coping with it. In this post I will discussing key points provided by Setiya alongside some of my thoughts and things I found to be interesting while in this class.

Loneliness across the ages 

 

    Setiya argues that loneliness is a universal experience. Aristotle in The Nicomachean Ethics says, “Without friends, no one would want to live”. Here he essentially states that friends are central to having a good life. He does not directly mention being lonely or of loneliness, but the idea of not being lonely can be seen in his work. In English the earliest mention is circa 1800. The word “Oneliness” was used to describe the state of being alone or of solitude. Another example can be seen in Bedroom in Arles by Vincent van Gogh in 1888. In letters to his brother Theo, Vincent describes the room he lived in for a year, sharing his feelings of loneliness and isolation.

 

 Van Gogh, Picasso, Hopper and Guglielmi in five famous paintings expressing loneliness, isolation

 

Life is Hard: The vicious cycle of loneliness   

 

    Turning back to Life is Hard, Setiya argues that loneliness is not a simple subjective feeling but rather that it is much more being a fundamental aspect of the human condition. It is because humans are social animals and because society is central to our life’s that we feel lonely. German philosopher Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel said “you cannot be fully conscious of ourselves except through mutual recognition. There is no I without YOU”. Setiya notes that the root cause of our loneliness is because we are aware of others and of our mortality. He states that we begin to feel lonely when we lack meaningful connections with others or when we begin to feel disconnected from the world. Being separated from others can be a difficult emotion to deal and chronic loneliness can cause serious damage to your health.

 

According to a New York Times article, neuroscientists think that during periods of isolation the human brain begins to register loneliness as a threat because it has evolved to seek safety in number. Psychologist john Cacioppo says that this stress response can have health impacts comparable to the effect of high blood pressure, lack of exercise, obesity or smoking, and can accelerate the aging process. Constant feelings of loneliness can cause a person to also feel depressed. Depression in turn can increase feelings of loneliness. The cycle worsens as the depressive disorder continues.

 

    Setiya also argues that feeling lonely can be intensified by our fast-paced life. He says that social media and other forms of technology can create an illusion of connection that fails to fulfill the human connection that we need. Essentially, he says that social media is not so social.

 

 Same social beings, different social needs

 

     Humans are complex beings and although, we are social animals that doesn't mean that we all share the same social needs. Victor Hugo said "The entirety of hell is contained in one word- solitude". I myself have to agree with "hell is other people" said by a character written by Sartre. No matter if you consider yourself an extrovert or an introvert we can all agree that friends are good. Philosophers like Aristotle acknowledges the benefits of having a wide variety of friends. you can have friends of utility, pleasure, virtue or familial needs. He compares friendship to a silent negotiation that which once the contract is broken they should drop you from their lives and stop loving you. Aristotle thought that friends should be flaky. I do not agree with him on the idea of friends but I do agree on the variety of friends. Life is hard describes a situation where in the case of a hospitalization you hope that friends would come visit because they care about you and your well-being not because they are worried if they didn't go to the hospital it would ruin the friendship.

Managing loneliness

    Setiya offers the best way to cope is loneliness is by engaging in meaningful activities. Activities such as discovering a hobby, or by volunteering can help you reconnect with the world. For others exploring spiritual or philosophical practice can aid in times of difficulty. Setiya stresses the importance of seeking profession help if necessary.  This could be talking with a therapist, joining a support group, or having a friend or family member that you trust. It is also important to remember that loneliness is a very difficult emotion and be hard to manage alone. Seeking professional help is not a sign of weakness but of bravery and an important first step towards healing. Greater Good Science Center at university of California, Berkeley prides itself for providing science-based insights for a meaningful life. Applying scientific research, they offer 11 things to do when you feel lonely

 

Afterthoughts

 

    While doing some reading about loneliness I found this article from the NYT about parallel play. Its a term generally associated with young children who can play independently alongside one another. One example of this in my daily life is when I play video games. I may be immersed into my game but knowing that my partner is on the bed reading a book silently is more than enough company and fills my social needs. I don't find myself often craving social interaction. My friends and previous roommates have referred to me as having "cat energy". I hang out in the general vicinity but will keep to myself until I want attention. But also like a cat too much attention and I am likely to scratch. Metaphorically at least. Lastly I will link to a recent episode of a podcast I enjoy called The psychology of your 20s with Jemma Sbeg.

84. Loneliness is not your enemy!

Alternate resources

Social isolation and loneliness outreach toolkit from NIH

https://www.nia.nih.gov/ctctoolkit

So I guess we know nothing? News to me.

Author Mikell K. Larkin Section 007

May 2,2023

Hypothetical:

    Can we trust that flight or fight feeling when we are faced with an aggressive dog on our morning walk? Will the dog actually bite if we keep walking? Is this feeling of dread, and hair standing straight up a lie? The perception of a threat does not mean it actually is a true life ending altercation? The senses could be deceiving what is really going on. The reality of the situation could deviate from our adrenal response. 

Or so Pyrrho, a Greek skeptic philosopher, would argue.

    Don't commit, and you won't be disappointed. At least in theory..

    So the philosophy of skepticism would have one believe for several hundred years in Ancient Greece, and later Rome. But no one topped the infamy of Ancient Greek Pyrrho (364c.-270BC.)

Pyrrho decided to never trust the senses because he believed they could often mislead.

This is Pyrrho's skepticism also referred to as Pyrrhonism.

I could see Pyrrho walking down the padded dirt roads passing a snake, getting nearly bit with a tee-shirt stamped with the line "ignorance is bliss".

This lead Pyrrho into many extreme and often dangerous scenarios that luckily his entourage would mediate him through.

But that is the question with a slew of many others.

    Is ignorance truly bliss?

Then the following..

    When does ignorance become arrogance because one chooses not to learn?

    Can walking blindly into a lion's den just because the lions have yet to tear you apart personally be that profound?

Let's give more context to ignorance versus arrogance based off definition.

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ignorance

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/arrogance

The issue at hand:

In layman's terms, Ignorance is not knowing better. 

• Pyrrho never could have truly achieved full ignorance. Before the adoption of his own philosophy I am certain he knew better. The only way one can achieve true ignorance is to never be taught differently or be the clean slate mind of a child.

Arrogance is thinking that your opinion is the supreme truth.

• Pyrrho chose not to believe his perceptions and taught others to do the same. 

Which leads to my arrguement:

    I believe Pyrrho was extremely arrogant for thinking that his philosophy of skepticism would lead to happiness. He chose to put himself in dangerous scenarios that discounted the concerns of his entourage, and his own well being. This all to prove his theory that everything is a matter of opinion, nothing matters, and you can not trust your own perception of danger? Whilst also putting himself directly in harms way.

Appropriated Western Teachings:

    Pyrrho's philosophy was that in order to achieve happiness one must relinquish their attachment to outcomes. That one can not trust their senses because the senses can deceive. 

Pyrrho did not waste time worrying because he believed ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING was a matter of opinion.

This level of detachment, and stoicism no doubt had ties to his trip to India when he was younger. He was influenced by the gurus. It felt as if he took the principles, and tried to expedite the dharma. 

As the Buddhists would endure extremes to achieve their own inner stillness, Pyrrho would create his own version.

How far is too far?

    Can you really not even trust your own perception?

As I am typing on this keyboard, am I really feeling the keys press or are my senses lying about what I am currently typing?

If that is the case, and I am lying to myself about the clicking then why are words forming in this text box? 

Or am I being mislead by my sight as well?

Even better.. 

We all learn what hot and cold is as a child. 

My experience was that of Pyrrho. 

I was all of maybe six years old. My mother had just got done curling her hair then unplugged the curling iron. She told me not to touch the heated tool due to it still being hot. Despite her warning I grabbed the blazing metal with my bare hand which ultimately led me to the emergency room. 

All because I defied my mother's experience in the matter and exercised my Pyrrhonism.

Was it my mother's matter of opinion that the heated tool was hot after use?

My six year old right hand in bandages and ointment would say she was absolutely truthful. 

My perception of heat and her opinion was so to the point that I was in tears.

I could run in circles with ideas of misleading perception. 

How and Why do I Become an Adult?

     In her book "Why Grow Up?", philosopher Susan Neiman explores the challenges and rewards of maturing into adulthood in a culture that often values youthfulness and instant gratification over wisdom and responsibility. The chapter "Becoming an Adult" focuses on the importance of confronting one's mortality and taking responsibility for one's life choices. (Neiman, 107). Neiman argues that becoming an adult involves a shift in perspective from the present moment to the future, from self-indulgence to self-transcendence. She notes that "maturity is a matter of taking the long view, of recognizing that one's present is shaped by one's past and that one's future is determined by one's present" (Neiman, 108). 

        This shift in perspective and the change in ones own values requires a willingness to face one's own mortality, which can be a difficult and painful process. Neiman suggests that we can learn from the example of the ancient Greeks, who believed in the concept of memento mori, or the reminder of death, as a way of cultivating a sense of urgency and purpose in life. (Neiman,  109). In addition to confronting mortality, becoming an adult also involves taking responsibility for one's choices and actions. Neiman argues that "the most important lesson we learn as adults is that our choices have consequences" (Neiman, 112). This means recognizing that we are not passive victims of circumstance, but active agents who can shape our own lives and the world around us.

    However, Neiman acknowledges that taking responsibility for one's life can be a difficult task, especially in a world that often is chaotic and unjust. She suggests that one way to cope with this sense of overwhelm is to focus on small acts of kindness and generosity, which can help to build a sense of community and meaning in an otherwise chaotic world. (Neiman, 114)

"The Science of Kindness." Youtube, uploaded by Randomactsofkindness, 4 Nov. 2018, www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9UByLyOjBM.    

    Another aspect of becoming an adult is learning to accept one's own limitations and imperfections. Neiman notes that "maturity involves recognizing that perfection is unattainable, that we will inevitably make mistakes and disappoint ourselves and others" (Neiman, 117). However, she argues that this recognition can be liberating, as it allows us to let go of impossible standards and focus on doing the best we can in the present moment.

     Neiman also emphasizes the importance of creating your own sense of purpose and direction in life. She suggests that this involves finding a balance between personal aspirations and a sense of connection to something larger than oneself. (Neiman, 119).This sense of purpose and connection can be difficult to achieve in a culture that only values individual achievement over collective well-being. "Resigning means buying into a culture that equates growth with having more stuff". Neiman suggests that one way to counter this tendency is to engage in social and political activism, which can provide a sense of meaning and purpose while also working towards a more just and equitable society. (Neiman, 121). However, Neiman acknowledges that activism can also be challenging with little to no gratitude. She suggests that one way to stay motivated is to cultivate a sense of hope and optimism, even in the face of adversity. (Neiman, 123)

"Why We Need to Grow Up; Susan Neiman." Youtube, uploaded by The Institute of Art and Ideas, 6 Mar. 2020.    

Ultimately, Neiman argues that becoming an adult is a process of continual growth and transformation, rather than a fixed state of being

The GOP's Descent into Fiction - Or How to Recognize Propaganda

 The GOP's Descent into Fiction - Or How to Recognize Propaganda

        Conspiracy is a growing part of the right and Republicans. It is hard to deny with current politics, as January 6th riots still exist in the cultural consciousness. Or Pizza Gate. Or even Qanon. It is spread by figures such as Alex Jones, who “is the very epitome of cutting-edge political discourse, where outright fiction is presented and consumed as nonfiction” (FL 357). It is important to note that conspiracy theories are fiction, they would not be conspiracy otherwise. What is more important is that these conspiracy theories are a form of propaganda, to inspire a devotion akin to fascism. 

        So, what do philosophers have to say about this? Two philosophers come to mind to help dissect propaganda and dog whistles. These are Ludwig Wittgenstein and Hannah Arendt. Ludwig Wittgenstein can help us understand the language that is used and Hannah Arendt can help us understand empathy, and why it is important to be vigilant. So, it is the hope of this essay to showcase how, through philosophy, one can be aware of propaganda, dog whistles, and conspiracy. 

        Firstly, what is a dog whistle. A dog whistle is “political shorthand for a phrase that may sound innocuous to some people, but which also communicates something more insidious either to a subset of the audience or outside of the audience’s conscious awareness.” In a sense, it is a language game. Those who know the rules can interpret the meaning, while those who cannot are left with a different one. In a sense, it is what Ludwig Wittgenstein is getting at. 

        Ludwig Wittgenstein helped explain the philosophy of language, most importantly, how language acted as a game: 

        If we apply Wittgenstein’s idea to dog whistles, we can get a profound understanding of dog whistles. To use a dog whistle means to play two language games, the one for the public, and the one in the know. Language now serves two purposes, it acts as a multipurpose tool, it conjures multiple images based on your understanding. So, if we want to be able to recognize this game, we must know the language, we need to know the rules of the game. 

So now that we hopefully understand why understanding dog whistles is important, we should look at examples of dog whistles. A great resource is https://gopadtracker.com/ which documents GOP ads that uses such dog whistles. Take for example “critical race theory,” a new favorite buzzword of the GOP. The usage of it is often wrong, as critical race theory is an academic term for a study of legal code. Instead, “critical race theory” is often used to hate on discussion of race in schools. This forces a person who wishes to be smart, and politically able to not only know the literal meaning, but the supposed meaning. The meaning that is supposed to be hidden. You are forced to play this game. 

Another example is from Alex Jones. He often cites conspiracy such as “the New World Order,” or Sandy Hook Conspiracy. These are not only conspiracies but a form of dog whistles. You can be quick to write off people talking about the “New World Order,” but you might find other forms of truth in that statement (FL 359). Its important to be cautious and wise, to look at what someone is saying and why. What is there goal.  

Now you may be left with a question, “why should I bother?” You may not want to ask these questions, to do your research, and to do your thinking. If you do not engage, you may fall into what Hannah Arendt named banal evil (LHP 212). In a sense, by not engaging or talking or thinking, you may very well be engaging in this banal evil. So, the ethical thing to do is to at the very least recognize this when it occurs. Do not be quick to accept someone’s version of reality and instead make sure that it is sound and supported by logic.  

So, after all this talk about conspiracy and dog whistle, why focus on the GOP? Well, the GOP is seemingly more and more eager to engage in conspiracy as a political strategy. This is not just an observation I, someone who leans much more left, see, it is something even Republicans notice: as Kurt Anderson writes, “Why did the grown-ups and designated drivers on the left manage to remain more or less in charge of their followers while the reality-based right lost control to its fantasy-prone true believers?” (FL 363). He cites the growing power of the Evangelical Right, and that certainly is part of it.  

Another part is the rights growing tides with fascism. I do not think every republican is a fascist, nor everyone one of their politicians, but it has certainly been growing and can be most seen with Trump’s presidency. So now we have to ask, how do we spot a fascist?

 

These are some good signs. Although it has had some criticism it does work as a way to quickly look at someone’s speech and recognize if it has fascist leanings. The most important are power and continuing nationalism, identification of enemies / scapegoats, and obsession with national security. These are all big signs that someone may be leaning fascist. Another important thing to look out for is fascists infiltrating a group. Often, they will be a fringe group aligning themselves with the right (not always, but often) as a sort of infiltration. Moreover, they gain more power during economic or social turmoil (sound familiar?). So it is more important then ever to be on the lookout. 

Do not worry, this is not a new issue. 

        Once again, it is important to say that not all Republicans think like this nor do they believe this. I’ve have had many conversations that were productive with Republicans. Moreover, this is not to say the Democratic party or leftist can fall prey to these tactics, because they can. I have had conversations with democrats where almost nothing happened because I could not decipher the many meanings their words had. What I am saying is the republican party is leaning more towards this conspiracy and propaganda, forcing you the average person to be more aware and wiser. Think back to the two philosophers I had covered, being Wittgenstein with his views on language and Arendt with her view on banal evil. Be a thinker, and think critically. 

        The last thing I will lead you with is a video by Oliver Thorn (now Abigail Thorn). He does an excellent job looking at the way white supremacist propaganda exists and how it opposes truth. This propaganda is filled with dog whistles and conspiracy and is perpetuated by the worst parts of the Republican Party, so it is a great watch.