A Political Curriculum for Rational Mice
I've just added a link to Spinoza's Treatise on Theology and Politics and did this primarily so the teeming multitudes who visit here every day would have an opportunity to read -- not the whole thing -- but its chapter XX for sure. It's no more than a 15 minute read and is especially recommended for all you mice who have passed the age of unaccountability. The others -- youngsters and unaccountable adults -- will not have to read it, since the Mouse is hereby recommending to the potentates who rule this part of the earth that chapter XX of the TTP be made a mandatory part of the curriculum in all elementary and high schools. I am sure that our esteemable leaders will take this advice to heart and expeditiously act upon it so that none will be denied access to the essential wisdom conveyed by the long dead Jew, Mr. Benedict Spinoza.
I will pause here to permit you to click on the new link and then the little red box that will take you to chapters XVI thru XX. A short scroll down will take you to to the required reading.
[Pause.]
Now another pause while you copy and paste Spinoza's words into your memory bank, the one between your ears. You can also paste the words more firmly onto your hard drive, lest your warm-bodied apparatus functions no better than my own as a permanent recorder.
[Another pause.]
Okay. Now that we've got the Mouse's guide to the civic-minded firmly enscribed, you probably have a few questions or comments you'd like to share with the blogosphere. Just click below on the word "Comments." I'm sure the rest of the world is as anxious as I am to read your expansion on Mr. Spinoza's thoughts. And don't be shy. This is nice warm mouse-nest, as safe a place from abusive counterattacks as you are likely to find on the Internet . . . unless, of course, you initiate abuse yourself. (Even then if we're in control of our senses.)
I will pause here to permit you to click on the new link and then the little red box that will take you to chapters XVI thru XX. A short scroll down will take you to to the required reading.
[Pause.]
Now another pause while you copy and paste Spinoza's words into your memory bank, the one between your ears. You can also paste the words more firmly onto your hard drive, lest your warm-bodied apparatus functions no better than my own as a permanent recorder.
[Another pause.]
Okay. Now that we've got the Mouse's guide to the civic-minded firmly enscribed, you probably have a few questions or comments you'd like to share with the blogosphere. Just click below on the word "Comments." I'm sure the rest of the world is as anxious as I am to read your expansion on Mr. Spinoza's thoughts. And don't be shy. This is nice warm mouse-nest, as safe a place from abusive counterattacks as you are likely to find on the Internet . . . unless, of course, you initiate abuse yourself. (Even then if we're in control of our senses.)
posted by Benedict S. at 12:45 PM
7 Comments:
I can't get to the site,yet.Must be lots of people reading that particular piece.
Exactly what I was going to say! Constitution.org is busy, says my brower. I'm sure Chapter XX is available somewhere else, but I am standing on my right to read it your way.
Hmmm. Must be that millions of Mousers have invaded. I checked the spelling of the URL in my link. It looks OK so maybe those guys really are having "technical difficulties." There are other sites but not so neat. Google "Spinoza theologico" and click on Yesselman's site.
mouse,there can be alot written here in regards to Spinoza's Treatise with what's going on in the world today.In fact,that piece could be taken in several different ways,in which I will express what I think about it.
Democracy can vote to kill whoever the members want.Everything anti-democrats can say against a social democracy can also be said against every form of non-democratic government.The difference between
democracy and every other form of government is not found in what evils people can do; but rather,
the difference is to be found in all the ideas and ideals that attend the principles of democracy, and that will bridle any and every possible or likely variety and practice of democracy.
Equal rights to life, liberty, property, etc. are more in tune with the ideas and ideals of social
democracy than with the beliefs and truths of an élitist form of government.
Revolutions can be explosively violent and passionately savage. But these are eruptions that were festering in a society that was not
democratic, and that practiced organized and institutional violence against the population.
Democracies do not break out in violent pogroms or bloody massacres.
John (A): "Everything anti-democrats can say against a social democracy can also be said against every form of non-democratic government." Even though Spinoza's death prevented him from completing his Political Treatise, the point you make is made even clearer in that work than in the TTP. You obviously read very carefully. You'd be surprised how many people get stuck on the bit about democracies being able to kill who they please.
Still, I wonder how Spinoza would react to the increased power of government to control the minds of people by propaganda and media manipulation. The Ethics of course recognizes the inability of the masses to deal with political matters. Spinoza knew he was writing for the few who could lift themselves out of the traps, but I doubt that he would have appreciated just how few that was.
Thank you,I could discuss dirty politics all day,no-one wants to listen,no-one wants to know.Spinoza was right,there are very few that can lift themselves out of the trap.
The design structure and the overt goal of every government is the
same: To rob all individual citizens of their freedom. To restrict,
manipulate, guide, control the lifestyle choices and options of all
citizens. To coerce and force citizens to behave in certain ways, to believe in certain things, to embrace very specific ideological
notions, all of which serve to rob people of their freedom, personal
autonomy, and free will. Every aspect of every government is
specifically designed not to encourage freedom, not to even allow
freedom, but to take away freedom, including the most important
freedom of all: Intellectual freedom and the ability to live life
based upon Truth. Take religion. The vast majority of governments,
most especially so-called "democracies", terroristically impose the toxic myth of god existing, upon the helpless minds of all children born into the society, as well as adults. Simply in choosing to do this, the society robs it's citizens of the ability to enjoy intellectual freedom and the ability to make life choices based upon the simple, True fact that there is no invisible, omnipotent god creature with a fascist agenda of behavioral demands, to fear and to be terroristically obliged to cater to.
I could go on and on but you get the point.
John (A): I think by "government" you mean governments as we know them, and not governments as they might be. As has ben said, until men are angels or angels become men, we must govern ourselves. Spinoza believed that in a democracy the abuses of government would be restrained by the will of the people, the actual "governers." But that was my point in wondering about the government's ability to control minds. The final check and balance in a democratic regime is the people and when the people are made to believe lies, and doubt truths, when they have traded Reason itself for specious currency, that final barrier to tyranny disappears.
A people without a philosophy exist in a hurricane's eye, apparently calm but surrounded by horror. We the people have been led ("myzled") to believe that "freedom" is a philosophy. And yet, without an appreciation of the rational tradeoffs we make when we swap some of our power -- our freedom -- for safety, we are apt to see the resulting government as a robber and ourselves as victims of theft. I was struck by your twice usage of the word "rob." I suggest, John, that what we have been robbed of is our power to think, not "outside the box" (as it has become quaint to say), but within the framework of reason. Those who peddle superstitions and fraudulent Gods, and enroll government as their accomplice, are exemplars of the true thieves. I once answered another commenter on the Mouse-front by asking, "Do they [the ministers of the religions] honestly expect minds that have been conditioned to listen only to bullshit to suddenly listem to Reason?" The answer is obvious . . . and the effects are fatal.
Thanks for your rage. More is needed. "Go not gentle into the coming night...."
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