The conventional wisdom in our western societies is that we are basically free agents, living in a world which offers us a myriad of choices, which we then make according to our needs and preferences. Based on these preferences and choices we develop our individual worlds of communities within the wider society in which we find ourselves.
There is a lot about this which is questionable. We are all also conditioned in the communities, societies and worlds in which we live in manifold ways and this conditioning circumscribes and often emasculates our (theoretical) freedom. There are mechanisms here which are essential to the functioning of the (what Neil would describe as consumer-fetish) societies in which we live - to give but one example, it is the basis of the whole advertising industry, so essential for processes based on continuous (growing) consumption; one of the economic essentials for neo-liberal defined free-market structures. Intellectual elites (such as the members and readers of this worthy forum :-)), may feel that their propensity for introspection and reflection has helped free them from a lot of the conditioning pervasive in their environment - and this may be true ... but mostly only to a certain extent. From our birth we are in a constant dialogue with the societal environments in which we find ourselves and the conditioning which results from these processes is deep, varied and often difficult to recognise and ackowledge. Freedom is a prerequisite, but also a goal, something dynamic, developing and growing. On this journey from freedom to freedom, our self-image also develops and grows (or decays). And, before we all become too self-congratualtory, we should also realise that people within deeply restraining systems are also capable of developing the free space they need to develop according to the needs they perceive. One good example of this is the way that large sections of the youth in Iran, while not fundamentally attacking the narrow, religious, clerical-dominated value-system in which they live, still manage to create spaces for their own freedom and development of self-identity. I spent my teenage years in a small town in the west of Ireland in the 70s - in retrospect, under a very strong, (stifling?) traditional Catholic ethos. That was the way it was - you didn't really question it. Instead, you created your free space within it and, in the end, and in various ways, a lot of us developed the capacities to grow out of it. Elegant as it seems to be, I have grave doubts about the real advantages of a society ruled by enlightened philosopher-kings à la Plato. Dividing society between enlightened elites and the sheep-like masses is too easy. Life is a ferment, happening everywhere and controlling elites may be spectacularly blind and unfree. Just look at the elites running the world financial systems in the past year! Francis On 31 Dez., 07:24, archytas <[email protected]> wrote: > I would refer you to professor Nietzsche on war Chris. War is the > proper theartre of the warrior. Women are for the recreation of the > warrior. Postmodernists have long suggested that language is now so > impossible we cannot speak without dredging up self-delusion. One > might suggest that peace is merely the plotting phase of further war, > or self-development the hardening of illusions amongst soldiers of > human resource management. Typically, I find myself teaching young > men and women who hate the firms they work for to "love them in new > ways". I rather think the first has it right and the latter immoral. > Some students point out that it is better to work for companies that > at least pretend to want to develop them. Still waters no doubt, yet > who can deny war is peace, given that war is ever-present? The > presence of a draft makes one think a little more deeply about war and > the possibilities of peace. The Greeks had many debates about such > dunnage - the winners all turn out to have had control of the means of > producing the written scripts! > Hegel had it that Man would eventually emerge from war between South > and North America. One might, of course, choose to allow people to > work out who is doing what to whom in an honest fashion. > Yours, Protagoras. > > On 31 Dec, 05:39, "Chris Jenkins" <[email protected]> wrote: > > > War is Peace, Neil. Do you deny this? > > > On Wed, Dec 31, 2008 at 12:07 AM, archytas <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > Self-image has fallen apart big style of late. Our reaction appears > > > to be that of putting Humpty-Dumpty back together again, using the > > > resources (all the King's horses and all the King's men) that failed > > > to do so in the past. The techniques of self are all around us. > > > Chronic market segmentation advertising and all sorts of quasi- > > > governmental Doublespeak. The idea is to produce docile bodies and > > > governmentality. What of truth in self development? What of the > > > creativity of the liars' tales in which our self is spun? What of the > > > repeated Machiavellian rebirths of our "management fashions"? I would > > > sense that Molly has something here about greater truth following a > > > collapse of world-view, but what are we to take as truth and does one > > > want to take truth at a moment of collapse? Great narratives have > > > been shown, repeatedly to be mythical and we are supposed to stand in > > > incredulity towards them. What might an acceptable metanarrative for > > > rebirth be? What evidential-basing criteria would we use? How might > > > we withstand attempts to rebirth us as merely a smiling brotherhood of > > > shiny success at the expense of others or as learners of the litany of > > > new management that is merely the old management with new hymns? We > > > should try to structure new communities - self has social context. > > > I'm a believer in Molly's positive messages, but believers can be > > > doubting thomases. Political rhetoric has hardly changed at all in > > > the last 40 years, and neither has literature on "self-improvement". > > > There is much more to collapse than we might initially think. > > > > On 30 Dec, 23:25, Molly Brogan <[email protected]> > > > wrote: > > > > Self-image is the personal view we have of ourselves. It is our > > > > mental image or self portrait. Self-image is an internal dictionary > > > > that describes the characteristics of the self, including concepts > > > > like intelligence, beauty, kindness, selfishness or insensitivity. > > > > These characteristics form a collective representation of our assets > > > > and liabilities as we see them. Relationships reinforce what we think > > > > and feel about ourselves. Self-image is important because how we > > > > think about ourselves directly affects how we feel about ourselves and > > > > how we respond to life. > > > > > How we think and feel about ourselves influences the way we react or > > > > respond to life stressors. A hopeless self-image can lead to > > > > suicide. Self-image possessing body strength and health can lead to > > > > wellness. A loving self-image can lead to a life full of loving > > > > relationships. An angry self-image can lead to a life of isolation. > > > > A fearful self-image can lead to a life of suffering. In these ways, > > > > self-image can determine the quality of our relationships with others. > > > > > How we imagine ourselves to be can be different from how we witness > > > > ourselves to be, but ultimately the two will become the same if our > > > > desire to be as we imagine is unwavering. Depending on the beliefs we > > > > gather throughout our life, our self-image can bring us success and > > > > happiness, or, on the other hand, failure and misery. But this image > > > > can change, if we start questioning our beliefs about our selves and > > > > our lives. When our belief system falls apart, we are ready to > > > > receive a greater truth, and resurrect belief, born anew with > > > > possibility. > > > > > What do YOU think?- Hide quoted text - > > > - Show quoted text - --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups ""Minds Eye"" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/Minds-Eye?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
