I am currently reading Hoffer- books left "behind" by my ex while he has my copy of the libretto of "Tristan and Isolde" and Goethe's " The Sorrows of Young Werther", etc. Quite amusing, at this point, as he was a staunch Republican and I, an artsy type back in the 70's- perhaps we were trying on each others "shoes". The Hoffer books are "The True Believer", "The Passionate State of Mind" and "The Ordeal of Change" and I find "Believer" right on the mark re today's various protests- if one can truly call them that.
By "manners", do you mean ettiquette? I think the function of both is to prevent humans from ripping each other apart- literally- and provide "space" to navigate society. The competition among humans is fierce and that's the myth of liberty/ democracy- since groups/ideologies are safer than independence and individuality. "Faith in a holy cause is to a considerable extent a substitute for the lost faith in ourselves."//The less justified a man is in claiming excellence for his own self, the more ready is he to claim all excellence for his nation, his religion, his race or holy cause."// "A man is likely to mind his own business when it is worth minding."//"The burning conviction that we have a holy duty toward others is often a way of attaching our drowning selves to passing raft. What looks like giving a hand is often a holding on for dear life. Take away our holy duties and you leave our lives puny and meaningless. There is no doubt that in exchanging a self-centered for a selfless life we gain enormously in self-esteem. The vanity of the selfless even those who practice utmost humility, is boundless."// from "The True Believer"- Eric Hoffer Beyond these early quotes, I am reminded over and over again of Obama's style and appeal to the masses. Some things never change. On Oct 10, 6:24 pm, archytas <[email protected]> wrote: > I'm always rather saddened when you bring up something like this rigsy > - only because our UK newspapers are so unlikely too. Civilisation > and Its Discontents is a key volume in my subject area, through > Melanie Klein and the Tavistock School. I tend to the view of Freud > in the eloquent link, though there was madness in his practice. My > own stuff tends towards the way 'manners' prevent a transparency of > interests (Elias, Veblen) and how much intellectual effort is wasted > in this. It's pretty obvious that the material could be a very small > part of human existence if we weren't in such competition in it. > > On Oct 10, 7:03 pm, "[email protected]" <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > >http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/10/09/freud-as-philosopher > > > A lively essay, I felt, explained some conservative views well- on > > repression and self-restraint, ambivalence, emotional unawareness. > > Cheer up! He feels the "good life" consists of love and work- and I > > agree. > > > Among works of Freud offered in one of my courses are "The Future of > > an Illusion" (religion and tradition) and "Civilization and Its > > Discontents" (individual vs. society). Perhaps others would like to > > discuss these books- very slim books but "meaty". > > > Or we could delve into some Eric Hoffer?Or get carried away with > > Lenin's "State and Revolution"?- Hide quoted text - > > - Show quoted text -
