On authority.
Since this mainly is a Philosophical Site,
it is possible - almost to the brink of necessity - to have a another opinion,
than the ones presented here... The mark of philosophy, almost the very essence
of it, is, that it is possible and admissable to have a reverse, or another,
opinion, or, thus ... - in very rare and special cases - no opinion at all
!
The art - and paradox - of monologue, though
- around which much of the content of this site is centered - is to carry
something beyond any reasonable doubt, while you yourself - being the producer
of the Monologue - are , as well as the listener-reader, in continuous doubt.
We are living in an era where the very advantage of doubt is something almost completely overlooked and forgotten. Most people who are telling us that they are in doubt are not in doubt at all. They just do not care about what is at stake. It is interesting - as well as perplexing - to live in a world who never before has been in such an urgent need of this free-ware.
Once upon a time it was called a "method".( Descartes.)It is no method. And once it was asked :"But for how long shall I doubt?". Doubt is a state of constant disbelief and length really is no problem, since doubt never have lasted longer than stupidity.( ? ) Unfortunately stupidity leads.
Stupidity seems to have an almost eternal life among human
beings.
If this was not the case, the world would be a very nice place.
The most important truth -
apart from this - is, as I am seeing it: No one on this planet -
or any other - is an authority.
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The most important advise I might give - if advises are not out
of place here - to anybody is ( the kierkegaardian )
: Always treat yourself as a potential liar !
It is important to try to define hindrances,
obstacles, lest one wants to live a life in ignorance , and be a subject
to the opinion that life is a mystery, and thus simply a mystery and a simple
mystery, opinions which can lead to serfdom and real misery, opinions that
frequently are used - as we all know - by dark forces all around. Thus,
being able to acknowledge and recognize and distinguish these hindrances
and obstacles, that - for instance - doubt always is optionally linked to
the problem of self reference as well as self reference is optionally linked
to doubt, if we do not admit that this is the case, the human condition
will inevitably seem wholly mysterious... ; and: the more mysterious the
human condition seems to us, ( or the more simple and self evident.... )
, the more subject to human greed, folly and pretention and corruption we
will become.
To renounce certain philosophy is an important task to the philosopher:
"You have to condemn as guilty of as
stupid and heretic curiosity all those people who try to prove a priori
God to be very good and very large. Because this is no less than making
the God out of God, to deny the God, who you are in search for."
(Giambattista Vico. (1685-1744 ) from De l´antique
sagesse, Of the ancient wisdom, Chapt. III. ) You might very well assert
that philosophy as a whole nearly by definition is a Mon. 1. , or a kind
of Mon. 1. , ( ...this concept is explained in my Monologue on the monologue
- on this site... ) in so far as it is in pursuit, pursuing, a point only
vaguely fancied, a Point vaguely constructed, and since philosophy - indeed
- is very fond of the way wards, of going astray a bit …. - the small path
leading of the main road and sometimes back alongside the original road
in order to catch up a little later - in short - it's inclinations towards
the iterative reflection, the reduplication, the loop…, and the very useful:
"Let us see what we were just trying to say!" or: " Did we really say something
now ?" after a misological road accident, after finding ourselves more or
less stuck in the ditch by the main road ….
People in general are very fast learners,
- the capacity of learning is with ordinary people quite amazing - … This
is actually ( persuasive word! ) one of the main threats to mankind. And
it is certainly one of the main ( fortunate) causes of the existence of
philosophy.
People tend to learn everything and anything , and in learning about this
and that, they think that most of what they have learnt is … the truth.
It is - I am both glad and sorry to point out - very seldom the case. Most
of what they have learnt is what other people have wanted them to learn.
That is why monologism is a necessity....
( The meaning of philosophy :
No one is an authority but you yourself.
( The famous and courageous British philosopher John Locke
- and Immanuel Kant ( authorities
! = ironies, i.e. the ironies of authority ... ) too - had a similar
message in their days ... ) Having knowledge about a technicality does not
make a person an intellectual authority ! It makes him what he is: a knower
of a technicality.(ie. p = p ) How much suffering and injustice we all could
avoid , if we all believed in and acted according to this simple truth :
There are absolutely no authorities, have never existed any, ... and will
never be !!
The second is even an empirical fact. Think of any historical person ( a
former "authority" ) and look up ! What happened with him ? What did he
cause ? Would you have trusted him or her today? Never ! Ever !...simple
induction, inference and extrapolation.
The idea of the "authority" is always a means
for people to oppress others. Do not get fooled ! Authorities have never
and will never be of any use to mankind ! And they are certainly dangerous,
- especially for YOU ! ( And the worst are the intellectual political and
religious authorities. They have knowledge about absolutely zero.
But you all know that ? Don´t you? .... ) An authority has only the power
who is given to him or her by ignorant people. Just deny , deny everyone
this power ! Save your appreciation for tourself ! As Cervantes´
Sancho Panza said it:" I am my own master and my own slave!", while he took
care of Don Quixote, - or - as Kafka once put it , in cleverly displaying
an ethical dilemma , - destroyed the life of Don Quixote.
The most important thing here is though, that this absolutely does not
mean , that one has to be an anarchist at all ... on the very contrary:
you could be a good democrat and a non-believer in authorities as well.
( Anarchism is dangerous nonsense. Cf. M. Stirner.
) And - furthermore - it is probably even so, that you could never be a
real good intellectual democrat if you have authorities ! This is - I think
, yes, it is my humble opinion - the meaning of philosophy, i.e. the "science"
of doubt,( ! ) in the most aburd of the most absurd predicaments, speaking
out very loudly from the corner of the most intense intellectual doubt.
)
Cool people are naturally - by birth - boring. I am uncool. I would
not insist on not being boring,because I do not want to be admired. I do
not admire people who admire others. There is a tendency among people to
admire a bit too much. In fact I do not think one should have any idols
or heroes or so. It would be childish. And to admire another person, why
? The best thing for a human soul is to either appreciate or to love another
person. And I also am very suspiscious towards people who think that there
exists authorities.
Thus: There are no authorities, and I am one of them. There are none, have never been and will never be! This is partly an empirical fact.
And : People learn a lot.
Most people are fast learners, but very few people do understand things. ( "Understanding and understanding are two different things."S. Kierkegaard.) I do not think people understand much at all. No, people are ignorant. And it is not their fault. The best thing a human being can hope for is to be ignorant in a charming way. This will not save the world - but nothing can save the world anyway.( See above!) We would all have a real nice time if we all agreed in all this. Naturally I am wrong. ( See above!) But I have a feeling that this world would be a better place if everybody wrote these words on their walls at home. I am thankful for having been able to speak up. My best to you! Do not believe me! Or any other person. But, please, appreciate me anyway !
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K.G.