Existentialism Philosophy






Alienation Inevitability
 

In a world where estrangement is prevalent, it is not unusual that the forces of cultural socialization will preach a doctrine that rejects the reality of this common condition. Refusal to acknowledge the systemic occurrence of social alienation is the sign of the success that conditioning has achieved. Institutions, organizations and bureaucratic organisms all share a mutual root tenet - they are the embodiment of the social order. If one is to believe in their correctness, then conflict should be minimal. Just look around, the planet is hardly a friendly social environment. Maybe, all is not well in paradise . . .

The typical person avoids philosophical inquiry, not due to it’s difficulty in comprehension, but because it requires self reflection. Since it is easier to accept the cultural creed - conform and cooperate - becomes the normal course for conduct. Yet, turmoil is rampant and individuals are detached from the whole, as they go through the motives of belonging.

Serious subjects can be explained in clear terms. Any mystery need not be in the analysis, even when it applies to sober topics. So excuses to dodge the ascetic pursuit, may reinforce a false comfort of ignorance, but it can never justify an earnest esteem for your own self. Dignity requires honesty. Political allegiance demands truth of a cause. Philosophy and religion are not irrelevant, even when some experience discomfort in their respected substance.

The insights of Karl Barth speaks to a universal theme of life. Arguments based upon a religious context, frequently are ignored or dismissed, based upon the orientation or attitude that is brought to the thesis. Citing scripture has little weight with the non believer. Even with the faithful, such methods are usually unconvincing. When Barth faces the nature of man, his Existential convictions demonstrate a theological view of our condition. Karl Barth stated: "Sin is man as we now know him." This assessment from, Man In Adam And In Christ, by Arthur Custance sets the context: “ And all that we know of history forces us to assent to his judgment. So deeply ingrained is this natural bent for destruction of himself and society that we have to conclude with Augustine that man was free to choose to do either good or evil until he fell, thereafter he had freedom only to choose the kind of evil he would do.”

Theodicy, a vindication of divine justice in the face of the existence of evil, can be problematic. “Sin is "detrimental", and harmful to the extent of disturbing, injuring and destroying "the creature and its nature" (CD, III.3, 310). Barth speaks of it as a "denaturalizing" and "self-alienation" (Barth, 1981, 213).” Barth sees evil being, “sin as the enemy, and that sin best named as the evil action of pride (IV.1), the evil inaction of sloth (IV.2), and falsehood (IV.3).”

From, Barth’s Moral Theology: Human Action in Barth’s Thought, by J Webster, we get this summary: “Barth’s theology takes with great seriousness the command for rebellion against sin: the defeat of sin is not merely a vicarious achievement, passively received from the hands of an omnipotent Lord, but a summons to us to recover our agency and assume the liberty in which we stand. (Webster, 1998, 76) What we obtain from Barth is a call to arms to seek and overcome a corrupt nature, while fighting a battle that always is imperfect.

The alienation that we all endure may be unconscious to the uninformed, but it is present in every social experience. The disaffection may not seem obvious in the gregarious, but the actions of the individuals trump the style of the appearance. Some critics of the Karl Barth sagacity stresses "angst" - a feeling of anxiety that seems to pervade an irrational world, absent of absolutes. Critiques from Jon Zens: “When applied to the discipline of theology, the exegesis of Scripture and content of faith ultimately arise out of an existential foundation "derived from the tradition of secular thought", fail to understand that all thought is non-religious, even when conclusions accept a divine hand. Believers arrive at their trust, beyond thought, through Kierkegaard’s “Leap of Faith”. Basing a social system on pedantic dogma is just as absurd as a society ruled by absolute moral relativism.

Any and all viewpoints must become internalized before they are willingly recognized. While truth exists as an external reality, our personal consciousness is the vehicle we use to reach that destination. Our modern world has committed the global sin of arrogance, as society buried God as the source of our existence. Animosity is a direct result of rejecting a permanent purpose. Since individualism is an inescapable uniqueness, relativists reason that ethical behavior evolves to accommodate the circumstance. Society arbitrates the inevitable conflicts, with the “common good” being the favored standard to achieve. Thus, sin is the worst of all possible concepts, it must be relegated to the trash bin of burnt ashes.

Intuition beats our brains telling that this way is NOT SO . . . The enmity that people exhibit is directly just as much on ourselves and to those that irritate and annoy. No placebo brings relief or provides a remedy, but often wears the vespers for the dead. The deceased still walk and talk, but have no life within their souls. The alienation continues, because hubris grows. Evil is explained away as a fault in others, as denial in our own nature increases. The secular society becomes more ludicrous, as the political establishment institutionalizes corruption and perfects depravity. All the time we are told we should be happy.

Does this way of life make sense? If you are sane, you must acknowledge the alienation. The Existential Theologian accepts reality, while operating under faith. That essence is a hard swallow for some, while others are able to embrace the expectation. A Christian Existentialist believes in a revealed HOPE. His alienation is temporal and temporary. The skeptic may be an agnostic, and a work in progress. But the atheist is a relativist of the highest order. The ultimate evil results of a political system based upon such a philosophy is the supreme inevitability.

SARTRE - July 20, 2003


posted by SARTRE at 7/20/2003 | (0) comments


Solitary Purdah - The politics of the individual
 

Politics, while essential to human interaction, is seldom properly understood. Those who practice the art of the craft, often claim the title politician. As they slant their rhetoric to appeal and tap into the fears or dreams of citizens, substance in purpose and solutions rarely brings relief. The outcry for the good of society is heard with each utterance that offers a seductive optimism, while corrupts mankind with the distortions of a failed structure, based upon a false maxim. Solitary Purdah is the individual in a state of social isolation. It is a way of thinking that breaks the restraints of current convention and restores the wisdom of the ages to the proper balance.

Philosophy of politics is ignored or avoided by the officeholder. The office seekers deal in emotions and make promises of help. They want you to accept them as public servants, and to forget who they serve. The society they fashion is one that depicts a condition known as - PURDAH - a state of social isolation. Each resident is told they are a citizen of an ideal conception, known as the State. Politicos tell inhabitants they are part of a nation and have a noble mission in life, demystified into the function of a taxpayer. Every person is trained that they are empowered with a vote, so that they can select leaders that will work for them. Then, these same balloters are instructed that they are constituents of the elected and that their voice counts.

E Pluribus Unum - Out of Many One - became the Great Seal of the United States. This national emblem sounds sweet, inspires faith and invokes fidelity. But is it a valid idea that deserves acceptance? The - SOLITARY - of each individual, simply means that we are all alone. This axiom of existence eludes most people for they desperately want to believe their pedagogues that we are all social creatures. We are supposed to accept that community is natural and that society is inescapable. Thus, the need for government and that pinnacle of all human achievement - the supremacy of the STATE.

So each person is presented with a conundrum. Since every human is an individual, how can they become one with an abstract entity that emerges and behaves as their master? Solitary Purdah will explore this age old relationship. These tracts will put forth the case for a culture that envisions the ultimate purpose for a society; namely, Liberty of the individual. The vast distinction between unbridled personal freedom and definitive moral responsibility is central to an awareness of how one acts and what functions a government employs.

While ideology matters, discernment between and among varied forms of political organization, requires answering the proper inquiries. Subsequently, most confusion stems from never addressing the correct questions. The social isolation that is systemic in the technocratic postmodern age, is not an accident. The solitude that befalls the citizen transforms them into a denizen transplant, in an environment that becomes nearly unrecognizable. This kind of “Purdah” separation does not solely conform to screen the genders or keep out strangers. No, it produces an alienation and disaffection within the fabric of society that expects conformity and demands compliance as the decisive tests of national loyalty. Estrangement summons governments to respond with more odious requirements.

So how can a society that celebrates diversity as a religious dogma, coexist with so many conflicting factions? Most of the social problems of the last half century stem from an impaired aspiration to force a square peg through a round hole. Consequently, turmoil increases while contentment diminishes. If this misfortune was simply a byproduct of a complex commonwealth, ingenuity would offer prospects for solutions. However, the reality of realizing meaningful result and pragmatic answers, eludes discovery. The lauded homogenous mixture of dissimilar elements produces a combustible solvent. But there is no remedy to extinguish a fire that threatens to spread and become an inferno.

Can more of the same from government perfect the individual? Or must each human being give up more of their uniqueness to satisfy the requirements of social order? As long as people deny their own dignity and subordinate their genuine self interest for a substitute and flawed fraternal altruism, society will continue to deteriorate. The ‘pols’ of policy will preach a message of inclusion, while their approach produces an outcome of malaise that ends in despair.

The theme of Solitary Purdah has a focus that examines the fundamental conflict between the individual and the State. Our advocacy defends the person and condemns the coercion that all governments exalt. The political game has not changed over time. Grabbing power to impose obedience upon citizens, under the threat of force, is the business of government. It is a sinister practice of people control. Tragically, the public has a bad habit of denial and immediate gratification. They reject their unique worth and refuse to accept that the State is the enemy. Social isolation is inevitable, when society is predominant over the individual. If you crave to know yourself and your specific role in society, learn the lesson of Solitary Purdah.

SARTRE - July 4, 2003


posted by SARTRE at 7/04/2003 | (0) comments


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Solitary Purdah
 

Visit the newest BATR site, where you will find the reasons for the individual in a state of social isolation.

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