In the Bag household, summer ended with the youngest of our clan heading off to college, chasing her degree, and on a clear path to self-improvement. Mrs. Bag & myself were tickled to see her chosen class schedule heavy in the sciences, which should provide her with long-term advantages over much of her “liberal arts” generation. While milling around our now empty nest, Bag got to thinking about the various scientific disciplines and all the remarkable technological advances they have provided humanity in the last couple of centuries. It is truly mind-boggling if you think about it. In medicine, we have gone from treating the sick with Leeches to Heart transplants in about 200 years. In Physics, we have gone from Kittyhawk - to flying probes past Pluto in a little over a century. It was the science of mathematics (Ones & Zeroes) that gave the world digital circuitry, computers, and, of course, cell phones. The monumental advancements are undeniable in every scientific discipline you can name…..
Except one …..
PHILOSOPHY
How is it possible the great philosophers, since the time of Socrates, have devoted their lifetimes to the study of humanity and the mind itself and yet have failed to produce even a single solitary improvement of any kind for the common man? Bag cannot think of one achievement Philosophers can point to over the last 25 centuries and proudly say - we did that. NOT ONE. Meanwhile, every other scientific discipline, through the careful application of reason, facts, and evidence, is changing how we live with near blinding speed. Despite all of these technological advancements, mankind itself has never been more miserable. Hell, 65 million people in the US alone are on some kind of anti-depressant.
A 2500-year track record of utter failure could never happen randomly …. as the saying goes, even a blind squirrel occasionally finds an acorn. All of this means the continued inability of Philosophy to produce anything resembling a clear path toward widespread happiness has to be intentional. When you consider both motive & means, the only entity capable of squelching advancements would be the ruling class. With that in mind, let’s briefly consider a few of the all-time great philosophers pulled directly from the syllabus of a current-day Philosophy 101 class.
Socrates….
Ever since the Oracle of Delphi uttered his name, Socrates has been widely considered to be the father of Philosophy. The centerpiece of his philosophical contribution can be summed up in a single sentence: “There are NO absolutes.” In other words, right & wrong, good & evil - these things do not exist. As a consequence, there are exceptions to everything, and under the right circumstances, nearly anything can be justified. If you ask Bag, Socrates thought like this because it was the only way to rationalize having spent most of his adult life ass-fucking teenage boys - but I digress.
It’s easy to see why the ruling class has been liking/retweeting his posts for centuries. Without absolutes, the door swings open for those in power to create laws and exempt themselves. Thou shall not steal - except, of course, the STATE, who can tax steal whatever they want. Thou shalt not kill - except, of course, the STATE, who can bomb/invade/go to war with whomever they see fit. This double standard is how Congressmen end up with Cadillac healthcare plans, and we get Obamacare. The Pelosi’s of the world get rich trading on inside information, while us plebes go to jail for it. While history grants Socrates the lofty title of “father of philosophy,” Bag would argue it would be more accurate to call him the “father of hypocrisy.”
Buddha…..
If there were a Mount Rushmore of philosophy, he would be on it. Guy has been dead for 2,500 years, yet his beliefs are still taught today in every highly acclaimed college on the planet. Like Socrates, the core tenet of Buddha’s beliefs can also be summed up in one short sentence: “Life Is Suffering.” Buddha believed the only way to minimize suffering was to rid your life of desire. In other words, stop wanting things. He also strongly advocated the idea that your greatest tormenter was your greatest teacher.
Consider these ideas through the lens of the ruling class. In effect, they are telling the powerless their misery is not a product of tyranny, but rather, their misery is a normal part of life. Just accept the suffering and recognize the nobility in the ruling class. After all, they intend only to teach. If there exists a more direct method of spreading a slave mentality, Bag is unaware.
Plato ….
Another obvious choice for the Mount Rushmore of Philosophy. Plato’s most significant contribution to philosophy was the idea of a universal morality that existed on a higher plane, and, in true “Platonic” form, could not be seen, touched, or sensed by the common man. He argued that a select few could access this universal morality as needed, granting them the moral superiority to subjugate their fellow man. In other words, It was Plato who argued for the “Divine right” of the few to rule.
How convenient for the ruling class, there are only a select few with access to this higher plane. Plato himself claimed to be one of those. And yet, even with his privileged access to a higher morality - he promoted one of the greatest scourges in the history of humanity - Slavery. Plato (and Socrates) owned multiple slaves. In fact, Plato wrote extensively on how moral it is for the privileged few to be allowed to own other human beings.
Hobbes …..
He believed man’s natural state was to be at war. He argued the only chance at a peaceful life was to have a tyrannical ruling class, granted any power they needed, to lord over society - a “Leviathan,” he called it. Without the strong ruling force to keep the masses in line, society would descend into chaos, and man’s life would be - In his words: “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.”
Once again, we have an intellectual giant making a case for an ever more intrusive government, a totalitarian regime, to be exact. Just what the doctor ordered, for the powers that be. Meanwhile, for the common man, Hobbes argues the shackles be tightened.
When you consider how all these ideas SERVE THOSE IN POWER, it shouldn’t be a surprise there have been no scientific breakthroughs in philosophy. It is not just those listed above, either. Hegel, Kant, Sartre - it doesn’t matter - they are all championed as legendary thinkers because they could eloquently argue why the needs of the powerful few, should trump the needs of the powerless many. Even today, the few philosophers making a decent living are all on the government tit. Most of them are college professors, corrupting the minds of our young by singing the praises of Socrates, Plato, etc… In a genuine betrayal of humanity, they continue to push these guys as great thinkers, not because they are, but because that is what power wants.
Historically, few philosophers dared speak truth to power by arguing against the ideas above because it came with a steep price tag. In the days of Nietzche or Rand, it got you vilified and cast out of intellectual society. Nowadays, speaking truth to power is highly likely to get you unemployed, demonetized, deplatformed, shadow banned, and in more severe cases - ask Julian Assange - a Belmarsh prison cell. As bad as all that sounds, it is still better than how the powerful handled things 2000+ years ago. Back then, spouting off about things designed to help the common man … well … it got you nailed to a cross.
Well said, I truly enjoyed that.
Good one! Wasn’t it Camus who said the only real decision to be made in life is whether or not to kill yourself?