Perfectibilism · Theosophy · Republicanism in History · American & U.S. Politics · Arts & Culture | “The health of the people should be the supreme law” — Cicero
Tsu-li announces to king Zhou-xin (the last emperor of Shang dynasty), that Heaven has abandoned him, because of his dissolute way. “Heaven is bringing an end to the Mandate of our dynasty. (…) It is not that the former kings do not aid us, but by your dissoluteness and sport you bring on the end … Continue reading “Heaven has cast us off” – Tsu-li to King Zhou of Shang in the Shujing
Jonathan Haidt speaking at Intelligence² event “The Rise of Populism and the Backlash against the Elites.” Jonathan Haidt is a social psychologist and Professor of Ethical Leadership at New York University’s Stern School of Business. His academic specialization is the psychology of morality and the moral emotions. He is author of The Righteous Mind: Why … Continue reading The Psychology behind Globalism, Nationalism & Political Tribalism – Jonathan Haidt | Intelligence²
“No class or group or party in Germany could escape its share of responsibility for the abandonment of the democratic Republic and the advent of Adolf Hitler. The cardinal error of the Germans who opposed Nazism was their failure to unite against it.” (William L. Shirer, The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich) German Army … Continue reading How Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party won Germany and Tactics used to Censor Press in a Totalitarian State, William L. Shirer
In a return to a state of political apathy I read A Rant on Classics and Politics from a classicist. Chi K’ang Tzu asked Confucius about government. The Master replied, “If you desire what is good, the people will be good. The character of a ruler is like wind and that of the people is like grass. … Continue reading Rant on Classics and Politics || SENTENTIAE ANTIQUAE and a THEOSOPHIST
Blavatsky interest in Italian Politics, and the Carbonari It is not enough to study history, but to make history, and the movers of history is a function we take interest in. The subject of the relation between Secret Societies, Politics and Theosophy is a fascinating side of history, and the thing is, while we are … Continue reading H.P. Blavatsky involvement in Italian Politics with Garibaldi and Mazzini, and the Carbonari’s Role in the Republican Revolutions
A great conversation with reflection Achin Vanaik (“The Rise of Hindu Authoritarianism”) and Vivek Chibber (“Postcolonial Theory and the Specter of Capital”) discuss new forms of authoritarianism and nationalism in the age of Modi, Putin, Erdogan, and Trump. The discussion was moderated by Amber A’Lee Frost (“Current Affairs” and “Chapo Trap House”) at Verso Books … Continue reading Why Trump Is Not a Fascist: A Conversation with Vivek Chibber and Achin Vanaik
The value of our idea is presented much better by Gordon S. Wood. Republicanism, we learn, was not an underground ideology, merely confined to European culture. It was an important current, that blended and mingled with the monarchical mainstream. To be a liberal in the eighteenth-century, or to be enlightened, was to be a lover … Continue reading Gordon S. Wood on Republicanism and Monarchy in the Eighteenth-Century
Russian, Helena P. Blavatsky was very enthused about becoming a U.S. citizen, and saw hope in the young republic. This shows, that the original Theos. Soc. (New York, 1875) was modeled upon the republican idea. This brings up issues about transparency with its contemporaries: “Born in the United States, the Society was constituted in the … Continue reading New York-Born Theosophical Society, modeled on Republicanism and the U.S. Constitution | Helena Blavatsky
Jordan Peterson asks Matt Dillahunty in their debate, or dialogue, why don’t atheists contend with the major philosophical and theological sources. He gives an expected answer, which instead of pouting about, should be listened to, regarding evidence of the supernatural. Matt Dillahunty to Jordan Peterson: “I think this gets basically to the same point I … Continue reading Matt Dillahunty to Jordan Peterson: “Science can’t confirm the supernatural”
“But you know, as any man who has read history, that patriots may burst their hearts in vain if circumstances are against them. Sometimes it has happened that no human power, not even the force and fury of the loftiest patriotism, has been able to bend an iron destiny aside from its fixed course, and … Continue reading William Q. Judge on Patriotism and a Nation’s Death: ‘Patriots, in vain…’
