Monday, July 23, 2012

Pragmatism and Alternatives

I read an article about pragmatism and dogmatism recently and it was a great article but it was also discouraging. I agree that in order to get things done through the "proper channels"one must be pragmatic. If pragmatism leads to a sacrifice in principles you are no longer in the realm of responsible pragmatism. I guess the thing I like to think I am would be neither. I strive to be diplomatic in my urgings for others to see things my way. Using diplomacy as a way to sway public opinion is one of the oldest tricks in the book (a little newer than the chain gang method quite possibly). If your argument cannot be justified or rationalized in a way someone with opposing views would understand then it is possible that both parties would have to agree to disagree. But this is not the ending. If someone were to come to me and tell me diplomatically that Gary Johnson is the guy to go for then I would remember the person's arguments even after I may or may not disagree with them. These things can be revisited within one's mind to pursue a new perspective of "truth". This particular situation has yet to occur but I am sure one day someone will feel the need to get me on their Johnson bandwagon (smirk).

Recently I have been bombarded with projects, activism and events. I find myself staying behind. This is not because I have no intention of doing these things but it is because of the consequences of these actions that could spiral out of control. I am a proponent for civil disobedience and a voluntary society. These ideals are rooted deeply in my understanding of how the social structure can work. Regardless of what the state or corporations do to each other or how one person vexes another in society, it is still voluntary. People use the term force and coercion to replace what is really happening. In reality, no person or entity can take choice away from you. Dealing with day to day obstacles in a responsible way will define your future. If you want to be a purist and live off the grid in something that I would refer to as Utopia, that is amazing. By doing this you are making all of these concerns of force and coercion illegitimate. Frankly, that is the only way to rid ourselves of the insanity that surrounds us. Until then, however, responsibility and diplomacy is the route with less nails in the road. I cannot say I am frightened of uber activism and its consequences, I wasn't when I was active duty and I will not be now. I will say that I feel my talents should not be discarded and left to rot in some cage because I wouldn't show id for a pack of cigarettes or throw away a perfectly good half full bottle of Merlot instead of putting it in my trunk to enjoy when I get home. I guess what I am really saying is pick your battles. This is not a battle or even a war, this is an epidemic. The state puts a gun to your head in order for you to stay docile and dependent. If a woman were being brutally beaten by her husband for decades would she leave immediately to never return (not usually)? This is what society is. It is beaten and brutalized by it's "owners". But if we fight back, we are dead and so what is the point of all this?

I realize that life will never be perfect while being governed, and perhaps one day human civilization will have evolved to the point that it is able to exist peacefully with voluntary interactions. But this is not possible yet. Every person who kills or uses violence as a means to an end has something within in them driving them to be this way. Some call them sociopaths. I do believe advances in science will one day be able to explain what this is within the gray matter or the frontal lobe or even our DNA that could cause such invasive behavior. This kind of animal nature of humans could either be evolved out of human nature or get worse. Darwin said that if you don't use it you lose it (I'm paraphrasing). In Evolution if there are parts of the mind or body not being used it becomes unnecessary for evolution. I guess the only we can evolve passed being owned and beaten is if more and more people agree that this is no longer the way. Aggression seems to be called a human instinct. But what about our ability to reason? I would call that a trump card.


1 comment:

Anonymous said...

While not specifically mentioned in this very interesting blog post, did you know that the term ‘human instinct’ has been used less and less over the years because the text book definition is no longer applicable to humans, because (in my very humble opinion) unlike animals, greed, society in general, other external influences (being governed), mental illness, or whatever else we want to blame it on has enabled (conditioned?) in humans the ability to override our ‘gut’ instincts?

Basic, as it was once thought in the very distant past, human instinct would ideally keep one human from harming another, do the right thing, etc., but alas, in a perfect world we do not live; no human being ever has lived; and undoubtedly, no human being ever will live.