Introduction If one practices philosophy in some form or the other, how should one do it? What should one do? This question is as old as philosophy itself. Apart from dealing with problems like the nature of free will, the nature of mind, causation, the acquisition of knowledge, the existence of a supreme being, Being … [continue reading]
Author Archives: Otto Paans
The Blue Pill Without Amnesia–On the Philosophical Foundations of Political Correctness, Part 3.
PART 1 PART 2 6. Coercive Liberalism “We are condemned to be free” may have been a key slogan of Existentialism, but it is equally true of today’s liberalism. But at least, the existentialists viewed the human condition as absurd, since we had to experience the responsibility of freedom without ever being able to shake … [continue reading]
The Blue Pill Without Amnesia–On the Philosophical Foundations of Political Correctness, Part 2.
PART 1 4. Reversed Teleology I wish to draw attention to a different aspect of the “retrospective twist” I described in part I of this essay. As I indicated, this technique is applied by reading works of, for instance, Kant, with a contemporary mindset. It is easy to frame Kant as a bigot, racist and … [continue reading]
The Blue Pill Without Amnesia–On the Philosophical Foundations of Political Correctness, Part 1.
1. Introduction Nietzsche is well known for a terrifying thought experiment: if one night, a demon would visit you in a dream, and reveal to you that you would re-live your live again and again for all eternity, what would you do? Nietzsche’s initial hunch is that most people would wake up screaming, having glimpsed … [continue reading]
Lying in the Guise of Concern. A Democratic Tragedy in Three Acts and a Philosophical Epilogue
There are still people and herds somewhere, but not with us, my brothers: here there are states. The state? What is that? Well then! Now open your ears, for now I shall speak to you of the death of peoples. The state is the coldest of all cold monsters. Coldly it lies, too; and this … [continue reading]
The Analytic Self-Image. Thoughts on Style, Procedures, and Precision
Many essays, books and articles have been produced on the distinction between Analytic philosophy and Continental philosophy. Several recent installments in the long-running and seemingly never-ending Analytic vs. Continental debate have been posted here at APP: “Analytic” Philosophy vs. “Continental” Philosophy: Wtf? Why Does It Still Matter So Much? “Analytic” vs. “Continental” Philosophy Revisited. Which … [continue reading]
Five Theses About Real Philosophy, #1. An Attempt at Defining a Methodological Theory of Real Philosophy
I. Introduction Some time ago, one of APP’s readers asked how real philosophy as we define and practice it (two activities that are inextricably connected) is supposed to be different from other types of philosophy, and whether all philosophy that is not real philosophy should be regarded as “fake” or “inauthentic” philosophy.[i] To a certain … [continue reading]
Professional Philosophy’s Failed Revolution. Reflections on Intellectual Dictatorship, Instrumental Reason, and Neo-Fascism
The German-Jewish philosopher Walter Benjamin is often credited with the statement “behind every fascism is a failed revolution.” Allegedly, Benjamin made this statement in his essay Theories of German Fascism: On the Collection of Essays War and Warrior, edited by Ernst Jünger, and was originally published in 1930. Although the sentence seems not to be … [continue reading]
Institutional Amnesia: Modernity, Philosophical Professionalism, and the Practice of Forced Forgetfulness.
Actually, as Winston well knew, it was only four years since Oceania had been at war with Eastasia and in alliance with Eurasia. But that was merely a piece of furtive knowledge which he happened to possess because his memory was not satisfactorily under control. Officially the change of partners never happened. Oceania was at … [continue reading]
Nudging as Smiley-Faced Coercion: The Systematic Obstruction of Enlightenment.
They just took your natural impulses and desires and they pushed them, reinforced them, so you acted quite naturally, only you acted in the ways that they wanted. The Marquis began to wonder if he had ever met this person before, and was trying to remember exactly where, when he was tapped gently on the … [continue reading]