Robert interviews author, John C.A. Manley about his latest book All the Humans Are Sleeping. Here’s what Robert and Bob had to say about it:
“Once again, John C.A. Manley has created a masterpiece. The narrative transcends his story’s plot, infusing insights and observations about some of the most fundamental issues that have faced mankind throughout history.” —Bob Metz
“In All the Humans Are Sleeping,John C.A. Manley skillfully crafts a compelling post-apocalyptic psychological drama where a man faces his ultimate challenge: follow the rest of humanity into a life of shallow fantasies and comfortable lies, or face death in a harsh and unforgiving world devoid of love and hope. And then there’s the robot… You won’t predict the ending, and you won’t be able to put it down.” —Robert Vaughan
Comments Off on 887 – You be the judge—from entity to identity | Paul McKeever
Nov202024
Whether acknowledged or not, every individual has a philosophy, leaving open only the question of how well that philosophy is understood.
At a time when so many people are unable to determine even their own identity (whether based on gender, sexual, political, racial, social, religious grounds, etc.) let alone the nature of the world around them, the dystopian consequences of popular philosophy’s shortcomings have become embarrassingly evident. However, the causes are not so evident because they relate to a failure to properly identify the very nature of things that exist – entities.
The solution to this dilemma, explains our guest Paul McKeever, is to consider the ‘identity’ of any ‘entity’ from a ‘first person’ perspective, not from a ‘third-person’ perspective based on some relationship with the entity in question. If all this seems rather abstract, it is, but the ‘first person’ perspective resolves a fundamental error made by philosophers throughout the ages.
In his monumental work, “Judge: Philosophy and Freedom in the First Person,” Paul meticulously examines thirteen classic philosophical problems, offering solutions with such lucidity that there remains no justification for their continued discussion as credible issues. Written over a period of ten years, it is the product of a philosophical examination never before undertaken.
‘Judge’ presents both a challenge and a clarity to many long-held philosophical concepts including, among others, free will, induction, causation, perspective, relation, entity, identity, change, autonomy, and freedom itself.
In the field of philosophy there are four essential categories affecting how and what choices people make. Metaphysics and epistemology describe ‘what is.’ Morality and politics describe ‘what ought’ to be. But if one’s moral and political actions are based on a false conception of ‘what is,’ then a dystopian unreality becomes a natural consequence of the error. Hence, the importance of being able to correctly identify the reality within which one acts.
In an age of ‘identity politics,’ it’s surprising how little the concept of ‘identity’ is actually understood. For that shortcoming, we can blame the philosophers throughout the ages who never got it Just Right.
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For many, philosophy has devolved into an exercise where errors in reasoning, logic, and definitions are layered upon one another, resulting in the field becoming a subject of mockery among the general populace. Imagine if foundational sciences like physics, chemistry, or mathematics had clung to their initial mistakes; we might never have seen the advent of computers or advancements in medicine, and basic arithmetic could still be in dispute.
To rejuvenate the importance of philosophy, we need to pinpoint and resolve its historical puzzles and paradoxes, effectively consigning them to obsolescence.
In his work, “Judge: Philosophy and Freedom in the First Person,” Paul McKeever meticulously examines twelve classic philosophical problems, offering solutions with such lucidity that there remains no justification for their continued discussion as credible issues.
“Judge” distinguishes itself as a work of deep insight, crucial not just for academic scholars but for anyone intrigued by the exploration of human nature, our connection to reality, and our interactions with others. In a very novel way, it provides one with an understanding of reality, perception, identity, logical reasoning, ethical principles, and the fundamental aspects of individual freedom.
However, there’s no need to take our word for this assessment. In keeping with the theme of McKeever’s work, you be the judge.
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Comments Off on 872 – From Marx to Jefferson—Epicurious about Epicurus
Aug072024
When a philosopher has been said to influence everyone from Karl Marx to Thomas Jefferson, it bears taking note, particularly given the polarized political zeitgeist in which we currently find ourselves. One such philosopher was Epicurus (341-270 BC), perhaps best known as an advocate of ‘the simple life’ as the path to happiness.
So naturally, we became ‘epi-curious’ about Epicurus given that the right to the ‘pursuit of happiness’ is a founding principle of a free society. What we discovered was that ‘happiness’ itself is an incredibly polarized concept, a polarization that can also be seen in terms of the political Left and Right. This perhaps partially accounts for the differing narratives and interpretations regarding Epicurus’ history and philosophy.
For example, given the contrast between the motivations of Karl Marx and Thomas Jefferson, it should not be surprising that each interpreted the philosophy of Epicurus in equally contrasting ways. Were Epicurus alive today, how he himself might have viewed their Epicurean narratives is certainly a subject open to discussion.
According to one source regarding the Greek philosopher: “Epicurus promoted the following worldview: the universe is made of atoms and void and subject to the laws of physics without divine intervention. The world can be understood through an empiricist epistemology, and pleasure, pursued intelligently and ethically, is the goal of life.”Continue reading »
Comments Off on 845 – Politics is simple—it’s just not easy
Feb012024
The spectacle of thousands of political protesters gathering to “fight tyranny” without having a clue as to how this might be done can only lead to continued tyranny ahead. Though accomplished and expert in their own fields of discipline – whether medicine, law, education, journalism, etc. – most of the leading voices in the “freedom movement” are clueless when it comes to the politics of freedom.
It’s one thing to be able to identify the political condition (tyranny) you’re running ‘from,’ it is quite another to identify the political condition (freedom) you must move ‘towards.’ Calls for ‘unity’ or ‘solidarity’ or for ‘political separation,’ or for ‘creating a republic’ or for ‘changing the electoral system’ are not calls for establishing a free society. They are desperate aimless propositions that amount to a clear admission that the protesters really don’t know what must be done.
This is completely understandable. Most people pay no attention to politics until it is too late. Fortunately, one group that has discovered the fundamental principles necessary to the advancement of individual freedom is the Freedom Party of Ontario, established on January 1, 1984.
A brief review of the party’s myriad of successes in changing and affecting the laws of Ontario makes two things clear: (1) that winning individual battles against the deep state and the political parties of the day is doable, if one employs the proper principles and tactics, and (2) that Canada’s tyranny today is no different than it has been for the past half century and longer. In every respect, municipal, federal and provincial governments in Canada were as abusive of their power and authority in the 1980s as they are today.
Protesting against tyranny and oppression certainly has some limited value. But preventing the next wave of tyranny and oppression demands a political discipline currently not seen in the political arena – one ‘for’ freedom, not merely ‘against’ the latest manifestations of state injustice.
The war for freedom can only be won by those who understand and act on the singular set of freedom based principles that are Just Right.
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Comments Off on 843 – The missionary position—on sex, politics, and religion
Jan182024
“We’re far more divided than we thought – between people who see freedom as God defines it and those who see freedom as they define it.” So declared one Christian spokesman regarding the current “freedom alliance” on the Right.
Surprisingly, his concern was primarily based on differing sexual attitudes and lifestyles: “God created marriage for one man and one woman, for life, and any sex outside of that is a sin and against nature.”
While this choice of lifestyle is perfectly legitimate for those who choose to adopt it, turning it in to a point of division between those who differ is tragically self-defeating. It is as if to argue that no political alliance is possible unless everyone in that alliance uses the missionary position. This is a complete non sequitur in the greater war on tyranny, where the only consensus required for alliance is the acceptance of individual freedom.
Different attitudes on sexuality are unnecessarily divisive when brought into any political sphere or arena. By sexuality in this context we mean disagreements over consentual lifestyle choices, not on the tyranny of gender politics.
Thanks to gender identity politics, sexuality has become yet another area of disagreement and division. But gender politics is not about sex or about sexuality. It is about creating division and conflict in the political arena.
It’s unfortunate that some in the religious community are using their own personal sexual beliefs to create further division. Complete unanimity between differing religious groups, faiths and those who profess no specific religious views is not a necessity in the broader war against the current tyranny.
The current “freedom alliance” need not be threatened from within. All it takes to keep it intact is a consensus of freedom that is Just Right for everyone.
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“When you’re dead, you don’t know you’re dead. The pain is felt by others. The same thing happens when you’re stupid.” And to explicitly conclude the thought of that popular meme: “When you’re stupid and you don’t know it, the pain is felt by others.”
The truth of that statement strikes at the heart of what was experienced in Nazi Germany, thanks to the seemingly willing support that so many German people gave to Hitler. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German Lutheran pastor theologian and anti-Nazi dissident, believed that this was a not a consequence of malice, but of widespread stupidity.
While in a German prison during the Hitler years, he formulated a theory arguing that we must seek to understand the nature of stupidity as stupidity is not an intellectual defect, but a moral one. Stupidity, therefore, is a much more dangerous enemy than malice because one can expose malice and argue against it and even use force to stop it, but this is not possible when dealing with stupidity.
One has but to look at all of the utterly stupid ideas and causes (and quite demonstrably so) being supported in today’s zeitgeist. From Covid to climate change, these stupid fictions continue to be believed by a significant number of people who, as a result, become a danger not only to others but to themselves as well. But having chosen to be stupid, they are oblivious to this reality.
Moreover, this phenomenon of stupidity, observed Bonhoeffer, is most predominant among people living in groups and collectives, and very rare in independent individuals or those who generally live alone. This suggests a strong psychological force at play, and goes a long way towards explaining why the collectivist Left (communism/socialism/fascism) promotes so many genuinely stupid and immoral ideas, policies and ideologies.
Upon a review of the evidence, it would appear that Bonhoeffer’s theory that stupidity is a moral defect turns out to be Just Right.
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