Could it be said, the Athenian interest in arte and individualism is the opposite of Hegal and "the state is God". Hegel and Sparta are a good match, and for sure, Sparta was not about individual liberty. Democracy in the US is about individual liberty, but without also being about arte and democracy we are advancing anarchy instead of democracy. The US has dropped the Greek philosophy in favor of German philosophy and Nietzsche's superman has become a problem along with Trumpism and favoring authoritarianism. — Athena
Ultimately, I try to be open, and non judgemental of anyone's ideas, and I keep an ongoing open understanding of any new ideas which I encounter. — Jack Cummins
Attack the thoughts, not the person. — Athena
...neither is it possible to discover the more remote and deeper parts of any science, if you stand but upon the level of the same science, and ascend not to a higher science
I think Hegel needs to be taken in the right historical context. His "statism" was a reaction to the French Revolution that promoted individualism which many saw as leading to anarchy and chaos. The Germans were different from the French, they preferred stability, law and order to the unbridled idealism and individualism of the French. Plus, they had no choice. In a world system of conflicting imperial interests, they needed an ordered, successful and strong economy and the state and military to promote and defend that.
Germany was a world leader in science, technology, education and the arts. It wasn't just the Americans who borrowed from the Germans. But I'm not sure "German philosophy" is the real problem in America. Don't forget that Marxism was another Darwinist "German philosophy" that believed in a new type of man to replace the old. I think the problem is that multinational corporations and financial groups have infiltrated and taken over the political system which now runs more and more according to their interests and less and less according to the interests of the people. People can see that after decades of "progress" not much has changed. Even Clinton and Obama with their "Change" and "Yes We Can" slogans left quite a lot unchanged. People are beginning to distrust politicians in general and turn to any populist figure for solutions. Unfortunately, that will never really work unless and until the root causes of it all are addressed. — Apollodorus
I really did have a tutor who thought that life after death might consist in us living eternally as disencarnate entities. However, the whole topic of bodies in afterlife is one which makes me laugh because my mum has always considered spoken of concern about what kind of bodies people would have after the resurrection, whether they would be glamorous and, whether the elderly would be given back their youth. Also, when I went to an evangelical church, I can remember people talking about what meals they would have after the resurrection. But, really, I think if you read the Bible, especially Paul, he is speaking more about spiritual bodies, rather than earthly ones. — Jack Cummins
I'm sorry if you thought I was attacking you, Athena. That was not my intention. What I should have said was that those ideas seem to me to depict a worse scenario than the one I see. But really my broader point was that theorized or disciplined philosophical study have no necessary connection to good citizenship. It might improve it, it might make it worse, that is an open question — Tom Storm
The Military-Industrial complex is not just about war. It is about our government's relationship with industry and a transfer of power from citizens to the government. — Athena
Bill Clinton, Obama, Biden, all know it too well. — Apollodorus
Interesting you don't include Reagan, Bush and Bush. — Tom Storm
I only mentioned those that are regarded by the left as "heroes" and "saviors" which of course they aren't. If you think otherwise, that's fine by me. — Apollodorus
I must totally misunderstand what you said because there is an important difference between being a Frenchman or a German when these two countries were fighting each other and it is philosophical notions that make people so different. — Athena
There is only one party in the United States, the Property Party — Tom Storm
Main thing is they don't represent the people unless you object to that as well. — Apollodorus
I am not objecting, I am clarifying. Sometimes people like to spray around the Protocols to the Elders of Zion type stuff — Tom Storm
Your defensiveness is interesting. — Tom Storm
You call people "anti-semites" for no reason — Apollodorus
So why are you trying to prevent people from speaking up by calling them "anti-semites"? — Apollodorus
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