Cassiopaea Forum Reading Workshops - Public
- Thread starter Luis Miguel
- Start date
Howdy folks,
The Am-EU meeting continues with chapter 1 of Logocracy, starting with the sentence: "These laws of transience and continuity are already familiar to historians and sociologists." and ending at around: "The time is ripe when it is necessary to depart from Roman tradition in order to build the future on the more valuable and enduring foundations we already have or recognize."
Here's the synopsis:
Chapter 1 – Introduction:
In studying human civilization for the past centuries, we see social systems come and go, which are innervated by laws regarding the nature of man and the nature of nations. Why does it seem that for every successor to a social system in the past, while seemingly new, still carries with it the vestiges of its predecessor? These qualities are oftentimes entropic—corrupting the fabric of new social systems over time until it more closely resembles the previous one. "This last law of nature no revolution has been able to overthrow." In closer detail, Lobaczewski attributes these to the laws of transience and continuity.
One possible explanation is given and implied: ignorance (even if only partial) coupled with "egotistical rigidity", will contribute towards the entropic recycling of social systems. The environment is different, but the new boss is the same as the old as they say. This law of nature implies a cycle. @Bluefyre aptly describes it similarly to the changing of the season—at some point, the leaves of Autumn must fall (as above, so below). @Turgon mentions V for Vendetta, where the psychopathic regime needed to go to further and further extremes to maintain control, until its eventual collapse. "They will go too far as usual and all will come crashing down. But it will take some time. Be patient and circumspect." ~July 4, 2020 session.
How to break out of this cycle? As the Cs say, there are cycles within cycles, and perhaps one part of the puzzle is creating a social system where the laws of nature are "increasingly understood and consciously accepted".
The laws of transience and continuity (derived from the laws of nature) also touch on human nature. We mention from the most previous Cs session the discussion about hybrids in human-like form that promote degeneracy among the public. Quite frankly, they are innately very loud, which is further amplified like a megaphone by mainstream media. The point being is that it corrupts people who are susceptible to that programming, and we know it is in human nature to blindly follow the crowd or authority (see the Milgram experiment as mentioned by @anartist - let me know if this is you Ken!). And with awareness and knowledge of that aspect of ourselves can help break people free from that entropic programming.
Lobaczewski comments that science, on its own, cannot fully comprehend these laws, and that a higher spiritual quality is needed to support it. We need to be alright with navigating the ocean of uncertainty and the unknown, and be able to course-correct at any given moment with each step imbued with wisdom, knowledge, and awareness in order to create social systems in-line with the natural laws.
The laws of nature are knowledge, and with knowledge, it can be used for good or evil. Psychopathic individuals, with their propensity to know the weaknesses of humans through their nature, create social systems that take advantage of this knowledge for their own benefit. The silver lining that Lobaczewski mentions is that while this will lead to deranged forms social systems, the laws of nature nonetheless still operates within them. One way to know the light is to know the dark. In addition, @anartist mentions that in their illusions, the people may unfortunately need to suffer more (reference to the Cs session) in order to jolt them awake—to learn and engage in a different way with reality.
Elements that can contribute to this future social system is rooted in knowledge of science (shoutout to natural and biohumanistic sciences) and spirit to develop an objective language that elucidates the laws of nature. @Turgon mentions that an understanding of Timothy Ashworth's law of spirit vs the law of man (also mentioned in Laura's FPtM), a PaleoChristian concept, is necessary to have for this future social system.
For centuries, civilization has been heavily influenced by Roman law and administrative thinking, where Lobaczewski points out that Rome could be labeled as an "anti-psychological empire". While Roman law only incorporated limited facets of human personality, whether deliberately or in ignorance, took shortcuts that lead to the administrative ease of the empire. This in turn opened up exploitation of the people by those in administration, resulting in a degradation of morals. And with that, there is a necessity to learn the lessons of Rome tradition and be removed from it in order "to build the future on the more valuable and enduring foundations we already have or recognize".
For Next Week - July 9, 2023
We will continue with the remaining paragraphs of Chapter 1 next week. To be safe, it's recommended to at least start Chapter 2 in case we get there.
@Redrock12 - thank you for sharing that awesome story concerning student loans! As was said and as always, personal research is still paramount
.
Have a great week, and see y'all next Sunday!
The Am-EU meeting continues with chapter 1 of Logocracy, starting with the sentence: "These laws of transience and continuity are already familiar to historians and sociologists." and ending at around: "The time is ripe when it is necessary to depart from Roman tradition in order to build the future on the more valuable and enduring foundations we already have or recognize."
Here's the synopsis:
Chapter 1 – Introduction:
In studying human civilization for the past centuries, we see social systems come and go, which are innervated by laws regarding the nature of man and the nature of nations. Why does it seem that for every successor to a social system in the past, while seemingly new, still carries with it the vestiges of its predecessor? These qualities are oftentimes entropic—corrupting the fabric of new social systems over time until it more closely resembles the previous one. "This last law of nature no revolution has been able to overthrow." In closer detail, Lobaczewski attributes these to the laws of transience and continuity.
One possible explanation is given and implied: ignorance (even if only partial) coupled with "egotistical rigidity", will contribute towards the entropic recycling of social systems. The environment is different, but the new boss is the same as the old as they say. This law of nature implies a cycle. @Bluefyre aptly describes it similarly to the changing of the season—at some point, the leaves of Autumn must fall (as above, so below). @Turgon mentions V for Vendetta, where the psychopathic regime needed to go to further and further extremes to maintain control, until its eventual collapse. "They will go too far as usual and all will come crashing down. But it will take some time. Be patient and circumspect." ~July 4, 2020 session.
How to break out of this cycle? As the Cs say, there are cycles within cycles, and perhaps one part of the puzzle is creating a social system where the laws of nature are "increasingly understood and consciously accepted".
The laws of transience and continuity (derived from the laws of nature) also touch on human nature. We mention from the most previous Cs session the discussion about hybrids in human-like form that promote degeneracy among the public. Quite frankly, they are innately very loud, which is further amplified like a megaphone by mainstream media. The point being is that it corrupts people who are susceptible to that programming, and we know it is in human nature to blindly follow the crowd or authority (see the Milgram experiment as mentioned by @anartist - let me know if this is you Ken!). And with awareness and knowledge of that aspect of ourselves can help break people free from that entropic programming.
Lobaczewski comments that science, on its own, cannot fully comprehend these laws, and that a higher spiritual quality is needed to support it. We need to be alright with navigating the ocean of uncertainty and the unknown, and be able to course-correct at any given moment with each step imbued with wisdom, knowledge, and awareness in order to create social systems in-line with the natural laws.
The laws of nature are knowledge, and with knowledge, it can be used for good or evil. Psychopathic individuals, with their propensity to know the weaknesses of humans through their nature, create social systems that take advantage of this knowledge for their own benefit. The silver lining that Lobaczewski mentions is that while this will lead to deranged forms social systems, the laws of nature nonetheless still operates within them. One way to know the light is to know the dark. In addition, @anartist mentions that in their illusions, the people may unfortunately need to suffer more (reference to the Cs session) in order to jolt them awake—to learn and engage in a different way with reality.
Elements that can contribute to this future social system is rooted in knowledge of science (shoutout to natural and biohumanistic sciences) and spirit to develop an objective language that elucidates the laws of nature. @Turgon mentions that an understanding of Timothy Ashworth's law of spirit vs the law of man (also mentioned in Laura's FPtM), a PaleoChristian concept, is necessary to have for this future social system.
For centuries, civilization has been heavily influenced by Roman law and administrative thinking, where Lobaczewski points out that Rome could be labeled as an "anti-psychological empire". While Roman law only incorporated limited facets of human personality, whether deliberately or in ignorance, took shortcuts that lead to the administrative ease of the empire. This in turn opened up exploitation of the people by those in administration, resulting in a degradation of morals. And with that, there is a necessity to learn the lessons of Rome tradition and be removed from it in order "to build the future on the more valuable and enduring foundations we already have or recognize".
For Next Week - July 9, 2023
We will continue with the remaining paragraphs of Chapter 1 next week. To be safe, it's recommended to at least start Chapter 2 in case we get there.
@Redrock12 - thank you for sharing that awesome story concerning student loans! As was said and as always, personal research is still paramount
.Have a great week, and see y'all next Sunday!
Last edited:
Hello everyone in the Am-Ca-Eu reading group. I was not able to attend today, because I started a new job. It looks like I will be scheduled on Sunday mornings for a while. 
I am planning to ask for the afternoon/evening shift on Sundays, but they may not go for that.
I will let you all know what they decide. I'll also be watching the recording and reading the summaries!
I am planning to ask for the afternoon/evening shift on Sundays, but they may not go for that.I will let you all know what they decide. I'll also be watching the recording and reading the summaries!
Yeah, thanks man! Really helps to have you taking care of the synopsis when I'm hosting.What an excellent synopsis of our conversation Pecha! The energy and thought you put into it is much appreciated!
Hello everyone,
Below are the links for the July 2nd Am-Eu Reading workshop for Logocracy.
Video and Audio and link to the folder.
And the synopsis:
Below are the links for the July 2nd Am-Eu Reading workshop for Logocracy.
Video and Audio and link to the folder.
And the synopsis:
Howdy folks,
The Am-EU meeting continues with chapter 1 of Logocracy, starting with the sentence: "These laws of transience and continuity are already familiar to historians and sociologists." and ending at around: "The time is ripe when it is necessary to depart from Roman tradition in order to build the future on the more valuable and enduring foundations we already have or recognize."
Here's the synopsis:
Chapter 1 – Introduction:
In studying human civilization for the past centuries, we see social systems come and go, which are innervated by laws regarding the nature of man and the nature of nations. Why does it seem that for every successor to a social system in the past, while seemingly new, still carries with it the vestiges of its predecessor? These qualities are oftentimes entropic—corrupting the fabric of new social systems over time until it more closely resembles the previous one. "This last law of nature no revolution has been able to overthrow." In closer detail, Lobaczewski attributes these to the laws of transience and continuity.
One possible explanation is given and implied: ignorance (even if only partial) coupled with "egotistical rigidity", will contribute towards the entropic recycling of social systems. The environment is different, but the new boss is the same as the old as they say. This law of nature implies a cycle. @Bluefyre aptly describes it similarly to the changing of the season—at some point, the leaves of Autumn must fall (as above, so below). @Turgon mentions V for Vendetta, where the psychopathic regime needed to go to further and further extremes to maintain control, until its eventual collapse. "They will go too far as usual and all will come crashing down. But it will take some time. Be patient and circumspect." ~July 4, 2020 session.
How to break out of this cycle? As the Cs say, there are cycles within cycles, and perhaps one part of the puzzle is creating a social system where the laws of nature are "increasingly understood and consciously accepted".
The laws of transience and continuity (derived from the laws of nature) also touch on human nature. We mention from the most previous Cs session the discussion about hybrids in human-like form that promote degeneracy among the public. Quite frankly, they are innately very loud, which is further amplified like a megaphone by mainstream media. The point being is that it corrupts people who are susceptible to that programming, and we know it is in human nature to blindly follow the crowd or authority (see the Milgram experiment as mentioned by @anartist - let me know if this is you Ken!). And with awareness and knowledge of that aspect of ourselves can help break people free from that entropic programming.
Lobaczewski comments that science, on its own, cannot fully comprehend these laws, and that a higher spiritual quality is needed to support it. We need to be alright with navigating the ocean of uncertainty and the unknown, and be able to course-correct at any given moment with each step imbued with wisdom, knowledge, and awareness in order to create social systems in-line with the natural laws.
The laws of nature are knowledge, and with knowledge, it can be used for good or evil. Psychopathic individuals, with their propensity to know the weaknesses of humans through their nature, create social systems that take advantage of this knowledge for their own benefit. The silver lining that Lobaczewski mentions is that while this will lead to deranged forms social systems, the laws of nature nonetheless still operates within them. One way to know the light is to know the dark. In addition, @anartist mentions that in their illusions, the people may unfortunately need to suffer more (reference to the Cs session) in order to jolt them awake—to learn and engage in a different way with reality.
Elements that can contribute to this future social system is rooted in knowledge of science (shoutout to natural and biohumanistic sciences) and spirit to develop an objective language that elucidates the laws of nature. @Turgon mentions that an understanding of Timothy Ashworth's law of spirit vs the law of man (also mentioned in Laura's FPtM), a PaleoChristian concept, is necessary to have for this future social system.
For centuries, civilization has been heavily influenced by Roman law and administrative thinking, where Lobaczewski points out that Rome could be labeled as an "anti-psychological empire". While Roman law only incorporated limited facets of human personality, whether deliberately or in ignorance, took shortcuts that lead to the administrative ease of the empire. This in turn opened up exploitation of the people by those in administration, resulting in a degradation of morals. And with that, there is a necessity to learn the lessons of Rome tradition and be removed from it in order "to build the future on the more valuable and enduring foundations we already have or recognize".
For Next Week - July 9, 2023
We will continue with the remaining paragraphs of Chapter 1 next week. To be safe, it's recommended to at least start Chapter 2 in case we get there.
@Redrock12 - thank you for sharing that awesome story concerning student loans! As was said and as always, personal research is still paramount
Have a great week, and see y'all next Sunday!
Hi everyone,
Here’s the meeting ID for the Au-Asia-Am meeting. We will start in 30 minutes.
Join our Cloud HD Video Meeting
Meeting ID: 835 8687 7275
Passcode: 4nuFri
See you soon!
Here’s the meeting ID for the Au-Asia-Am meeting. We will start in 30 minutes.
Join our Cloud HD Video Meeting
Meeting ID: 835 8687 7275
Passcode: 4nuFri
See you soon!
Hello!
The Am-EU meeting will start in 30 mins:
Join our Cloud HD Video Meeting now
Meeting ID: 953-026-3587
See you.
The Am-EU meeting will start in 30 mins:
Join our Cloud HD Video Meeting now
Meeting ID: 953-026-3587
See you.
Yes indeed
Hi everyone,
Below are the links for the recent Aus-Asia-Am group workshop for The Master and his Emissary by Iain McGilchrist.
Here's the video of the last meeting
The audio
And the folder
And the slideshow (starts at slide 158)
We will read Chapter 4: The Nature of the Two Worlds up to the sub-heading Heidegger and the Nature of Being on page 149 for our next meeting this Saturday at 7 pm Sydney time (+10 GMT).
See you all then!
Below are the links for the threads we looked at during our discussion:
Chapters in the Wave (with regards to opposing forces at every level of being, like the hemispheres):
And some promising improvements in architecture:
threadreaderapp.com
Below are the links for the recent Aus-Asia-Am group workshop for The Master and his Emissary by Iain McGilchrist.
Here's the video of the last meeting
The audio
And the folder
And the slideshow (starts at slide 158)
We will read Chapter 4: The Nature of the Two Worlds up to the sub-heading Heidegger and the Nature of Being on page 149 for our next meeting this Saturday at 7 pm Sydney time (+10 GMT).
See you all then!
Below are the links for the threads we looked at during our discussion:
Chapters in the Wave (with regards to opposing forces at every level of being, like the hemispheres):
The Wave Chapter 26: The Tree of Life
The Tree of Life “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God Himself. He was present originally with God. All things were made and came into existence through Hi…
marker.to
The Wave Chapter 28: Technicians of Ecstasy: The Shamanic Initiation Of The Knighted Ones Part 2
OPs and the Big Picture That there exists a soulless race, now numbering close to three billion inhabitants of this planet, certainly helps explain why the Earth is in its current state. That this …
cassiopaea.org
And some promising improvements in architecture:
Thread by @michael_diamant on Thread Reader App
@michael_diamant: Post-1945 Mexico saw explosive population growth combined with dominance of modernism in building new. This has led to so much urban ugliness similar to other cities in the developing world. But wi...…
threadreaderapp.com
Hi everyone,
The Am-EU folks continued with chapter 1 of Logocracy, starting with the sentence: "A better social system should definitely break with this tradition and deficit of our civilization." We finished the chapter and began the second one and ended at the sentence: "These eternally existing laws of nature have been culturally updated in different countries and times, giving rise to customs, moral beliefs, and legal doctrines."
Here's the synopsis:
Chapter 1 – Introduction:
Lobaczewski continues his thread on creating an improved social system—one that breaks away from the anti-psychological traditions of the past and one that, at its core, understands human personality through a wholistic lens. He states this knowledge must be the bedrock for legal and social institutions. From there, it can be further modified by advances in modern science. @anartist shares that while there are problems of corruption in the sciences, there are still good people doing good science (glass half full).
More generally, the new system needs to be built with a real understanding of natural psychological laws and realities. Primitive understandings of the same leads to ideologies that attract the "uncritical and excitable", which in tandem, suppresses the majority's voice. Creating solutions that incorporate this silent majority—a group with a natural tendency to reflect on the nature of human affairs, will help be the pillars of this new system.
Lobaczewski shares the names of three men endowed with the understanding of psychological realities: 1) St. Augustine, 2) Baron Charles Louis de Montesquieu, 3) Andrzej Frycz Modrzewski, and 4) Adam Smith. While they've had varied results in their utilization of this knowledge, they've nonetheless proved to be a positive force in inspiring others to think about the creation of more fair and moral systems.
The future system will be a doctrine-free system, in accordance with knowledge of the laws of nature, without imposition of "externally derived ideological doctrine or legal fiction". With practiced awareness and gathering of knowledge, to see the objective psychological and social reality.
Chapter 2 – The Laws of Nature and Natural Law:
A more universal basis of law is suggested, one that's not overly legalistic and full of legal jargon that inherently bars many from understanding it. This video shared by @logos5x5 succinctly sums it up: Can You Imagine A World Without Lawyers? (The Simpsons).
The universality of this new basis implicitly poses a challenge: if this new solution needs to treat everyone at the level of the individual, how can it be practical? The remedy that Lobaczewski proposes is that instead of institutionalizing this philosophy, it must be understood and internalized as a way of thinking. To be able to peer into the psychological and social reality, one must know thyself and others. To love is to know, so being able to listen and understand one another wholeheartedly (Tom) is a key piece in creating this new system. Another is to set an example for others, like Caesar (@Redrock12)!
With regard to legal thinking, Lobaczewski suggests a stratified structure, with more general principles near the top, and as one goes lower, more granular. 1) laws of nature, 2) natural law, 3) positive law, and 4) specific regulations.
Lobaczewski doesn't think the new system should be revolutionary, in fact, it should incorporate existing laws and moral principles, for there is something of value in something that has been around for ages. While the law can never be perfect, it must incorporate a more mature knowledge of human personality and natural law, and must be fluid enough to course-correct if needed.
Christian nations value moral values over the rule of law. Totalitarian regimes flip this and value rule of law over moral values, causing a moral degradation of society, with life becoming stressful and hard to live under.
@whitecoast notes the increasing totalitarian measures in the west through the pandemic response and lockdowns. People were out there, in their lack of awareness and knowledge, publicly shaming others who didn't follow the anti-psychological measures imposed by governments. These acts revealed an ugly nature of human nature for eyes to see. This touches on George Simon's Character Disturbance, in which @Turgon explains that these individuals need to have their beliefs challenged in order to heal them.
Recent advances in the sciences, namely psychopathology, will serve to help mitigate and/or counteract the genesis of evil from corrupting society. We can see glimpses of this on a microsocial scale: in the Innuit movie titled The Fast Runner, members of small tribes can unite in knowledge—providing a collective awareness that would help identify psychopathic traits within individuals, and act accordingly based on the situation. On the macrosocial scale, @Saman notes how the archetypes of good and evil is playing out between the West and the East—mirroring the old conflict between the Atlanteans and Athenians ages ago.
For Next Week - July 16, 2023
We will continue with Chapter 2 next week. We may reach Chapter 3 during the meeting, so maybe a little reading of Chapter 3a would be good. Yes, the next chapter is a twofer!
Have a great week all, and see y'all next time!
The Am-EU folks continued with chapter 1 of Logocracy, starting with the sentence: "A better social system should definitely break with this tradition and deficit of our civilization." We finished the chapter and began the second one and ended at the sentence: "These eternally existing laws of nature have been culturally updated in different countries and times, giving rise to customs, moral beliefs, and legal doctrines."
Here's the synopsis:
Chapter 1 – Introduction:
Lobaczewski continues his thread on creating an improved social system—one that breaks away from the anti-psychological traditions of the past and one that, at its core, understands human personality through a wholistic lens. He states this knowledge must be the bedrock for legal and social institutions. From there, it can be further modified by advances in modern science. @anartist shares that while there are problems of corruption in the sciences, there are still good people doing good science (glass half full
).More generally, the new system needs to be built with a real understanding of natural psychological laws and realities. Primitive understandings of the same leads to ideologies that attract the "uncritical and excitable", which in tandem, suppresses the majority's voice. Creating solutions that incorporate this silent majority—a group with a natural tendency to reflect on the nature of human affairs, will help be the pillars of this new system.
Lobaczewski shares the names of three men endowed with the understanding of psychological realities: 1) St. Augustine, 2) Baron Charles Louis de Montesquieu, 3) Andrzej Frycz Modrzewski, and 4) Adam Smith. While they've had varied results in their utilization of this knowledge, they've nonetheless proved to be a positive force in inspiring others to think about the creation of more fair and moral systems.
The future system will be a doctrine-free system, in accordance with knowledge of the laws of nature, without imposition of "externally derived ideological doctrine or legal fiction". With practiced awareness and gathering of knowledge, to see the objective psychological and social reality.
Chapter 2 – The Laws of Nature and Natural Law:
A more universal basis of law is suggested, one that's not overly legalistic and full of legal jargon that inherently bars many from understanding it. This video shared by @logos5x5 succinctly sums it up: Can You Imagine A World Without Lawyers? (The Simpsons).
The universality of this new basis implicitly poses a challenge: if this new solution needs to treat everyone at the level of the individual, how can it be practical? The remedy that Lobaczewski proposes is that instead of institutionalizing this philosophy, it must be understood and internalized as a way of thinking. To be able to peer into the psychological and social reality, one must know thyself and others. To love is to know, so being able to listen and understand one another wholeheartedly (Tom) is a key piece in creating this new system. Another is to set an example for others, like Caesar (@Redrock12)!
With regard to legal thinking, Lobaczewski suggests a stratified structure, with more general principles near the top, and as one goes lower, more granular. 1) laws of nature, 2) natural law, 3) positive law, and 4) specific regulations.
Lobaczewski doesn't think the new system should be revolutionary, in fact, it should incorporate existing laws and moral principles, for there is something of value in something that has been around for ages. While the law can never be perfect, it must incorporate a more mature knowledge of human personality and natural law, and must be fluid enough to course-correct if needed.
Christian nations value moral values over the rule of law. Totalitarian regimes flip this and value rule of law over moral values, causing a moral degradation of society, with life becoming stressful and hard to live under.
@whitecoast notes the increasing totalitarian measures in the west through the pandemic response and lockdowns. People were out there, in their lack of awareness and knowledge, publicly shaming others who didn't follow the anti-psychological measures imposed by governments. These acts revealed an ugly nature of human nature for eyes to see. This touches on George Simon's Character Disturbance, in which @Turgon explains that these individuals need to have their beliefs challenged in order to heal them.
Recent advances in the sciences, namely psychopathology, will serve to help mitigate and/or counteract the genesis of evil from corrupting society. We can see glimpses of this on a microsocial scale: in the Innuit movie titled The Fast Runner, members of small tribes can unite in knowledge—providing a collective awareness that would help identify psychopathic traits within individuals, and act accordingly based on the situation. On the macrosocial scale, @Saman notes how the archetypes of good and evil is playing out between the West and the East—mirroring the old conflict between the Atlanteans and Athenians ages ago.
For Next Week - July 16, 2023
We will continue with Chapter 2 next week. We may reach Chapter 3 during the meeting, so maybe a little reading of Chapter 3a would be good. Yes, the next chapter is a twofer!
Have a great week all, and see y'all next time!
Hi everyone,
Here’s the meeting ID for the Au-Asia-Am meeting. We will start in 35 minutes.
Join our Cloud HD Video Meeting
Meeting ID: 835 8687 7275
Passcode: 4nuFri
See you soon!
Here’s the meeting ID for the Au-Asia-Am meeting. We will start in 35 minutes.
Join our Cloud HD Video Meeting
Meeting ID: 835 8687 7275
Passcode: 4nuFri
See you soon!
Hey folks, here's an interesting article related to the subject of tonight's discussion:
theconversation.com
What your brain structure says about your personality
Are you neurotic? This may be due to a thick cerebral cortex
theconversation.com
The Conversation said:
Hello everyone,
Below are the links for the July 9th Am-Eu Reading workshop for Logocracy.
Video and Audio and link to the folder.
And the synopsis:
Below are the links for the July 9th Am-Eu Reading workshop for Logocracy.
Video and Audio and link to the folder.
And the synopsis:
Hi everyone,
The Am-EU folks continued with chapter 1 of Logocracy, starting with the sentence: "A better social system should definitely break with this tradition and deficit of our civilization." We finished the chapter and began the second one and ended at the sentence: "These eternally existing laws of nature have been culturally updated in different countries and times, giving rise to customs, moral beliefs, and legal doctrines."
Here's the synopsis:
Chapter 1 – Introduction:
Lobaczewski continues his thread on creating an improved social system—one that breaks away from the anti-psychological traditions of the past and one that, at its core, understands human personality through a wholistic lens. He states this knowledge must be the bedrock for legal and social institutions. From there, it can be further modified by advances in modern science. @anartist shares that while there are problems of corruption in the sciences, there are still good people doing good science (glass half full
More generally, the new system needs to be built with a real understanding of natural psychological laws and realities. Primitive understandings of the same leads to ideologies that attract the "uncritical and excitable", which in tandem, suppresses the majority's voice. Creating solutions that incorporate this silent majority—a group with a natural tendency to reflect on the nature of human affairs, will help be the pillars of this new system.
Lobaczewski shares the names of three men endowed with the understanding of psychological realities: 1) St. Augustine, 2) Baron Charles Louis de Montesquieu, 3) Andrzej Frycz Modrzewski, and 4) Adam Smith. While they've had varied results in their utilization of this knowledge, they've nonetheless proved to be a positive force in inspiring others to think about the creation of more fair and moral systems.
The future system will be a doctrine-free system, in accordance with knowledge of the laws of nature, without imposition of "externally derived ideological doctrine or legal fiction". With practiced awareness and gathering of knowledge, to see the objective psychological and social reality.
Chapter 2 – The Laws of Nature and Natural Law:
A more universal basis of law is suggested, one that's not overly legalistic and full of legal jargon that inherently bars many from understanding it. This video shared by @logos5x5 succinctly sums it up: Can You Imagine A World Without Lawyers? (The Simpsons).
The universality of this new basis implicitly poses a challenge: if this new solution needs to treat everyone at the level of the individual, how can it be practical? The remedy that Lobaczewski proposes is that instead of institutionalizing this philosophy, it must be understood and internalized as a way of thinking. To be able to peer into the psychological and social reality, one must know thyself and others. To love is to know, so being able to listen and understand one another wholeheartedly (Tom) is a key piece in creating this new system. Another is to set an example for others, like Caesar (@Redrock12)!
With regard to legal thinking, Lobaczewski suggests a stratified structure, with more general principles near the top, and as one goes lower, more granular. 1) laws of nature, 2) natural law, 3) positive law, and 4) specific regulations.
Lobaczewski doesn't think the new system should be revolutionary, in fact, it should incorporate existing laws and moral principles, for there is something of value in something that has been around for ages. While the law can never be perfect, it must incorporate a more mature knowledge of human personality and natural law, and must be fluid enough to course-correct if needed.
Christian nations value moral values over the rule of law. Totalitarian regimes flip this and value rule of law over moral values, causing a moral degradation of society, with life becoming stressful and hard to live under.
@whitecoast notes the increasing totalitarian measures in the west through the pandemic response and lockdowns. People were out there, in their lack of awareness and knowledge, publicly shaming others who didn't follow the anti-psychological measures imposed by governments. These acts revealed an ugly nature of human nature for eyes to see. This touches on George Simon's Character Disturbance, in which @Turgon explains that these individuals need to have their beliefs challenged in order to heal them.
Recent advances in the sciences, namely psychopathology, will serve to help mitigate and/or counteract the genesis of evil from corrupting society. We can see glimpses of this on a microsocial scale: in the Innuit movie titled The Fast Runner, members of small tribes can unite in knowledge—providing a collective awareness that would help identify psychopathic traits within individuals, and act accordingly based on the situation. On the macrosocial scale, @Saman notes how the archetypes of good and evil is playing out between the West and the East—mirroring the old conflict between the Atlanteans and Athenians ages ago.
For Next Week - July 16, 2023
We will continue with Chapter 2 next week. We may reach Chapter 3 during the meeting, so maybe a little reading of Chapter 3a would be good. Yes, the next chapter is a twofer!
Have a great week all, and see y'all next time!