(FB 1544957315 Timestamp)
THE DESIRES OF ABSOLUTISTS
by Bill Joslin
I don’t think the absolutists are haters. I think they lack what they claim we lack – that being a foundation for meaning,. motivation -“a superordinate transcendental ideal to be subservient to”…
We have that – it’s called Career, Friends, Family and Kids.
They’re looking for meaning and inspiration.
They’re unestablished males seeking to individuate from “dad”.
The critiques leveled at us as best as I can see are a series of straw men and equivocations , but suspect their main recruitment efforts which are successful are build off critique of propertarianism (much like our strongest arguments are leveled against libertarians) – without prop – there would not really be much for absolutist to build their case on without going whole hog pomo.
Besides it’s a strange conflation of de Jouvenel On Power used to justify “charisma” (he who drives the idiom is king) as a “metaphysically” coherent justification for absolute rule (the idiomatic subterrain king) (which if you really thought about it – what drives idiomatic mimicking in society (fashion, fame etc) is often driven from the underclasses up (pop music, pop culture, thug culture etc)…
At least we understand why this is: omegas service as stress relief for the group – deferred aggression and initiation of play.
Why? Because that’s all they have to offer.
They’re not haters per say, just building a castle in the clouds and looking for others to agree it’s made of stone.
Now, I shouldn’t have said they “lack” what they claim we are lacking, but rather have said they are looking for (trying to construct) what they see we are missing.
But it kind of baffles me… For instance; aesthetics and transcendentals being required for motivation… Joel once said to me that having an aesthetic is propelling these young men toward excellence – working out, self perfection, career etc…. Yet under in the sheepdog group the things which Ivar is doing with is family business, of Alain is doing personally, or Bryan is doing locally… There are many of us driven forward by understanding the operational necessity of agency-en-toto .
It’s a simple if-then operation. If agency is at the root of this then I should build agency, if I value (xyz) then I should act (agency) …
This doesn’t diminish or reduce motivation to some materialistic or positivist frame (Anglo ontology as they would say) but rather demonstrates that aesthetics grounds into something more fundamental.
The result is a market for aesthetics – each moving in the same direction (increase agency) for their own personal reasons opposed to a grand unifying aesthetic.
Just seems like they’re seeking another monopoly – or rather seeking someone who has a monopoly on aesthetics and/or a monopoly on inspiration ( a leader )
You know…. “Anglo ontology can’t provide a transcendental” – yet I see that it is. It’s just not always a shiny, polished, sophisticated ideal… It can be mundane – like love of your family, or pride in work well done – it can be simple. And that is where I see their dissatisfaction – what we propose isn’t “special” enough. And that specialness they seek I think is the outward manifestation of young males seeking to establish themself via status symbols (specialness) at reduced costs (ideals over reals).
I have a great respect for and see them walking the same path I did 20 years ago… That path leads here not over there.
Give them time, let them live, forebearence for what ever costs they’ll impose in the meantime… They’ll eventually meet us somewhere in the middle – all young men must individuate on their own terms (or it wouldn’t be an individuation process).
They’re my brothers too…. If anything it’s taught me what that patient yet irritated look on my father’s face meant, when I railed away at some stupidity in my youth.