Ayn Rand predicted where we are now with her novel 'Atlas Shrugged'. She also predicted the world if President Trump is beaten in 2026, with 'Anthem'. And my friend doesn't talk in riddles or pseudo-intellectual university language. She deals with real people.
Many voices saw our Technological destiny in the 20’s, 30’s, 40’s and 50’s and 60’s. McKenna was an ethnobotanist and lived in the Amazon so he does have credibility. Nor do I think honestly that his language is difficult to grasp if one is at a high school education level.
For instance-for Berdyaev, the arrival of technics in the modern period opens up a whole new chapter in humanity's relationship to the cosmos. With technics the relationship of spirit to reality (matter) is involved. The creative human spirit relates to nature as it invents machines and technology out of physical elements; thus, the arrival of technics is a phase in humankind's spiritual development. Yet the arrival of technics also signals humanity's enslavement to objects in the world. This is true as far as humanity has abandoned spiritual aims and values. It has begun to look to the earth and the miracles of applied science to provide life with an ultimate meaning and happiness. A novel reality has entered history. It is human organization. Because it is neither organic nor inorganic reality, technics poses a challenge to human existence. Having separated itself from God and spiritual values, modern humanity pridefully turns exclusively to the construction and organization of its material world to find meaning, happiness, and security. Technics is precisely the means by which modern humanity, apart from God, and by its own devices, seeks to achieve desired beneficial ends for itself.
In modernity, several autonomous spheres of existence seek to dominate exclusively the whole of life, and technics is one of them. Once modern humanity discarded the Medieval worldview, with its religiously integral view of reality, it has sought integrality of being in one of several spheres of life. Technics is a part of these spheres. Specifically, technics must reckon with the spheres of statism and economics. Berdyaev perceives a pernicious development in modernity in which collective forces (the "masses") look to the state, economics, and technics to provide them with total happiness and well-being. Like Dostoevsky, from whom he gleamed many insights, Berdyaev thinks that humankind's appeal to technics, statism, and economics for total well-being only leads to human self-enslavement. Thus, humanity illustrates Dostoevsky's dictum that when humans abandon God, they (unknowingly) abandon or betray themselves as well.
Berdyaev explains more specifically that humankind has experienced certain periods in history when different relationships of spirit to matter are suggested. The ultimate outcome of the arrival of technics depends upon whether the human spirit can attain sufficient moral control over the machine to avoid a total domination and destruction by the machine.
So, what you're saying is that McKenna was one of many shamans. That technics are going to take over life and create slaves...(I think that was the conclusion of Ayn Rand's work, and why John Galt and the engines of the world disappeared.
The whole ethos of her work was that the state would enslave us. That Christians would meekly submit to the state...perhaps even Ayn didn't see the rise of the other God in America. But again, she knew that humankind that bowed down to an idea would be defeated in the end. The human spirit, the spirit of the individual, is the spirit that stands the best chance of survival.
Yes one of many. I read Rand in 1974 when I enjoyed SF. I did not find her political thought in fiction or non-fiction of much use. Of course this is my background at the time. On the other hand I was Dystopian since I had read Huxley Brave New World and non-fiction Brave New World Revisited, 1984, and Kapek-War with the Newts. Had read a lot on WW1 and WW2 as well. And ancient history-Greeks, Romans, so I never idolized the State and always wanted it to go away. In fact, the State is Sacred and this is a pagan principle of Solar symbolism starting from Augustus who was the incarnation of Mitra. Idolatry.
Honestly I would need to go back. As I recall she had no interest in altruism and her characters tended towards monomania. Now not bring ideological in her fashion and not a champion of unrestrained Capitalism was one reason I am indifferent. I can see though how she supported greed is good “Objectively.” No God no master for the heroic individual.
This man is not, by any means, the last American shaman. My friend of 61 years has proved herself time and time again to be a genuine shaman with the ability to work over 4,000 miles and from the depths of life.
Ayn Rand predicted where we are now with her novel 'Atlas Shrugged'. She also predicted the world if President Trump is beaten in 2026, with 'Anthem'. And my friend doesn't talk in riddles or pseudo-intellectual university language. She deals with real people.
Many voices saw our Technological destiny in the 20’s, 30’s, 40’s and 50’s and 60’s. McKenna was an ethnobotanist and lived in the Amazon so he does have credibility. Nor do I think honestly that his language is difficult to grasp if one is at a high school education level.
For instance-for Berdyaev, the arrival of technics in the modern period opens up a whole new chapter in humanity's relationship to the cosmos. With technics the relationship of spirit to reality (matter) is involved. The creative human spirit relates to nature as it invents machines and technology out of physical elements; thus, the arrival of technics is a phase in humankind's spiritual development. Yet the arrival of technics also signals humanity's enslavement to objects in the world. This is true as far as humanity has abandoned spiritual aims and values. It has begun to look to the earth and the miracles of applied science to provide life with an ultimate meaning and happiness. A novel reality has entered history. It is human organization. Because it is neither organic nor inorganic reality, technics poses a challenge to human existence. Having separated itself from God and spiritual values, modern humanity pridefully turns exclusively to the construction and organization of its material world to find meaning, happiness, and security. Technics is precisely the means by which modern humanity, apart from God, and by its own devices, seeks to achieve desired beneficial ends for itself.
In modernity, several autonomous spheres of existence seek to dominate exclusively the whole of life, and technics is one of them. Once modern humanity discarded the Medieval worldview, with its religiously integral view of reality, it has sought integrality of being in one of several spheres of life. Technics is a part of these spheres. Specifically, technics must reckon with the spheres of statism and economics. Berdyaev perceives a pernicious development in modernity in which collective forces (the "masses") look to the state, economics, and technics to provide them with total happiness and well-being. Like Dostoevsky, from whom he gleamed many insights, Berdyaev thinks that humankind's appeal to technics, statism, and economics for total well-being only leads to human self-enslavement. Thus, humanity illustrates Dostoevsky's dictum that when humans abandon God, they (unknowingly) abandon or betray themselves as well.
Berdyaev explains more specifically that humankind has experienced certain periods in history when different relationships of spirit to matter are suggested. The ultimate outcome of the arrival of technics depends upon whether the human spirit can attain sufficient moral control over the machine to avoid a total domination and destruction by the machine.
So, what you're saying is that McKenna was one of many shamans. That technics are going to take over life and create slaves...(I think that was the conclusion of Ayn Rand's work, and why John Galt and the engines of the world disappeared.
The whole ethos of her work was that the state would enslave us. That Christians would meekly submit to the state...perhaps even Ayn didn't see the rise of the other God in America. But again, she knew that humankind that bowed down to an idea would be defeated in the end. The human spirit, the spirit of the individual, is the spirit that stands the best chance of survival.
There you are. Condensed
Yes one of many. I read Rand in 1974 when I enjoyed SF. I did not find her political thought in fiction or non-fiction of much use. Of course this is my background at the time. On the other hand I was Dystopian since I had read Huxley Brave New World and non-fiction Brave New World Revisited, 1984, and Kapek-War with the Newts. Had read a lot on WW1 and WW2 as well. And ancient history-Greeks, Romans, so I never idolized the State and always wanted it to go away. In fact, the State is Sacred and this is a pagan principle of Solar symbolism starting from Augustus who was the incarnation of Mitra. Idolatry.
You “did not find” Ayn Rand much use at the time. Surely you can see the parallels now?
Honestly I would need to go back. As I recall she had no interest in altruism and her characters tended towards monomania. Now not bring ideological in her fashion and not a champion of unrestrained Capitalism was one reason I am indifferent. I can see though how she supported greed is good “Objectively.” No God no master for the heroic individual.
This man is not, by any means, the last American shaman. My friend of 61 years has proved herself time and time again to be a genuine shaman with the ability to work over 4,000 miles and from the depths of life.