Reading Backwards
How do we escape from the grasp of today’s ideologies, fads, rationalizations, and general enculturation? We must learn to read backwards to remove our self from today’s cultural container. As Archimedes observed we must find a platform outside of that reality which we wish to understand and to move.
Reading backwards is using our library card to borrow books that were written many years or many hundreds of years ago. Reading has another great advantage in that we can easily focus on books that have withstood the test of time. We can easily identify thw ‘real thing’ insofar was worthy thinking is concerned.
We can read Churchill about the past one hundred years; we can read Marx, Darwin or Freud if we want to cover the 19th century, perhaps Paine, Jefferson and Hamilton on the 18th century, maybe Bacon, Chaucer, Aquinas and Plato going further back in history.
By reading backward we get a sense of the universal and the relative, the essential and the arbitrary. We can form the basis of reading critically with questions to act as our guide to understanding. We can learn to stop our general practice of sleep reading. We learned in our schooling to sleep read, sleep listen, and to become apathetic regarding all things intellectual. By reading backwards we can begin to comprehend the irrational impulses of our superficial consumer culture.
Our consumer culture through the schooling institutions has molded us into superficial creatures unable to withstand the inducements of our foolish value system.
Reading Backwards
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chonsigirl
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Reading Backwards
coberst wrote:
Our consumer culture through the schooling institutions has molded us into superficial creatures unable to withstand the inducements of our foolish value system.
Are you insinuating that the educational system is working hand in hand with big business to dummy down the society?
Everyone has a different value system, coberst. Please clarify your comments.
I only read "backwards" when I read in Hebrew.
Our consumer culture through the schooling institutions has molded us into superficial creatures unable to withstand the inducements of our foolish value system.
Are you insinuating that the educational system is working hand in hand with big business to dummy down the society?
Everyone has a different value system, coberst. Please clarify your comments.
I only read "backwards" when I read in Hebrew.
Reading Backwards
Chonsi
I think that our educational system is organized to suit those who run our society.
Who runs our society? Certainly not an apathetic and distracted population.
Our corporate leaders control the wealth and organizational power in our (USA) nation. They determine who can run for public office because they furnish the money to campaign. They control our society through a drumbeat of propoganda that makes us think of our self as consumers.
If they do not run our society they are not as smart as I think they are because there is nothing to stop them.
Our educational system is not working hand in hand with them. They do not allow anyone beyond a few to know who they are and what they do. Our teachers have no more power to determine these matters than does any other citizen.
Our elected politicians are out front so the people can throw tomatoes at them when they are unhappy, but the politicians have litle more control of the matter than do we individual citizens.
They are the Matador and we are the bull, and we see nothing but the cape.
I think that our educational system is organized to suit those who run our society.
Who runs our society? Certainly not an apathetic and distracted population.
Our corporate leaders control the wealth and organizational power in our (USA) nation. They determine who can run for public office because they furnish the money to campaign. They control our society through a drumbeat of propoganda that makes us think of our self as consumers.
If they do not run our society they are not as smart as I think they are because there is nothing to stop them.
Our educational system is not working hand in hand with them. They do not allow anyone beyond a few to know who they are and what they do. Our teachers have no more power to determine these matters than does any other citizen.
Our elected politicians are out front so the people can throw tomatoes at them when they are unhappy, but the politicians have litle more control of the matter than do we individual citizens.
They are the Matador and we are the bull, and we see nothing but the cape.
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chonsigirl
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- Joined: Mon Mar 07, 2005 8:28 am
Reading Backwards
*I will not say I'm seeing red*:)
I am the gadfly, I do not agree Coberst. I do not think the educational system always suits the majority, or the minority.
As far as the cape goes, if you choose to step into the ring of danger, you take your chances. I do not think it is the proverbial "wool over the eyes."
You went from education to big business and politics in a hop, skip and a jump, coberst. Can you focus the thoughts a little more for me, please.
I am the gadfly, I do not agree Coberst. I do not think the educational system always suits the majority, or the minority.
As far as the cape goes, if you choose to step into the ring of danger, you take your chances. I do not think it is the proverbial "wool over the eyes."
You went from education to big business and politics in a hop, skip and a jump, coberst. Can you focus the thoughts a little more for me, please.
Reading Backwards
coberst wrote:
They are the Matador and we are the bull, and we see nothing but the cape.
It seems to me that you think very little of people.
There's more there than you give them credit for.
They are the Matador and we are the bull, and we see nothing but the cape.
It seems to me that you think very little of people.
There's more there than you give them credit for.
Reading Backwards
quote chonsi - I only read "backwards" when I read in Hebrew.
:yh_rotfl
:yh_rotfl
Reading Backwards
I think that people resemble our bovine ancestors. We are inclined to be staring blankly into the distance or running with the herd.
I think that a little detective work will remove a great deal of the wool covering the eyes of the population.
There is nothing to stop the leaders of our corporations, banks, media, think tanks, elite universities etc. to unite in a clandestine network to control the nation. In fact, they would be foolish not to do so.
They start out with massive power because they control the power of American institutions; it is a small step to control the whole nation. They have proven that they can control us through advertising to become consumers without overriding values and borrowers without limit.
I think that a little detective work will remove a great deal of the wool covering the eyes of the population.
There is nothing to stop the leaders of our corporations, banks, media, think tanks, elite universities etc. to unite in a clandestine network to control the nation. In fact, they would be foolish not to do so.
They start out with massive power because they control the power of American institutions; it is a small step to control the whole nation. They have proven that they can control us through advertising to become consumers without overriding values and borrowers without limit.
Reading Backwards
Maybe it'd be easier to understand your point if you'd describe what people would look like, after the changes you want have been made!
What would we be doing? Subsistence farming? Fighting mammoths? Educating ourselves?
What would we be doing? Subsistence farming? Fighting mammoths? Educating ourselves?
My candle's burning at both ends, it will not last the night. But ah, my foes, and oh, my friends--It gives a lovely light!--Edna St. Vincent Millay
Reading Backwards
Lulu2 wrote: Maybe it'd be easier to understand your point if you'd describe what people would look like, after the changes you want have been made!
What would we be doing? Subsistence farming? Fighting mammoths? Educating ourselves?
After we citizens accepted our responsibilities as citizens as our ancestors imagined we would look like rational adults willing and able to make public policy and govern ourself.
Perhaps democractic nations have reached their high points and there appears to be a slow decline back into systems wherein the populations revert to their bovine apathy.
What would we be doing? Subsistence farming? Fighting mammoths? Educating ourselves?
After we citizens accepted our responsibilities as citizens as our ancestors imagined we would look like rational adults willing and able to make public policy and govern ourself.
Perhaps democractic nations have reached their high points and there appears to be a slow decline back into systems wherein the populations revert to their bovine apathy.
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chonsigirl
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- Joined: Mon Mar 07, 2005 8:28 am
Reading Backwards
coberst wrote: After we citizens accepted our responsibilities as citizens as our ancestors imagined we would look like rational adults willing and able to make public policy and govern ourself.
Perhaps democractic nations have reached their high points and there appears to be a slow decline back into systems wherein the populations revert to their bovine apathy.
Cobesrt, society is not a bunch of cows.
Citizenship as defined by our ancestors-well, in ancient Greek society, that meant only the aristocratic, land holding males of the population. No one else got to vote for a single thing. I think we have advanced since then.
Coberst, I have a question for you. I notice when you start these threads, you post it on multiple forums on other sites. What kind of responses are you really want from people? Not everyone is going to perceive CT the way you do, if that is your main thrust.
Discussion means continuing the train of thought and conversation as it flows, not dropping subjects when they don't go the way you want them to. That is how life is.
I am still waiting for a continuance on Descartes.........................
And we really do like you, this is not said in a negative way.
Perhaps democractic nations have reached their high points and there appears to be a slow decline back into systems wherein the populations revert to their bovine apathy.
Cobesrt, society is not a bunch of cows.
Citizenship as defined by our ancestors-well, in ancient Greek society, that meant only the aristocratic, land holding males of the population. No one else got to vote for a single thing. I think we have advanced since then.
Coberst, I have a question for you. I notice when you start these threads, you post it on multiple forums on other sites. What kind of responses are you really want from people? Not everyone is going to perceive CT the way you do, if that is your main thrust.
Discussion means continuing the train of thought and conversation as it flows, not dropping subjects when they don't go the way you want them to. That is how life is.
I am still waiting for a continuance on Descartes.........................
And we really do like you, this is not said in a negative way.
Reading Backwards
Diuretic wrote: I'd like to say apathy is okay but I don't know if it interests me that much....I think we're apathetic about something or other. Not everyone is interested in politics, for example, which means that the few who are so interested that they want to make a career out of it will probably be able to do so if they have the energy and a bit of luck. That will breed oligarchy of course and most of it not all political systems (aside from anarchist ones) are run by oligarchies.
In your opinion does a citizen in a democracy have any duties?
In your opinion does a citizen in a democracy have any duties?
Reading Backwards
Chonsi
Your response to my bit on Descartes seemed very tepid. I assumed this was not what you were interested in so I dropped it. I took another approach but you never mentioned it so I assumed nothing I said seemed to interest you in my attempt to respond to your earlier request.
I see cows when I think about the citizens of the US.
I think that the Internet is a good place to introduce important concepts that few people ever think about. I am trying to make people conscious (focus attention) of these important concepts. I would like for people to become conscious of these concepts and to ask questions if they desire or discuss these concepts. Most important I wish to arouse their curiosity to the extent that they will get a book from their library and study the matter.
My interest in CT rests on my conviction that all responsible citizens need to develop a small bit of intellectual life and knowing how to think is important for the learning process.
Chonsi, I like you too especially because you are a teacher and teachers are an important component of civilized behavior.
Your response to my bit on Descartes seemed very tepid. I assumed this was not what you were interested in so I dropped it. I took another approach but you never mentioned it so I assumed nothing I said seemed to interest you in my attempt to respond to your earlier request.
I see cows when I think about the citizens of the US.
I think that the Internet is a good place to introduce important concepts that few people ever think about. I am trying to make people conscious (focus attention) of these important concepts. I would like for people to become conscious of these concepts and to ask questions if they desire or discuss these concepts. Most important I wish to arouse their curiosity to the extent that they will get a book from their library and study the matter.
My interest in CT rests on my conviction that all responsible citizens need to develop a small bit of intellectual life and knowing how to think is important for the learning process.
Chonsi, I like you too especially because you are a teacher and teachers are an important component of civilized behavior.
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chonsigirl
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- Joined: Mon Mar 07, 2005 8:28 am
Reading Backwards
Coberst, I do like your suggestion, that if their interest in a particular subject continues that they turn to hard copy material. Just gleaning information from the net can produce many fallcies, because you cannot always be certain that the material is valid, a hoax, a joke, etc. I do hope you inspire them to read something substantial. I do not know where I would be without my library at home, for my writing. I grab the book I know the information is in, to correlate my facts or figures, and can be sure of what I write and think out. This information is not available on the net at all.
(my summer project, wich is half way done! I have stuck to my schedule, but I digress)
Yes, you are right about Descartes. I dropped it, I always think along the lines of in depth analysis of one philosopher and system before going on to another. But then, that is the perpetual student in me.
(my summer project, wich is half way done! I have stuck to my schedule, but I digress)
Yes, you are right about Descartes. I dropped it, I always think along the lines of in depth analysis of one philosopher and system before going on to another. But then, that is the perpetual student in me.
Reading Backwards
Diuretic wrote: Yes, they're found in legislation. But aside from that there are no "duties" which suggest the development of a positive attitude towards democracy. A citizen is only required to obey the law, not to become an activist.
There it is, a clear demarcation of opinion regarding duty. I thank you for stateing so clearly your opinion.
This may be an imposition but it is information that is important for me. Would you tell me which of the three age brackets you fall within; younger than 20--20 to 30--above 30.
There it is, a clear demarcation of opinion regarding duty. I thank you for stateing so clearly your opinion.
This may be an imposition but it is information that is important for me. Would you tell me which of the three age brackets you fall within; younger than 20--20 to 30--above 30.
Reading Backwards
Recognition and acceptance of duty and responsibility are the primary means we have for determining maturation.