Philosophical Question II
Daily Meditation #180–8/21/2022
Philosophical Question I here.
Anyone who has read these daily meditations understand that we are not political. We are here to discuss Eudaimonia. These periodic “Philosophical Questions” are intended to alter ones’ perception abilities, not question their beliefs.
Please approach this Meditation from that angle.
In the early 1930s, there was a group of individuals who had a solution to fix the world.
They had science behind their decisions.
There was a mastermind behind the strategies, and rapidly their following grew.
They believed in their science and doctrines zealously.
They would rewrite history for the greater good of all.
Before the world knew it, the movement was in full swing and they were seeing results from their work.
The “group of individuals” were the Nazis.
The “science” they had was the science of their time, and it was full of cognitive biases.
The “mastermind of strategies” was Adolf Hitler.
Their “greater good” and “rewriting of history” was utter eradication of the Jews (and later, others) and growing the Aryan race.
The “results of their work” were the creation of countless concentration camps — factories with efficient assembly lines with the sole purpose of extermination.
They wholeheartedly believed they were on the right side of history.
In the modern world we now, roughly speaking, have the Left and the Right.
The Left call the Right “Alt Right” and “Fascists.”
The Right call the Left “Commies.”
The Left insists the Right is delusional.
They insist the Right believe in “conspiracy theories” like George Soros, Klaus Schwab and Bill Gates seeking world domination and that there is a “Deep State” seeking to rob them of their guns and enforce Communism.
The Right insists the Left is delusional.
They insist the Left believe in “conspiracy theories” like “the Patriarchy” and that the police force is indoctrinated against minorities and that Republicans (in America) are working with Russia.
Who is right?
Does it matter?
What are the facts?
How do you know they are facts?
Who determines them to be “factual?”
What is the system to determine fact and lies?
What is and isn’t “conspiracy?”
Are you ideologically possessed? Indoctrinated?
Are you an NPC?
And so on.
Undoubtedly, most of you feel like you are “on a side” and that there is “the other side.”
Maybe there is. Maybe there isn’t.
The real question you must ask yourself, philosophically is this:
How do I know that in 3, 5, 10, 20, 50 years I am “right side of history” right now?
How do you know?
If you cannot answer that in a deep, meaningful way, you need to spend serious time thinking on it. Review what is available. Understand both “sides” objectively.
In closing:
Do you think you are on “the right side of things” today?
Why?
How can you know?
What facts do you have?
How can you be certain that those you support to represent you will not cause more suffering than those they “oppose?”
Follow for daily philosophical meditations.
These are distillations from my coming book “YouDaimonia: the Ancient Philosophy of Human Flourishing.”
