12 ideas
23531 | Philosophers should interpret the world, by expressing its possibilities [Berardi] |
Full Idea: The philosopher's task is to interpret the world, that is, to capture its tendency and above all to enunciate the possibilities inscribed therein. …The politician's eye does not see the possible, being attracted instead by the probable. | |
From: Franco 'Bifo' Berardi (The Second Coming [2019], How to) | |
A reaction: An inspiring idea! He is rejecting Marx's aim of changing the world, which had 'catastrophic' results. But I love his view of interpretation as spotting tendencies and possibilities. This fits my preferred ontology of dispositions and powers. |
23538 | Nothingness only exists in consciousness [Berardi] |
Full Idea: Consciousness is the only place where nothingness exists. | |
From: Franco 'Bifo' Berardi (The Second Coming [2019], II 'Expanding') | |
A reaction: Not sure about this, but an interesting remark from someone with a Hegelian background. We certainly have a concept of nothingness (a mental file of it, even). |
23532 | The delusion of free will brings a sense of guilt [Berardi] |
Full Idea: A sense of guilt is linked to the delusion of free will. | |
From: Franco 'Bifo' Berardi (The Second Coming [2019], How to) | |
A reaction: I agree that free will is a delusion, but I'm not sure about this. Clearly if you think you are 'ultimately' responsible for all of your actions this will increase guilt, but belief in free will is compatible with various excuses for actions. |
7903 | The six perfections are giving, morality, patience, vigour, meditation, and wisdom [Nagarjuna] |
Full Idea: The six perfections are of giving, morality, patience, vigour, meditation, and wisdom. | |
From: Nagarjuna (Mahaprajnaparamitashastra [c.120], 88) | |
A reaction: What is 'morality', if giving is not part of it? I like patience and vigour being two of the virtues, which immediately implies an Aristotelian mean (which is always what is 'appropriate'). |
21093 | Friendship without community spirit misses out on the main part of virtue [Hume] |
Full Idea: A man who is only susceptible of friendship, without public spirit or a regard to the community, is deficient in the most material part of virtue. | |
From: David Hume (That Politics may be reduced to a Science [1750], p.21) | |
A reaction: I think this is aimed at the epicureans. If the highest virtues are focused on one's friends that can easily lead to injustice, because it can tolerate prejudice against people who are very unlike one's friends. |
21091 | It would be absurd if even a free constitution did not impose restraints, for the public good [Hume] |
Full Idea: A republican and free form of government would be an obvious absurdity, if the particular checks and controls, provided by the constitution, had really no influence, and made it not the interest, even of bad men, to act for the public good. | |
From: David Hume (That Politics may be reduced to a Science [1750], p.14) | |
A reaction: Presumably if you attain absolute power you can write any old constitution you like (Clause 1: the presidency is for life). But there does seem much point in doing it - unless it is to facilitate the use of the law for persecutions. |
21092 | Nobility either share in the power of the whole, or they compose the power of the whole [Hume] |
Full Idea: A nobility may possess power in two different ways. Either every nobleman shares the power as part of the whole body, or the whole body enjoys the power as composed of parts, which each have a distinct power and authority. | |
From: David Hume (That Politics may be reduced to a Science [1750], p.15) | |
A reaction: He says the first type is found in Venice, and is preferable to the second type, which is found in Poland. Presumably in the shared version there is some restraint on depraved nobles. The danger is each noble being an autocrat. |
23537 | American white men trusted the philosophy of winning, and then discovered losing [Berardi] |
Full Idea: American white men trusted the promises of neoliberal selfishness, they trusted the philosophy of winning, then discovered losing. | |
From: Franco 'Bifo' Berardi (The Second Coming [2019], I 'Fascism') | |
A reaction: The most pernicious terminology in the English-speaking world is the labelling of people as 'winners' and 'losers'. We celebrate the one winner, and ignore everyone else. Celebrity, excessive wealth, honourable titles. |
23536 | Community is now a nostalgic memory, which no longer exists [Berardi] |
Full Idea: Community is only a nostalgic memory of a past condition of belonging that exists no longer. Regret, not a living experience. | |
From: Franco 'Bifo' Berardi (The Second Coming [2019], I 'Fascism') | |
A reaction: It is hard to disagree with this. Local heroes in my town make lovely efforts to improve the place (with flowers, sculptures) but most of us don't know who they are. Capitalist competition erodes community. |
23534 | Communism failed to unite western workers with the oppressed of the south [Berardi] |
Full Idea: Communist internationalism was the only attempt to reconcile the workers of the West and the oppressed population of the Global South, and this attempt failed. | |
From: Franco 'Bifo' Berardi (The Second Coming [2019], I 'Hundred') | |
A reaction: It was unfortunate that communism was launched in Russia, which we now see (in 2023) as poisoned by imperialist ambitions, and quite unsuited to international idealism. The Chinese are notably active in Africa. |
23533 | The economy has replaced medieval theocracy at the centre of our society [Berardi] |
Full Idea: The economy has progressively acquired the central place in the system of knowledge and research. Re-enacting the privilege of theocracy in the Middle Ages. | |
From: Franco 'Bifo' Berardi (The Second Coming [2019], I 'Knowledge') | |
A reaction: Illuminating. This is indeed how the economy is treated, centring on Gross National Product (no matter how distributed), and economic league tables. Is it even a quasi-religion? |
23535 | Western workers turn to nationalism, to avert the effects of globalisation [Berardi] |
Full Idea: Western workers are following nationalist agendas in order to avert the effects of globalization, and resorting to nationalist and racist forms of identification. | |
From: Franco 'Bifo' Berardi (The Second Coming [2019], I 'Hundred') | |
A reaction: By 'globalisation' must be meant the impersonal work and exploitation that results from huge ruthless anonymous companies. People barely know who they are working for, so it can't give them an identity. |