arthur schopenhauer (3)

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This has got to be one of the most stunning philosophical lectures/performances of a genius liberal-radical contemporary philosopher (Cornel West) in 2014, there is-- I listen to it and it touches so many chords and choruses of the type of philosophy I have been attempting and working through, and now coming out in my latest book "The Fear Problematique: Role of Philosophy of Education in Speaking Truths to Powers in a Culture of Fear" (IAP, in press). 

At one point in the talk, I particularly was delighted by West's bringing forward the Josiah Royce criticism of American philosophy, whereby (paraphrasing Royce), West says, "We need to re-word philosophy in a way in which it speaks to our times." Oh, yes! All of my work on centralizing the dark shadow (i.e., the tragic, tragic comedy, calamitous, the horrific)--and naming it as "fear"--for a start, has been about then finding the re-wording of philosophy laid down upon a new Fearlessness Paradigm. The search? the quest? the aim? For West and myself it is for paideia [Paideia (also spelled paedeia) refers to the rearing and education of the ideal member of the ancient Greek polis or state. These educational ideals...]

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Greta Thunberg (age 16) the Swedish climate activist, reminds me of Arthur Schopenhauer (age 16)-- as I have been reading AS's biographers and his letters and how he wanted to be a philosopher at that age and spoke his critical mind about human society--and the way "bipeds" operated in this world, which he was not impressed with--that was the early 19th century. AS has been criticized severely for being so blunt and honest with how he saw humans carryinng on--causing so much suffering. 

Today, Greta is at least being recognized as being just as blunt, and tough as she told British parliamentarians the very words in the image I created... she is someone who was diagnosed with a disability early in life along the spectrum of Asperger's disorder--and, it is proving to be a very useful psychic tool for her at least to speak out the way the world is and I ask you to read and sit with and meditate upon her words... spoken with virtually no emotion-- and just plain truth... from a young person's point of view. 

My last blog (see my video) was on asking all of us as adults (and youth) to contemplate our "philosophical disability" in confrontation with the existential crises we have created-- and, what is it like for us to hear a young teen like Greta say what she said to government. I find it a stunning moment of truthing--which is hard to put any reference upon in history--really... it is something awakening in the collective (thank you Greta)--and, I wish it hadn't arisen and Greta (and Arthur) never had to suffer with this facing a future that is not a real future-- but one that has been squandered--and, with the Anthropocene before us-- the terror is of an entirely new species. 

Time for fearologists to really take this on... a most poignant problem of our day. 

SEE my first FM blog on Greta https://fearlessnessmovement.ning.com/blog/youth-leadership-fear-greta-thunberg

Also, see a good critique respectful of the Greta Effect (as backlash):https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lieZSkg6WEA

Asperger's (neuroatypicality) is a "gift" according to the world expert (clinical psychologist Tony Attwood) on the syndrome (i.e., autism spectrum): 

"I think many of the heroes in life, and many of the greatest scientists and artists actually have [or had] Aspergers.... I think in the future, some of our major problems will be solved by people with Asperger's, whether it be pollution, electricity [alternatives] or whatever it may be, by somebody who thinks outside the box. In Aspergers they say 'What box?'.... our [sustainable and sane] future is based on such individuals.... is Aspergers the next stage of human evolution?" - Tony Atwood (from)  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdQDvLXLqiM

My preliminary study of Arthur Schopenhauer, leads me to think he was on that end of the spectrum of autism, Aspergers... but was undiagnosed, unfortunately, and had to cope with it without understanding what was happening... he made up his own means to understand (and rationalize) why he did not fit in the world. 

 

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New video

Dr. R. Michael Fisher, fearologist, educator and philosopher, explores existentialist frameworks within a new and exciting imaginary that goes beyond traditional philosophical and existential pursuits--he does that by taking off with a notion of having us all acknowledge "philosophical disability" and he creatively demonstrates what that might mean, how it could be applied--albeit, this is a very preliminary sketch only of this concept--and the way this philosophical work can prepare everyone interested in it for the coming "end times" or more accurately, the coming of major cascading crises that will bring and are bringing already massive suffering and extinctions on the planet. This is a teaching video for the Anthropocene era.

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