Discussions concerning the academic, political, and aesthetic aspects of culturism
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Culturism, Individualism and the Puritans
12 comments:
Anonymous
said...
How strange and refreshing to see someone defending the Puritans. Also it's quite a coincidence as I just started reading "The Puritan Experiment" by Francis Bremer.
Up until recently, the Puritans were used as exemplars of virtue and an anchor of our morals. They got here and nearly immediately started Harvard. Their work ethic is the backbone of our economy. We'd do well to renew our respect for them.
I am not familiar with The Puritan Experiment. Please share any interesting insights!!!
Well, we tired of Increase and Cotton Mather and burning witches and all that stuff pretty quickly.
The Puritans have disappeared like the Shakers who sprouted in New England. The socialist shakers gave us a rich theory of design, endearing hymns and some very fine architecture.
The Universalists sprouted and have long survived the Puritans.
Then there were secular movements like Transcendentalism that sprung up in New England.
Whatever the Pilgrims contribution to this foundation may have been, they are gone, culture changes thankfully.
Considering the materialism, debt, crass consumerism, sleaze, and over indulgence of every appetite in our culture today, I say we could use some of the good old-fashioned puritanical moderation, modesty, and frugality.
Yes, if we had the sense of responsibility and frugality of the Puritans, this financial mess would not have taken place. Furthermore, the responsibility entailed in the sense of being a part of a special community would have kept their leaders from shipping their manufacturing overseas.
In terms of sleaze, the Puritans' esteeming the soul higher than the body follows a Venerable western tradition from Plato on. That was the backbone of education and values. The idea that we are all sex machines would have seemed revolting and insulting to them. We'd be better off if we again based our respect for folks on their spirt / soul / brains.
You're right; it's all about battlelines. Respect of clear boundaries means that battles will be fought, but it also means that treaties can be negotiated. Lack of clear boundaries drives all dealings into the realm of manipulation, passive-aggression and insulting attempts to thinly-disguise or painstakingly justify aggression.
I have long seen what you call "culturalism" to be a central dynamic of our times, expressed frequently and unabashedly by the ignorant and unsophisticated, yet astonishingly resistant to synthesized analysis and intellectual support (except by "intelligence" bureaus), due to the intensity of the taboo attached to the word "discrimination", which, while doing much to prevent injustice, does little to allow for reasonable distinctions and necessary judgment calls, and strips many people of the right to conscientious differentiation. I'm curious to know how well this concept of yours flies with your peers in academia.
It seems obvious to me that part of "human rights" is to be a social and religious being, which cannot be divorced from some element of discrimination without becoming repression and, in fact, discrimination itself. Co-existence will forever be a hard sell without recognizing parallel existence and the concessions and oversights that entails: the ugly (and for some unthinkable) underbelly of coming to terms with others.
Methinks, however, that "culturalism" in the way you have constructed it would, by its very nature, be problematic for most of America simply because multiculturalism is intrinsic to its history and the fabric of society; it is the intellectual glue of America. Sensitivities to toes stepped upon and the core American doctrine of inclusivity intellectually overwhelm the need for containment and expulsion; hesitation to potentially alienate sympathizers trumps self-protection, wisely or counter-intuitively.
Thank you. You have granted a measure of harmony to parts of my mind I have been struggling to reconcile.
Liberty and license ey, makes sense what you said. Too many in our modern-day society want the freedom to do anything, without responsibility for the consequences. As you call it license.
I have reasons for hope and reasons for despair over the spread of the word "culturism" as an alternative to "multiculturalism."
Reason for despair. Barack ran as a Christian, but his wild and woolly past really gives us a mish - mash cultural portrait.
Reason for hope. People already know multiculturalism, an opposite is easy to attack in vocabulary.
Culturism does not seek to end diversity. It only wants to emphasize our similarities, rather than our differences, and make distinctions on this basis.
Actually, our history is very culturist. Did you know that until 1965 we selected the types of Europeans we would let in on a culturist basis? The multicultural idea that we've always been about diversity and the stranger the better is historically inaccurate. We've, historically, been very worried about the decline and fragility of our nation.
Crazy ed is trying to get the least info out in the shortest time. I don't want to drone. I'm trying to find a personality that will spread. I've now gone with a slower presentation.
Nice post. I was checking constantly this blog and I am impressed! Very useful info specifically the last phase :) I take care of such info a lot. I used to be seeking this certain info for a long time.
I do not even know how I ended up here, but I thought this post was great. I do not know who you are but certainly you are going to a famous blogger if you aren't already ;) Cheers!
Look into my website; cool free sex xxx movie xxx movie - www.pornland.eu -
12 comments:
How strange and refreshing to see someone defending the Puritans. Also it's quite a coincidence as I just started reading "The Puritan Experiment" by Francis Bremer.
Empedocles,
Up until recently, the Puritans were used as exemplars of virtue and an anchor of our morals. They got here and nearly immediately started Harvard. Their work ethic is the backbone of our economy. We'd do well to renew our respect for them.
I am not familiar with The Puritan Experiment. Please share any interesting insights!!!
www.culturism.us
Well, we tired of Increase and Cotton Mather and burning witches and all that stuff pretty quickly.
The Puritans have disappeared like the Shakers who sprouted in New England. The socialist shakers gave us a rich theory of design, endearing hymns and some very fine architecture.
The Universalists sprouted and have long survived the Puritans.
Then there were secular movements like Transcendentalism that sprung up in New England.
Whatever the Pilgrims contribution to this foundation may have been, they are gone, culture changes thankfully.
Culture resonates for a long time. Furthermore, the celebration of the Puritans, up in to recent times, also has cultural resonance.
PS If I ever had a child, increase would be on the top of my list of names!! LOL
Considering the materialism, debt, crass consumerism, sleaze, and over indulgence of every appetite in our culture today, I say we could use some of the good old-fashioned puritanical moderation, modesty, and frugality.
Amen,
Yes, if we had the sense of responsibility and frugality of the Puritans, this financial mess would not have taken place. Furthermore, the responsibility entailed in the sense of being a part of a special community would have kept their leaders from shipping their manufacturing overseas.
In terms of sleaze, the Puritans' esteeming the soul higher than the body follows a Venerable western tradition from Plato on. That was the backbone of education and values. The idea that we are all sex machines would have seemed revolting and insulting to them. We'd be better off if we again based our respect for folks on their spirt / soul / brains.
Thanks, John
www.culturism.us
You're right; it's all about battlelines. Respect of clear boundaries means that battles will be fought, but it also means that treaties can be negotiated. Lack of clear boundaries drives all dealings into the realm of manipulation, passive-aggression and insulting attempts to thinly-disguise or painstakingly justify aggression.
I have long seen what you call "culturalism" to be a central dynamic of our times, expressed frequently and unabashedly by the ignorant and unsophisticated, yet astonishingly resistant to synthesized analysis and intellectual support (except by "intelligence" bureaus), due to the intensity of the taboo attached to the word "discrimination", which, while doing much to prevent injustice, does little to allow for reasonable distinctions and necessary judgment calls, and strips many people of the right to conscientious differentiation. I'm curious to know how well this concept of yours flies with your peers in academia.
It seems obvious to me that part of "human rights" is to be a social and religious being, which cannot be divorced from some element of discrimination without becoming repression and, in fact, discrimination itself. Co-existence will forever be a hard sell without recognizing parallel existence and the concessions and oversights that entails: the ugly (and for some unthinkable) underbelly of coming to terms with others.
Methinks, however, that "culturalism" in the way you have constructed it would, by its very nature, be problematic for most of America simply because multiculturalism is intrinsic to its history and the fabric of society; it is the intellectual glue of America. Sensitivities to toes stepped upon and the core American doctrine of inclusivity intellectually overwhelm the need for containment and expulsion; hesitation to potentially alienate sympathizers trumps self-protection, wisely or counter-intuitively.
Thank you. You have granted a measure of harmony to parts of my mind I have been struggling to reconcile.
But what's up with the Crazy Ed impersonation?
oops...make that "culturism"
difference duly noted.
Liberty and license ey, makes sense what you said. Too many in our modern-day society want the freedom to do anything, without responsibility for the consequences. As you call it license.
Vector E,
I have reasons for hope and reasons for despair over the spread of the word "culturism" as an alternative to "multiculturalism."
Reason for despair. Barack ran as a Christian, but his wild and woolly past really gives us a mish - mash cultural portrait.
Reason for hope. People already know multiculturalism, an opposite is easy to attack in vocabulary.
Culturism does not seek to end diversity. It only wants to emphasize our similarities, rather than our differences, and make distinctions on this basis.
Actually, our history is very culturist. Did you know that until 1965 we selected the types of Europeans we would let in on a culturist basis? The multicultural idea that we've always been about diversity and the stranger the better is historically inaccurate. We've, historically, been very worried about the decline and fragility of our nation.
Crazy ed is trying to get the least info out in the shortest time. I don't want to drone. I'm trying to find a personality that will spread. I've now gone with a slower presentation.
Thanks, John
Nice post. I was checking constantly this blog and
I am impressed! Very useful info specifically the last phase :)
I take care of such info a lot. I used to be seeking this certain info for a long time.
Thanks and best of luck.
Here is my homepage :: Teenpornsexpussy.Com
I do not even know how I ended up here, but I thought this post was great.
I do not know who you are but certainly you are going to a famous
blogger if you aren't already ;) Cheers!
Look into my website; cool free sex xxx movie xxx movie - www.pornland.eu -
Post a Comment