About
“When brought to the proletariat from the capitalist class, science is invariably adapted to suit capitalist interests. What the proletariat needs is a scientific understanding of its own position in society. That kind of science a worker cannot obtain in the officially and socially approved manner. The proletarian himself must develop his own theory. For this reason he must be completely self-taught.“
-Karl Kautsky
This project was born from the need to give voice to the thoughts and ideas that have long occupied my mind without an outlet. While my formal education is in Engineering, my true passions have always gravitated toward the abstract, intangible mysteries of our reality. I am fascinated by those underlying systems that exert their influence on our material reality from the shadows.
This curiosity has led me on autodidactic intellectual journeys through linguistics, religion, politics, metaphysics, sociology, and more. As my worldview has begun to solidify (albeit partially), I’ve arrived at an almost too-obvious realization: our world is in a state of financial and mental crisis, plagued by a lack of meaning. While the common response to this realization might be “obviously,” I believe the situation is more urgent than common sentiment suggests. Furthermore, I believe these issues stem from historical trends that have confined our world through financial and hierarchical constraints, which reinforce themselves by enslaving our consciousness.
To address these challenges, I see the need for a grassroots intellectual movement—a collective awakening of critical thought, questioning, and political engagement. The fact that social political activity is so rarely pursued with any seriousness by the public is a testament to the psychic and cultural chains imposed on us by those elusive systems of power. Outside of certain academic circles, the true story of our world and its physical and mental systems is obscured. The real nature of our situation seems to be gatekept behind long French treatises on “spectacle,” “desiring machines,” and “ideology.” If the public lacks the means to conceptualize their own existence without a PhD-level education, how can they ever achieve their freedom or even recognize their own unfreedom? True material emancipation requires political action, and political action, in turn, demands the emancipation of the mind.
Clearly, there is still much work to be done, and it cannot be left solely to a dwindling group of neo-Marxist/post-Marxist/post-structuralist/blah-blah-blah philosophy graduates. The autodidact—the individual who seeks knowledge beyond the constraints of rigid academic structures—must become a common archetype in our society.
As an autodidact and an outsider to the ivory tower, I hope to contribute to this intellectual revolution in whatever way I can, while also recognizing the inherent limitations of this position. Without a formal education in the works and disciplines I will be writing about, I may never fully grasp the complete nuance of what I’m discussing. I am not writing this blog from a position of intellectual authority; I have none. Instead, I hope to make this blog a reflection of my own concerns, hobbies, and amateur intellectual interests. I invite criticisms, corrections and challenges. I expect my views to mature further as this project continues, and welcome dialogue to assist this process. In short, I want to project my imperfect dialogue into the void, and perhaps, if my voice is loud enough, and if even a few of my words make any sense, others may want to join the conversation.
Do Free Cows Like Grass? 