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willow
i have so many thoughts about this passage
william james, the will to believe, section 4
willowApr 15, 2024
i’m feeling somewhat sympathetic for those who feel the pull of the metaphysical need. how else is one to cope with weakness in the face of monstrosity and no power to overcome the conditions this horrific world is predicated upon? for most it is too much to bear.
willow
entirely contrary to james' point, this is the unpragmatic conservative political consequence of religious belief: it has the power to arbitrarily justify any amount of gruesome pointless suffering and give it cosmic purpose
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willow
but precisely for that reason it carries it's most valuable asset. like idk if you're the dog and you're powerless to stop your own vivisection, then fuck it entertain any fantasy you like if it helps you cope.
willow
if i were a neoliberal: religion is game theoretically dire because the short term utility maximizing play is horrid in the long run and because it's treated like a private matter but has externalities
2 replies