What is going on with the whole progressive project? That is what Curtis Yarvin is doing in Part 2 of "The Clear Pill."
But what exactly is he saying in his 7,800 words of exegesis?
Simply, at the end, he says that he is explaining how "progressivism is a way for the ruling class to feel important by supporting the government." And don't they just, the gentry class support the government? Oh yeah.
Yarvin's purpose is to look under the hood of today's governance, and figure out how it is done, how you get all the gentry class, who might theoretically have a whole range of goals, singing from the same hymnal.
How do you get them to take their eye off the truth, and buy into an "aesthetic tilt" that sneaks in the agenda of the ruling class, and gets them all singing the same tune of power?
Obviously, he writes, you do it with anthems, "thymotic anthems," where thymos comes from the Greek with a meaning "somewhere between ambition, honor, and vanity." In other words, the job of the ruling class is to compose anthems for the gentry class that appeal to the natural ambition, honor, and vanity of gentry-type people. But... The gentry class is too educated to live a live in the shadow of such base motives. Right? Right!
The other way to rule is with political formulas, "pistoic formulas," where pistos comes from the Greek with a meaning somewhere "between loyalty, fidelity, and servility." The formula demonstrates an emotional bond of loyalty: "I pay my taxes because the money supports good works." Usually, that money supports me, of course, so what's not to like?
And of course, when we observe a loyalty bond out there that does not involve us, we see corruption. Obviously, the climate science of scientists funded by Exxon is tainted, because the Exxon-funded scientists are naturally going to study things that do not hurt Exxon's interest. Obviously.
But whatabout climate scientists funded by NOAA? Huh? They will be saying that they do climate science because it helps save the planet, a political formula that proves their loyalty to the federal government and the climate establishment.
Thus:
And so we wise and learned deplorables outside the Capitol of Panem can understand how the pompous idiots cavorting in the Capitol are just completely hoodwinked by the anthems and formulas of the ruling class into being proud and loyal foot-soldiers in the ruling class's power project.
What does untilted reality look like, the kind that we, that have taken the Clear Pill, experience?
Of course, no power project lasts forever. There is a long period cycle that seems to rule western civ. and refreshes the fountain of power.
This has been a monstrously shortened and truncated explanation of Yarvin's notion, which I barely understand. If you want to ponder the deep richness of what he is saying, go read the original, "A Theory of Pervasive Error." Chances are you will end up just as confused as I am.
But what exactly is he saying in his 7,800 words of exegesis?
Simply, at the end, he says that he is explaining how "progressivism is a way for the ruling class to feel important by supporting the government." And don't they just, the gentry class support the government? Oh yeah.
Yarvin's purpose is to look under the hood of today's governance, and figure out how it is done, how you get all the gentry class, who might theoretically have a whole range of goals, singing from the same hymnal.
How do you get them to take their eye off the truth, and buy into an "aesthetic tilt" that sneaks in the agenda of the ruling class, and gets them all singing the same tune of power?
Obviously, he writes, you do it with anthems, "thymotic anthems," where thymos comes from the Greek with a meaning "somewhere between ambition, honor, and vanity." In other words, the job of the ruling class is to compose anthems for the gentry class that appeal to the natural ambition, honor, and vanity of gentry-type people. But... The gentry class is too educated to live a live in the shadow of such base motives. Right? Right!
The other way to rule is with political formulas, "pistoic formulas," where pistos comes from the Greek with a meaning somewhere "between loyalty, fidelity, and servility." The formula demonstrates an emotional bond of loyalty: "I pay my taxes because the money supports good works." Usually, that money supports me, of course, so what's not to like?
And of course, when we observe a loyalty bond out there that does not involve us, we see corruption. Obviously, the climate science of scientists funded by Exxon is tainted, because the Exxon-funded scientists are naturally going to study things that do not hurt Exxon's interest. Obviously.
But whatabout climate scientists funded by NOAA? Huh? They will be saying that they do climate science because it helps save the planet, a political formula that proves their loyalty to the federal government and the climate establishment.
Thus:
Here we see just how blissful the union of thymos and pistos can be. Ambition and loyalty may contrast; they do not conflict; the contrary—they fit together like burger and bun. Most anthems serve power; most formulas imply status.
An anthem is a way to feel important. A formula is a way to support the government. Therefore, a formulaic anthem is a way to feel important by supporting the government.Both anthems and formulas are ways to tilt reality and make people feel good about supporting the tilted power reality of the ruling class, especially our beloved gentry class of progressive liberals.
And so we wise and learned deplorables outside the Capitol of Panem can understand how the pompous idiots cavorting in the Capitol are just completely hoodwinked by the anthems and formulas of the ruling class into being proud and loyal foot-soldiers in the ruling class's power project.
What does untilted reality look like, the kind that we, that have taken the Clear Pill, experience?
Unaffected thought will be found wherever no valid thought is anthem or formula. The institution of mathematics can be politicized. The math itself cannot.The key is that no power is involved. Once power enters in we get titled reality and we start to get anthems and formulas to make us feel good about bowing to power and going with its power project.
Of course, no power project lasts forever. There is a long period cycle that seems to rule western civ. and refreshes the fountain of power.
- The intellectual command economy rules. Public opinion is directed by a dogmatic bureaucracy, rife with pervasive error, systematically incapable of changing its mind.
- An unofficial free market for truth evolves. This market cannot be poisoned by power, because it has no power. It develops a higher-quality product than the official narrative.
- A new epistemic elite arises. The old intellectual bureaucracy, smart enough to sense its own inferiority, hands power to the new truth market. A new golden age begins.
- Dogmatic bureaucracy returns. Slowly and inevitably poisoned by power, the once-vibrant civil society slowly ossifies into a dogmatic bureaucracy, evolving more and more pretty lies until pervasive error is again the norm.
This has been a monstrously shortened and truncated explanation of Yarvin's notion, which I barely understand. If you want to ponder the deep richness of what he is saying, go read the original, "A Theory of Pervasive Error." Chances are you will end up just as confused as I am.
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