In this continuing series of articles we will be examining & analyzing pivotal movies, narratives and subcultures which reflect the slow-motion collapse of society. Part one of this series of articles intends to trace the foundation of modern nihilism
In my isolation I retreat to simple pleasures which beguile my imagination away from anxiety and into placidity. To this day, nothing has truly quieted my mind or pacified my regrets. My mind's eye is entrained on the seismic patterns moving my life. I am not simply talking about political intrigue, corruption or mind-control over the masses - my attention is focused on the spectacle, the circus and our role in this grand game of life & death.
The historical, economic and political forces shaping Western society has culminated into modern nihilism.
Underneath the recurring economic crisis, political instability and moral corruption is the tragedy of human existence which is made to bare the brunt of its short-comings. For intellectuals it is exceedingly convenient to project blame unto the ruling class or as it is simply referred today as "evil white-men." On the opposite end of the spectacle...the apolitical, the working class and the so called "conservatives" are relentlessly agitated by a campaigned of demoralization. On the left...they clamor for a feminine hero who will keep them safe, on the right - they clamor for a masculine hero that has the power to transform placid turkeys into daring eagles.
The fundamental problems in our society lie beyond the self-serving façade of American politics. The socio-political framework of our culture does not dare to transgress or even innovate beyond the politically correct. Original movies are rare nowadays -sequels & prequels are vogue, music & art is produced by machine learning and our headlines are written by robots to drive up clicks. A highly-modernized society with god-like powers to create fantastic digital landscapes is bizarrely reduced to producing the same tired tropes. Why?
What does philosophy, politics and media say about us?
Socrates taught us to question everything; specially our Self. Descartes discovered the limits of our senses spurring rational skepticism, and declared “I am thinking, therefore I exist...Descartes assure[d] himself of his own existence." Schopenhauer contended the basic driving force in humanity is the Will; fundamental force in the Universe & living beings (like gravity). To the materialists such as Karl Marx, there was no separation between mind & body..."There is no Heaven or Hell. The universe, which has always existed and is not the creation of any supernatural being, is in the process of constant flux.
"The philosophy of Marxism is materialism", wrote Lenin."
Dialectical materialism is the philosophy of Marxism, which provides us with a scientific and comprehensive world outlook. It is the philosophical bedrock - the method - on which the whole of Marxist doctrine is founded. -Marxists.com
In short, dialectical materialism could be described as evolution as applied to philosophy instead of organisms. Dialectical materialism is the root assumption of Marxist and communist political theories.
For generations, the West achieved great conquests while gradually succumbing to a spiritual malaise. The paternal god that united humanity was sacrificed on the altar of technological progress. The metaphorical death of god (as Nietzsche provocatively declared) only gave impetus to the modern State's dominion over man. In its Utilitarian machinations, the State administers humans by reducing their essence into basic set of drives, calculable, reducible and easily distilled into controlled variables. The abandonment of passion, the rejection of free-will and the absurdity of modernity have reduced the individual body, mind & Spirit into a controllable class, a variable and a resource to be utilized. The subsequent tragedies which spawned from Marxism (Communism) evince the fallaciousness of reducing reality to materialism at the expense of metaphysical consideration.
In general, the socio-political development of the Western Cultural tradition is rooted in reductionism, logic and materialism. This dual edge sword created an outgrowth of technological, medical and financial progress while at the same time setting the foundation for an absurdist-post-modern society; a world without meaning or purpose.
Nietzsche proclaimed in Genealogy of Morals that philosophers unconsciously write auto-biographically, in other words, their philosophy inform us more about their moral constitution than the mystical laws of nature. I contend that people confess their heartfelt passions through the hero's or anti-heroes they revere.
Confession Through Television -
They're making the last film
They say it's the best
And we all helped make it
It's called the Death of the West -D93
The ideological roots of our post-modern condition (i.e. self-serving instant gratification, nihilism, etc.) were laid centuries ago - not by coincidence or accident but by deliberate effort. However, throughout this farce (while intended or unintentional) masses of people have participated in creating another form of slavery; which insidiously cajoles the mind into a self-serving stupor.
Resentment, Retribution and Schadenfreude
In a way media (music, movies, stories) act as emotional bellwethers which psychologically drive people into catharsis; a way for people to blow steam. The narratives, the characters and the representation of our World through media invites us to re-examine ourselves & society. Today, the most compelling stories are centered in self-indulgence, aimlessness and brutality. We enjoy the process of moral corruption, isolation and aggression towards the Other. We enjoy watching others suffer, lose and we comfort ourselves by numbing our senses.
The popular culture reflects the lack of compassion, originality and authenticity inherent in our society, however we take it for granted as simply just entertainment. This convenient rationalization simply blankets over the real existential issues which have attenuated human progress. Any attempt to circumvent this reality simply returns us to the beginning...a complete revolution of the human condition. In a literal sense, modern political revolutions have simply churned humanity from one form of enslavement to another.