Forum Post: ZenDog Zen

Interveiwer:

So you are the one.

ZenDog:

Excuse me?

Interveiwer:

The One. The Man. The guy who killed Philosophy. You're the one.

ZenDog:

Well, I wouldn't quite go that far.

Interveiwer:

Oh No? Really? And Why is that?

ZenDog:

Philosophy died when it gave birth to Nihilism, and for 200 years nobody seemed to notice. All I did was to point out the corpse in the corner. It seemed the most civilized, most humane, most reasonable and logical thing anyone could do.

Interveiwer:

Do you take great pleasure in Killing Philosophy? You do don't you.

ZenDog:

No, not at all. I mean, there is always great satisfaction in debunking a falsehood that clearly stands in the way of social progress. Anything that tends to buttress the corruption of the powerful must be destroyed, and most often these are simply falsehoods that receive widespread circulation - beliefs that seem to justify a particular behavior of some kind. But I take no great pleasure in Killing Philosophy - and as I said, the notion that somehow I'm even responsible is - well, it's almost funny. If I have killed anything it is simply the lie that Philosophy has become.

Interveiwer:

Ok, so help me understand here. You claim "Philosophy died when it gave birth to Nihilism." So what is Nihilism and how does it's birth usher in the death of Philosophy?

ZenDog:

Well, that's it in a nutshell, isn't it? IF Philosophy is the rational investigation of the truths and principles of being, knowledge, or conduct and IF Nihilism as a Philosophical principle is a.) an extreme form of skepticism: the denial of all real existence or the possibility of an objective basis for truth. b.) nothingness or nonexistence -- THEN it stands to reason, by reason, that Philosophy is dead; and that failure of Philosophy to utterly refute Nihilism, by reason, does seem to confirm it. To deny all real existence is to deny self, and if self does not exist, then neither can self proclaim Nihilism as an organizing principle. But some selfish and pessimistic selves have indeed proclaimed Nihilism as an organizing principle, thus disproving Nihilism. That the rise of this deceit within their own midst and from among their own ranks has gone unnoticed, by those whose mission in life is rational investigation of truth and existence, does surely condemn their entire lives work and proffessional discipline as an utter failure. A charade. A parlor game. A bauble thrown to children whose first inclination is to destroy for no other reason than the pleasure of destruction.

It is silly, really, but there it is, and it is utterly tragic as well. I say tragic because once you look at it, it really is unmistakable. Philosophy is dead, and in essense it killed itself. It did so with its own inaction, its own inability to persue the path of reality, regardless of where that path does lead.

Philosophical pessimism of this extreme nature is a suicide - it is the suicide of Philosophy. And so I say, Philosophy died at the birth of Nihilism.

A stunned silence ensues for some minutes, as the interviewer turns pale. Upon regaining her composure she prepares to continue, clears her thoat, and is interupted:

ZenDog:

It is most difficult to grasp, I understand completely. But it is simply not reasonable to utterly reject all religious and moral principle in the belief that life is meaningless. That men dedicated to reason have accepted such a premise as credible becomes their complete undoing, whether they adhere to it or not.

What is worse is the Philosophical belief that traditional morals, ideas, beliefs, etc., have no worth or value and a society's political and social institutions are so bad that they should be destroyed - these two principles cannot simultaneiously exist in a single individual without a great deal of denial. If no morality has value, then no government or social organization can have value. All are futile. Likewise, the destruction of any must also, be futile.

The inescapable reality is that everything has value. We just do not always know what that value is, or how it should be quantified. Yet this is not what reason, and Reasoned Men, have given us.

Interveiwer:

< Ahem >

How can you be sure any of this is true?

ZenDog:

That is the essence of Nihilism, isn't it? In an absolute sense, we may never be 100 percent certain of anything. Mach demonstrated that mathematical absolutism wasn't reasonable and Einstein proved that relativity is. What that suggests is that everything is relative - even relativity itself.

Interveiwer:

I'm not sure I know what that means.

ZenDog:

That's alright. We still lack a unified theory of everything, so I wouldn't worry about it.

Interveiwer:

< Ahem >

Why is it so important to you to Kill Philosophy?

ZenDog:

Look, it's not my fault. I didn't kill Philosophy. If Philosophy is in part the pursuit of truth, and if Philosophy holds up a premise that is easily and demonstrably false, then it has ceased in it's own self avowed persuit. It no longer is what it once was, and has now become something else. Philosophy as was once known no longer exists. It is dead.

Interveiwer:

Earlier you said that Anything that tends to buttress corruption must be destroyed. Do you see Philosophy as having buttressed corruption? Is that why you Killed Philosophy?

ZenDog:

I keep attempting to explain . . . but never mind.

The short answer is of course, Yes. Philosophy has and is being used to buttress corruption. The failure to refute Nihilism as philosophical discipline, whether it be some form of anarchy, or Libertarian Communism, or something else entirely, stands as Hypocrisy. It must be a deliberate, conscious Hypocrisy. This is so simply because Nihilism in principle can be so quickly and easily refuted that any child could do it - and yet in 200 years this has not been done. This was not done by those whose stated academic pursuit is that of Truth through reason.

The placid acceptance of Hipocrisy among those whose aim should be the attainment of excellence must lead to a further progression of Hipocrisy, of Corruption, throughout all facets of society, and all pillars of civilization: academia, government, industy, and the like.

Raymond Ross advocates lies as a matter of rhetorical principle while our politicans not only herald The Noble Lie, they in fact pervert it into a convenient excuse to parade the most bizzare contrivances before the public in the name of political utility.

Whether such an era as this can be laid entirely at the feet of Philosophy is a matter of debate which has no certain resolution. But it must be entirely evident, that any presentation of fact, of truth, before a reluctant political establishment, by a single individual standing on an alternative political theory which is based entirely on principles of an easily debunked philosophy like that of Nihilism, must leave the political establishment with the luxury of choice - to hear this argument of dissent, or no.

This same presentation, posed to a reluctant political establishment, while standing upon a political theory which is not only viable but embaraced by the multitude, itself represents a significant threat to that political structure, one which cannot easily be overlooked.

Interveiwer:

And so Philosophy is, in your mind, responsible for what, exactly?

ZenDog:

The construct we call Philosophy today has allowed for presentations of Truth to power while standing on a foundation of corruption. Whether you see it as some form of fear based cover or noble lie of necessity, the fact remains, truth told to power while standing upon a foundation of falsehood may easily be ignored. In consequence delay is certain to ensue, and this is the very best outcome one may hope for. A compounding of the original problem follows close behind.

This is what Philosophy has produced, in the shadow of Nihilism.

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Part I: Here's the Deal

Part III: Just A Little More Zen