Thoreau on Reforming Reformers:

The Reformer who comes recommending any institution or system to the adoption of men, must not rely solely on logic and argument, or on eloquence and oratory for his success, but see that he represents one pretty perfect institution in himself, the centre and circumference of all others, an erect man.

I ask of all Reformers, of all who are recommending Temperance—Justice—Charity—Peace, the Family, Community or Associative life, not to give us their theory and wisdom only, for these are no proof, but to carry around with them each a small specimen of his own manufactures, and to despair of ever recommending anything of which a small sample at least cannot be exhibited:—that the Temperance man let me know the savor of Temperance, if it be good, the Just man permit to enjoy the blessing of liberty while with him, the Community man allow me to taste the sweets of the Community life in his society.

I cannot bear to be told to wait for good results, I pine as much for good beginnings. We never come to the final results, and it is too late to start from perennial beginnings.

But alas, when we ask the schemer to show us the material of which his structure is to be built. He exhibits only fair looking words, resolute and solid words for the underpinning, convenient and homely words for the body of the edifice, poems and flights of the imagination for the dome and cupola.

Thoreau, D. "Reform and the Reformers", Reform Papers, ed. Glick, W., Princeton University Press, 1973.

I'm dangerous

According to google, the universally upheld strong hold of truth and accurate information, I rank 107th for the most dangerous people in the world!

The proof is in the pudding.

Angels & Beasts - Prelude.

What follows is an attempt to give poetic expression to an idea that I see at the heart of most historical discussions concerning humanities' relation to the divine and the natural.

Man is like a ship broken asunder on two great rocks in a stormy sea. On one rock, we discover Angels and Gods who would show us Truth and Beauty in our own reflections. On the other, we meet Beasts and Brutes that would teach us to tear our own flesh to shreds for Pleasure or Pain. And so often we deny that the ship wreck visible on the opposite rock is the same as the one found on the rock we fancy ourselves as occupying. But it is imperative that we recall, though torn and strewn, we are a single ship.

Comments, questions, and suggestions welcome.

Hume and I.

Be a philosopher; but, amidst all your philosophy, be still a man. - Hume
Be a human; but, amidst all your humanity, be still an animal. - era

Question:

Is it possible to make a meaningful distinction between no longer being a Christian because you have;
(a) rejected Christianity,
(b) transcended Christianity.

A couple of Thoreau's remarks seem to suggest the possibility of transcending Christianity. In a letter to his friend Harrison Blake Thoreau writes "It is either the Tribune on the plain, a sermon on the mount, or a very private ecstasy still higher up." In Civil Disobedience Thoreau remarks;

They who know of no purer sources of truth, who have traced up its stream no higher, stand, and wisely stand, by the Bible and the Constitution, and drink at it there with reverence and humility; but they who behold where it comes trickling into this lake or that pool, gird up their loins once more, and continue their pilgrimage toward its fountain-head.

And his rejection of Christianity went something like;

[Christ] taught mankind but imperfectly how to live; his thoughts were all directed toward another world. There is another kind of success than his. Even here we have a sort of living to get, and must buffet it somewhat longer. There are various tough problems yet to solve, and we must make shift to live, betwixt spirit and matter, such a human life as we can.

Thoughts, comments, or suggestions?

a bent fork?

- We live in a world unlike anything that humankind had seen or dreamt of in the past. In this new world we are facing new problems that we must meet with new solutions. The past had old problems, old problems that have old solutions, and old solutions cannot help us solve new problems. The past is irrelevant, concentrate on the present.

- The world has to be the way it is, it has always been this way and nothing you can do can substantially change it. If you think otherwise you are a political idealist and can be safely ignored because you are ignoring reality. People tried to change the world in the past, it did not work then and it will not work now.

(If anyone actually believes either of the above sentiments and can give better expression to them, then please do so and I shall amend my versions accordingly.)