221130-ideals

"All the higher, more penetrating ideals are revolutionary. They present themselves far less in the guise of effects of past experience than in that of probable causes of future experience, factors to which the environment and the lessons it has so far taught us must learn to bend."

• William James, The Moral Philosopher and the Moral Life, excerpted by Ursula Le Guin in the introduction to The Ones who Walk Away from Omelas

ideals as "probable cause for future experience" feels like a pretty good reason to have a few ideals! how do we talk about ideals?

schizmogenesis is the creation of division. graeber and wengrow cite it frequently in groups primarily defining themselves in opposition to one another. to say, it's been happening basically for eternity.

seeing how our present moment inclines one to be more or less against everything, the challenge becomes speaking about ideals on their own. not simply in reaction to garbage.

tehn@nnnnnnnn.co