It is the principle thesis of this web site
that Nothing—a quality—is
the ultimate foundation of all that exists.
By contrast, the idea of Something—a
quantity (especially the quantity we call "God")—virtually
dominates the psyche of Western culture.
Many of the articles and book selections
presented here take a hard look at The Something.
It is without question a pastime that most
in the West would just as soon not bother with, preferring instead
to simply take it for granted that the nebulous indefinable foundation
of their very Society is most likely legitimate, and for the very
good reason that most everyone else seems to believe that
it is!
With an air of commercial complacency, they
shrug off such invitations to doubt. The bother of making cerebral
investments in matters arcane is not likely to garner much of a
return on said investments. Non-resistance to social programming
is so much easier than philosophical sieges, in spite of the fact
that such easy acquiescence nearly always results in a form of psychic
slavery.
It is my primary contention that The Something
restricts and enslaves, while The Nothing liberates and empowers.
The Nothing and The Something clearly reflect
divergent paths. It is thus understandable that strong disagreements
will appear twixt their naturally opposing ways.
And the stark polarities often bear extreme
forms. Those who so passionately embrace The Something look upon
the nihilists as evil (perhaps even in cahoots with the supreme
personification of evil), while the nihilists quite often view their
faith-based detractors as virtually insane for so avidly clinging
to abstractions that can only be talked about, never proven.
Being of the nihilist persuasion myself,
I have on occasion referred to theists, especially those who so
actively promote their beliefs, as "God devils." I came
to this sentiment since my path is in a completely opposite direction.
Evil for me is thus the reverse of what it is for them. (Actually,
I don't believe in evil, but I know that they do. I simply manage
to extract some humor by goading them with it.)
Watts is probably correct. They (The Something
and The Nothing) are very likely two sides of the same coin, neither
even capable of existence without the other. But, be that as it
may, I still prefer liberty to slavery.
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