Yes, before anyone pitches in with that observation, M.M. would surely quote the above with some glee. I’m confident that he’d refrain from posting the essay’s ending, though:
Why? My mental model of M.M., admittedly based on the very few things of his that I’ve read, has him not disagreeing with the above section significantly.
He’s very firmly against all past and future attempts to bring forth the aforementioned Kingdom of Heaven (except, needless to say, his own—which has the elimination of hypocrisy as one of its points). He sneers—I have no other word—at patriotic feeling, and wages a one-man crusade against ideological/religious feeling. He might dislike hatred, but he certainly believes that greed and self-interest are “enough”—are the most useful, safe motives one could have. Etc, etc, etc, etc, etc.
He sneers—I have no other word—at patriotic feeling, and wages a one-man crusade against ideological/religious feeling.
Orwell wasn’t exactly a supporter of patriotism or religion either. In fact, in paragraphs you quoted you can see Orwell sneering at religion even as he admits that it can serve a useful purpose. My understanding of Moldbug’s position on religion is that its pretty similar, i.e., he recognizes the important role religion played in Western Civilization including the development of science even if he doesn’t like what it’s currently evolved into.
Orwell wasn’t exactly a supporter of patriotism or religion either.
No offence, but I think you need to read a dozen of his post-1939 essays before we even talk about that. He was a fervent British patriot, occasionally waxing nostalgic about the better points of the old-time Empire—even as he was talking about the necessity of a socialist state! - and a devout Anglican for his entire life (which was somewhat obscured by his contempt for bourgeois priesthood). You’re simply going off the one-dimensional recycled image of Orwell: the cardboard democratic socialist whose every opinion was clear, liberal and ethically spotless. The truth is far more complicated; I’d certainly say he was more of a totalitarian than the hypocritical leftist intellectuals he was bashing! (I hardly think less of him due to that, mind.)
Why? My mental model of M.M., admittedly based on the very few things of his that I’ve read, has him not disagreeing with the above section significantly.
He’s very firmly against all past and future attempts to bring forth the aforementioned Kingdom of Heaven (except, needless to say, his own—which has the elimination of hypocrisy as one of its points). He sneers—I have no other word—at patriotic feeling, and wages a one-man crusade against ideological/religious feeling. He might dislike hatred, but he certainly believes that greed and self-interest are “enough”—are the most useful, safe motives one could have. Etc, etc, etc, etc, etc.
Orwell wasn’t exactly a supporter of patriotism or religion either. In fact, in paragraphs you quoted you can see Orwell sneering at religion even as he admits that it can serve a useful purpose. My understanding of Moldbug’s position on religion is that its pretty similar, i.e., he recognizes the important role religion played in Western Civilization including the development of science even if he doesn’t like what it’s currently evolved into.
No offence, but I think you need to read a dozen of his post-1939 essays before we even talk about that. He was a fervent British patriot, occasionally waxing nostalgic about the better points of the old-time Empire—even as he was talking about the necessity of a socialist state! - and a devout Anglican for his entire life (which was somewhat obscured by his contempt for bourgeois priesthood).
You’re simply going off the one-dimensional recycled image of Orwell: the cardboard democratic socialist whose every opinion was clear, liberal and ethically spotless. The truth is far more complicated; I’d certainly say he was more of a totalitarian than the hypocritical leftist intellectuals he was bashing! (I hardly think less of him due to that, mind.)