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SkeptikosXL
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Registered: 02/25/08
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Slavery
#8223732 - 04/01/08 10:15 AM (15 years, 10 months ago) |
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Slavery

You think that you are free?
By David Preussen 2007Most people think of slavery as something humans force upon each other, something based on chains, cages and such things. Many are not even aware that there are many different kinds of slavery and that most of them are not based on what humans do to others but our weakness of mind. Generally spoken, being a slaves means being bound to slavish things, slavish things for example are desire, servitude, or short; anything that restrain us in our freedom. By slavery I make a distinctions into two different kinds of slavery; internal- and external-slavery. Internal-slaves are those that are slaves to their own desires and impulses, those that got enslaved by fellow humans or other external factors not in their control are external-slaves. Internal-slavery arises out of a weakness of mind, external-slavery out of dependence. Quote:
"Some things are in our control and others not. Things in our control are opinion, pursuit, desire, aversion, and, in a word, whatever are our own actions. Things not in our control are body, property, reputation, command, and, in one word, whatever are not our own actions. The things in our control are by nature free, unrestrained, unhindered; but those not in our control are weak, slavish, restrained, belonging to others. Remember, then, that if you suppose that things which are slavish by nature are also free, and that what belongs to others is your own, then you will be hindered. You will lament, you will be disturbed, and you will find fault both with gods and men. But if you suppose that only to be your own which is your own, and what belongs to others such as it really is, then no one will ever compel you or restrain you." -- Epictetus, Enchiridion (55-135b.c.)
Sadly, today we are all slaves in one way or another. External-slaves to usury, interest and the plutocratic systems that were forced upon us and internal-slaves to our desires, addictions, wishes and last but not least, instincts. Infact I believe that some races were in their entire history never free, not because others enslaved them but because they never reached the required self-control and awareness level to gain freedom from their desires and low-level instincts. As long as one is driven by factors like hunger, thirst, and other desires he is not free for such a man does not do things out of free will but of want and/or need.
 For example, a man does not usually go on a toilet because of his free will, a man goes there because his body commands him to. A man only fallowing the commands of his body and instincts is simply in no way more free than a man fallowing the commands of his master for a servant is a servant no matter whom he serves. It's the same with hunger, thirst, sexual desires, or addictions, someone addicted to hard drugs like heroin for example is no less a slave than an externally-enslaved African was some centuries ago. Animals therefore are never free for animals are only driven by needs and wants. Being free requires free will and free will requires freedom from needs and wants. Full freedom all of the time is therefore an illusion, a dream, because as long as we are bound to our slavish body we have to do slavish things just to stay alive. Having freedom from desires and wants for most of his time is the best a human can hope for. Quote:
"Man, in order to think, in order to feel himself free, in order to become man, must be freed from the material cares of daily life." -- Aristotle
Even thought the media and "education" tells as the opposite, I believe in today's world we are more slaves than at any other time in history. We only don't wear visible chains anymore! Not so long ago most people were independent, even most peasants were independent to some degree. They were not rich but independent and self-sufficient. A man was rather poor but independent than a servant! That was before advertising, centralization and consumerism destroyed the social and economical structure of society.
True happiness is something that arises from a certain state of mind or being, not external gods. Trying to fill the emptiness inside with external gods only leads deeper into slavery. Just ask a drug addict!
 Today we are all servants, the middle class is dying and all the wealth is centralized in fewer and fewer hands. A "free market" and all those things are mere illusions, no matter what we do we serve the people which control the access to resources and wealth. Instead of cages and chains we got interest, taxes, inflation, desires, wants and needs to keep us down. And it gets worse, our world rulers are currently replacing those people and races that reached the required level of awareness to gain some freedom from their desires, wants and impulses with those that have not. Eternal-Slavery, external and internal, seems to be what they have in mind for the world. Quote:
"It is characteristic of a tyrant to dislike every one who has dignity or independence; he wants to be alone in his glory." -- Aristotle, Politics
Source
-------------------- In times of universal deceit the love of truth becomes the most radical of all ideologies.
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Mr_Spliff
Dreamer



Registered: 12/01/05
Posts: 224
Loc: Undesclosed Location (its...
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The battle between satan (determanism) and god(freewill) wages on. It happens threw evolution, I dwel in chaos, the realm of choice.
About to make a far out there statment, the government, vatican, and mainstream culture are under the influence of satan (illuminatie what ever you want, it a force in this world), they dont want us to use psychedelics, they add to the chaos in our brain, we become un-predictable, ever feel this courage, this confidence, this sense of well being on shrooms, like you could do anything you wanted at the moment, mak on a hottie, or just do some insane act of defiance you never other wise would?
The mushroom god, the god of Jesus, wants us to be free, happy, and healthy.
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Atheist
Stranger


Registered: 01/24/06
Posts: 13,705
Loc: USA
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Quote:
The mushroom god, the god of Jesus, wants us to be free, happy, and healthy.
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Icelander
The Minstrel in the Gallery



Registered: 03/15/05
Posts: 95,368
Loc: underbelly
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Quote:
SkeptikosXL said: Slavery

You think that you are free?
By David Preussen 2007
Most people think of slavery as something humans force upon each other, something based on chains, cages and such things. Many are not even aware that there are many different kinds of slavery and that most of them are not based on what humans do to others but our weakness of mind.
Generally spoken, being a slaves means being bound to slavish things, slavish things for example are desire, servitude, or short; anything that restrain us in our freedom. By slavery I make a distinctions into two different kinds of slavery; internal- and external-slavery. Internal-slaves are those that are slaves to their own desires and impulses, those that got enslaved by fellow humans or other external factors not in their control are external-slaves. Internal-slavery arises out of a weakness of mind, external-slavery out of dependence.
Quote:
"Some things are in our control and others not. Things in our control are opinion, pursuit, desire, aversion, and, in a word, whatever are our own actions. Things not in our control are body, property, reputation, command, and, in one word, whatever are not our own actions. The things in our control are by nature free, unrestrained, unhindered; but those not in our control are weak, slavish, restrained, belonging to others. Remember, then, that if you suppose that things which are slavish by nature are also free, and that what belongs to others is your own, then you will be hindered. You will lament, you will be disturbed, and you will find fault both with gods and men. But if you suppose that only to be your own which is your own, and what belongs to others such as it really is, then no one will ever compel you or restrain you." -- Epictetus, Enchiridion (55-135b.c.)
Sadly, today we are all slaves in one way or another. External-slaves to usury, interest and the plutocratic systems that were forced upon us and internal-slaves to our desires, addictions, wishes and last but not least, instincts. Infact I believe that some races were in their entire history never free, not because others enslaved them but because they never reached the required self-control and awareness level to gain freedom from their desires and low-level instincts. As long as one is driven by factors like hunger, thirst, and other desires he is not free for such a man does not do things out of free will but of want and/or need.

For example, a man does not usually go on a toilet because of his free will, a man goes there because his body commands him to. A man only fallowing the commands of his body and instincts is simply in no way more free than a man fallowing the commands of his master for a servant is a servant no matter whom he serves. It's the same with hunger, thirst, sexual desires, or addictions, someone addicted to hard drugs like heroin for example is no less a slave than an externally-enslaved African was some centuries ago.
Animals therefore are never free for animals are only driven by needs and wants. Being free requires free will and free will requires freedom from needs and wants. Full freedom all of the time is therefore an illusion, a dream, because as long as we are bound to our slavish body we have to do slavish things just to stay alive. Having freedom from desires and wants for most of his time is the best a human can hope for.
Quote:
"Man, in order to think, in order to feel himself free, in order to become man, must be freed from the material cares of daily life." -- Aristotle
Even thought the media and "education" tells as the opposite, I believe in today's world we are more slaves than at any other time in history. We only don't wear visible chains anymore! Not so long ago most people were independent, even most peasants were independent to some degree. They were not rich but independent and self-sufficient. A man was rather poor but independent than a servant! That was before advertising, centralization and consumerism destroyed the social and economical structure of society.
True happiness is something that arises from a certain state of mind or being, not external gods. Trying to fill the emptiness inside with external gods only leads deeper into slavery. Just ask a drug addict!

Today we are all servants, the middle class is dying and all the wealth is centralized in fewer and fewer hands. A "free market" and all those things are mere illusions, no matter what we do we serve the people which control the access to resources and wealth. Instead of cages and chains we got interest, taxes, inflation, desires, wants and needs to keep us down.
And it gets worse, our world rulers are currently replacing those people and races that reached the required level of awareness to gain some freedom from their desires, wants and impulses with those that have not. Eternal-Slavery, external and internal, seems to be what they have in mind for the world.
Quote:
"It is characteristic of a tyrant to dislike every one who has dignity or independence; he wants to be alone in his glory." -- Aristotle, Politics
Source
And so we make the most of the small freedoms we have and surrender to the rest. That's life dude.
-------------------- "Don't believe everything you think". -Anom. " All that lives was born to die"-Anom. With much wisdom comes much sorrow, The more knowledge, the more grief. Ecclesiastes circa 350 BC
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fireworks_god
Sexy.Butt.McDanger



Registered: 03/12/02
Posts: 24,855
Loc: Pandurn
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Yes, I am very interested in knowing the original poster's own reflections on that passage.
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If I should die this very moment I wouldn't fear For I've never known completeness Like being here Wrapped in the warmth of you Loving every breath of you
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MushmanTheManic
Stranger


Registered: 04/21/05
Posts: 4,587
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Quote:
Generally spoken, being a slaves means being bound to slavish things, slavish things for example are desire, servitude, or short; anything that restrain us in our freedom.
That seems like a pretty shitty definition.
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Veritas

Registered: 04/15/05
Posts: 11,089
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Quote:
Slavery (most relevant definition) The condition of being subject or addicted to a specified influence.
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MushmanTheManic
Stranger


Registered: 04/21/05
Posts: 4,587
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Re: Slavery [Re: Veritas]
#8224355 - 04/01/08 01:43 PM (15 years, 10 months ago) |
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I don't like that definition much, either.
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Veritas

Registered: 04/15/05
Posts: 11,089
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Take it up with the dictionary.
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MushmanTheManic
Stranger


Registered: 04/21/05
Posts: 4,587
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Re: Slavery [Re: Veritas]
#8224359 - 04/01/08 01:45 PM (15 years, 10 months ago) |
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Which dictionary was it?
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Veritas

Registered: 04/15/05
Posts: 11,089
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American Heritage.
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Madtowntripper
Sun-Beams out of Cucumbers



Registered: 03/06/03
Posts: 21,287
Loc: The Ocean of Notions
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Re: Slavery [Re: Veritas]
#8224848 - 04/01/08 03:56 PM (15 years, 10 months ago) |
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Quote:
Veritas said: American Heritage.
That's the worst definition I was able to find.
Quote:
Definitions of slavery on the Web:
* bondage: the state of being under the control of another person * the practice of owning slaves * work done under harsh conditions for little or no pay wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn
* Slavery is a social-economic system under which certain persons — known as slaves — are deprived of personal freedom and compelled to perform labour or services. The term also refers to the status or condition of those persons, who are treated as the property of another person or household. ... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slavery
* (Merriam-Webster Online) "1: submission to a dominating influence; 2 a: the state of a person who is chattel of another; b: the practice of slaveholding. dawn-drupal.science.oregonstate.edu/glossary
* This is the ownership of other people who are forced to work for their owner without pay and freedom. www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/radio/specials/1758_blue_plaque/vocpops/florence_nightingale.shtml
* The state or condition of a slave; an institution that enables human bondage www.discoveringthestory.org/ugrr/glossary.asp
* Slaves made up only thirteen percent of the American population in eastern Arkansas in 1810, and that dropped to eleven percent in 1820 because most of the early settlers were hunters and subsistence farmers. ... encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx
* Describes when some individuals are owned by others as their property. www.uwic.ac.uk/shss/dom/newweb/General/Glossary.htm
* in French plantations encouraged the establishment of the slave-trading Guinea Company. A Code Noir required that plantation owners treat their slaves humanely, but it was often ignored in the colonies. 9 www.bartleby.com/67/713.html
* A state of bondage in which African Americans (and some Native Americans) were owned by other people, usually white, and forced to labor on their behalf. www.civilwarweapons.net/html/glossary.html
* the system of one person "owning" another www.ket.org/civilwar/vocab.html
-------------------- After one comes, through contact with it's administrators, no longer to cherish greatly the law as a remedy in abuses, then the bottle becomes a sovereign means of direct action. If you cannot throw it at least you can always drink out of it. - Ernest Hemingway If it is life that you feel you are missing I can tell you where to find it. In the law courts, in business, in government. There is nothing occurring in the streets. Nothing but a dumbshow composed of the helpless and the impotent. -Cormac MacCarthy He who learns must suffer. And even in our sleep pain that cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart, and in our own despair, against our will, comes wisdom to us by the awful grace of God. - Aeschylus
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Buckthorn
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Registered: 07/25/08
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This is an amazing article
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