DOCSLIB.ORG

The Metaphysics of Dualist Pantheism

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The Metaphysics of Dualist Pantheism qqqqqqqqqqqCollected Essays qqqqqqqqqqCollected Essays By William Schnack evolutionofconsent.com Published by William Schnack Fort Worth, Texas 2014 ISBN: 978-0-692-23258-3 evolutionofconsent.com HIS IS DEDICATED TO MY FATHER, KIRK SCHNACK, who has been the best father I could have ever asked to win in a T lottery such as life, and who has taught me to live by the principle that people should be free to do what they want to as long as it is not hurting anyone else in the process. Prologue E LIVE IN A UNIVERSE of which we can only begin to gain understanding, but beginning, in itself, is quite a feat! The fact that the human brain has any capacity for Wreasoning at all, in a Universe of increasing disorder, is nothing short of miraculous. We, humans, are complex creatures, capable of many things that have (so far as we can tell) never before been imagined in the history of entirety. There is a reason that ancient mystics derived anthropomorphic conclusions from their studies of the Cosmos: We’re nearly as complex as it is. If anything is capable of ascribing purpose or meaning on our scale of existence, we seem the most suited to do so. Unlike the purely material world, content to sit about, moving only when directed from the outside, life is eager to stir around, restless to express its internal will. This assigns us an important role, should we decide to take it. We may be here to awaken the Universe from its hibernation, to release its will. Our purpose is perhaps opposite in many ways to that of the mythical demiurge of the Gnostics, demigod, and facilitator of material being. This is a sentiment which, perhaps, will be ridiculed as outdated, outmoded, or defunct; but we must ask ourselves why this is so, and whose interest the derailing of spirituality in the popular outlook serves. If it is true that spirit is synonymous with will, who gains by its conclusion? Who else is to gain from the absence of will in another being but his or her owner? If the whole world of beast and fowl, and plant and fish— which humankind the ages over has drawn from for its benefit— were to cease in their will to live, to drop and die after losing desire to continue, Homosapien would surely fall with them. Lacking their ownership, humanity depends on their autonomy, but for those unlucky enough to be drawn forth, dominated, and with the temperament to withstand the cruelties of servitude—the ox, the horse, the ass, for instance—, the captor benefits by relinquishing— indeed, breaking— their spirit. One can certainly influence, lead, and even direct another without taking ownership, but one must do so through appeal, or otherwise convincing the other party of the necessity of taking such action in an honest fashion. It is only when convincing is facilitated ix Prologue by threat, or direct application, of force, or by means of trickery, that one can be said to truly own another being. After all, we only own that over which we maintain control. This little book of essays isn’t partitioned, but it perhaps has two inseparable aspects: one which is more metaphysical, in which I focus on topics of a more spiritual nature, like cosmology, theology, ontology, and epistemology; and the other more physical, in which I consider themes of a slightly more material nature, such as sociology and political economy. As I hope to make clearer throughout the book, in essays such as “Class Antagonism and its Metaphysical Implications,” these two aspects, though admittedly different, are not disconnected. Rather, they are quite interrelated. The Evolution of Consent is dedicated to exploring the condition, capacity, and development of meaning, purpose, and freedom in the human context. Informed by many traditions, the philosophical focus is multidisciplinary, synthetic, and holistic, and includes discussion on topics as diverse as God and the Universe, the limitations of empirical knowledge, the abolition of government, free market socialism, and more. I will decidedly espouse and promote a doctrine of spiritual pantheism and political panarchism, more specifically dualist pantheism and geo-mutualist panarchism. This book will clarify the meaning and intentions of these worldviews, and unite them and solidify their co-dependence. They are treated both separately and together. I begin this collection of essays with works such as “The Journey of Realization” and “The Duality of Perspective,” which are pantheistic in flavor, describing God to the best of my limited ability, before entering discussions about the role of consciousness in evolution, in “A Mystical Look at Evolution” and “God, Bees, and the Choices We Make.” I then connect metaphysics to revolutionary politics in “Class Antagonism and its Metaphysical Implications,” “Two Incentives for Cooperation,” “The Role of Metaphysics in Socio-Political Revolution,” and “Spiraling into Our Future.” I bring psychology into the picture in “Gnosis, Psychosis, and the Society of the Demiurge” and “Information and the Dissolution of Authority.” After this, I open up the discussion on anarchy, with “Government and its ‘Solution’,” “Anarchy, de Facto and de Jure,” “Why Anarchy is Not Possible Today (But is Tomorrow),” and “Welfare, Minus the State,” before giving x Prologue introductions to mutualism in “The Dialectical Thought of Mutualism” and “The Mutualist Cost-Principle.” I then enter into the specifics of mutualist banking in “Mutual Credit: Its Function and its Purpose,” “Credit, Collateral, and Spot-Pricing,” and “The Proper Rate of Money,” before opening the door for discussing the resolution of mutualism and Georgism, in “Interest & Premium: A Geo-Mutualist Synthesis” and “On Mutualism & Interest on Capital,” concluding the thought with a geo-mutualist resolution of the non-aggression principle in “Cost, Aggression, and Access to the Land.” I touch on mutualist gradualism and agora-syndicalism in “Revolutionary Incrementalism and Rebellions of Scale,” before concluding by putting my neck out in “Mutualist Sex Economics,” wherein I analyze the effects of capitalism on straight, cissexual, relationships. Several of the essays were originally written as lectures, and have since been edited for publication. Others have been written simply for the sake of them being read. They were all posted on my blog at one point. This could very well be the first of many collections of essays, so entitled. I do hope you enjoy them. I’ve had a good deal of fun putting this together, but it has also taken a lot of effort. Had I the remaining time and energy, I would have garnished this book with a glossary of terms, but after the work involved thus far, this can be looked forward to in subsequent editions. My work would be impossible if not for key influences. I feel I have made all necessary attempts to distinguish ideas that are my own from concepts which have been inspired in me by others, but in the case I have not been clear, allow to me to state briefly in one place my strongest influences and how they have been of influence to me. Some of these are not mentioned in my text, although they have certainly contributed to my thought processes, while others mentioned in the text will not be found here, as their work has been used more for illustration than for recognition of their influence on me. My pantheistic beliefs have been inspired somewhat intuitively, but the readings of Baruch Spinoza, Georg Hegel, and Pierre de Chardin have been most inspirational to my theology, and have given me words to express it more fluidly. Baruch Spinoza has done this especially through his expression of “the thing in itself,” xi Prologue and by dividing between substance, attributes, and modes; while de Chardin— along with the yet mentioned Ulisse Di Corpo and Antonella Vannini— has influenced my use of spirit-matter attribute-dualism, and has better allowed me to understand Omega Point cosmology.i Georg Hegel, of course, has inspired my dialectical approach, though I don’t make hard attempts to go by his method or claim to be a scholar on Hegel. Paul Harrison has certainly detailed some of the finer points of ancient and contemporary pantheism, and for that I am grateful. My views on mysticism have been inspired by ancient philosophies such as Atenism, Zoroastrianism, Hermeticism, neo- Platonism, Gnosticism, and Taoism, as well as neopagan and shamanist beliefs. Manly P. Hall, Santos Bonacci, and Ken Wilber are the more recent thinkers I enjoy in this area. I have found Michael Schneider to be an inspirational numerologist. My ontological views are probably most influenced by the work of the Italian statistician and psychologist, Ulisse Di Corpo, and his partner, Antonella Vannini, and their Syntropy Journal. These two and their colleagues provide some of the strongest arguments I am aware of for retrocausality and syntropy in general. Aristotle’s virtue ethics also play a role in my ontology. Amit Goswami’s understanding of quantum physics and Rupert Sheldrake’s models of morphogenetics have also played a role, as well as Ken Wilber, and more classical astrophysicists such as Stephen Hawking and Freeman Dyson. My epistemology is, again, largely Spinozan, eudaemonist, and syntropian, but is also influenced by what I’ve read of Hegel, William James, Henri Bergson, the quantum physicist, Amit Goswami, Ken Wilber, and classical empiricism, like David Hume, John Locke, and John Stuart Mill, as well as by rationalist thinking in general. My ethics are, first and foremost, influenced by the cost- principle as first formulated by Josiah Warren, or the proper rate of increase as discussed by Pierre Proudhon, which have both been expanded upon by others, some of whom have solidified my i I mention Frank Tipler once, but I’ve read more about him than by him.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Free Silver"; Montana's Political Dream of Economic Prosperity, 1864-1900
    University of Montana ScholarWorks at University of Montana Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers Graduate School 1969 "Free silver"; Montana's political dream of economic prosperity, 1864-1900 James Daniel Harrington The University of Montana Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd Let us know how access to this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Harrington, James Daniel, ""Free silver"; Montana's political dream of economic prosperity, 1864-1900" (1969). Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers. 1418. https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/1418 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at ScholarWorks at University of Montana. It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks at University of Montana. For more information, please contact scholarworks@mso.umt.edu. "FREE SILVER MONTANA'S POLITICAL DREAM OF ECONOMIC PROSPERITY: 1864-19 00 By James D. Harrington B. A. Carroll College, 1961 Presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts UNIVERSITY OF MONTANA 1969 Approved by: Chairman, Board of Examiners . /d . Date UMI Number: EP36155 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. UMT Disaartation Publishing UMI EP36155 Published by ProQuest LLC (2012). Copyright in the Dissertation held by the Author.
    [Show full text]
  • The Case for a 100 Percent Gold Dollar by Murray N
    The Case for a 100 Percent Gold Dollar By Murray N. Rothbard Publication history: Leland Yeager (ed.), In Search of a Monetary Constitution. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1962, pp. 94-136. Reprinted as The Case For a 100 Percent Gold Dollar. Washington, DC: Libertarian Review Press, 1974, and Auburn, Ala: Mises Institute, 1991, 2005. © Mises Institute, 2005. Preface When this essay was published, nearly thirty years ago, America was in the midst of the Bretton Woods system, a Keynesian international monetary system that had been foisted upon the world by the United States and British governments in 1945. The Bretton Woods system was an international dollar standard masquerading as a “gold standard,” in order to lend the well- deserved prestige of the world’s oldest and most stable money, gold, to the increasingly inflated and depreciated dollar. But this post-World War II system was only a grotesque parody of a gold standard. In the pre-World War I “classical” gold standard, every currency unit, be it dollar, pound, franc, or mark, was defined as a certain unit of weight of gold. Thus, the “dollar” was defined as approximately 1/20 of an ounce of gold, while the pound sterling was defined as a little less than 1/4 of a gold ounce, thus fixing the exchange rate between the two (and between all other currencies) at the ratio of their weights.1 Since every national currency was defined as being a certain weight of gold, paper francs or dollars, or bank deposits were redeemable by the issuer, whether government or bank, in that weight of gold.
    [Show full text]
  • JOHN ZUBE and MICROFICHE [Editor's Note: These Remarks Are Sparked by an Interview Century
    The Voluntaryist Vol. 4, No. 1 Whole #19 "If one takes care of the means, the end will take care of itself. June, 1986 Legitimacy and Elections by Theodore J. Lowi the recent electoral conflagration. But the big problem with governing through military force is that (Editor's Note: Recent events in the Philippines have offered a it is expensive. It costs a lot to keep so many troops and to have validation of the voluntaryist insight, that all tyranny and govern- to put them on the alert so often. It's a whole lot cheaper if you ment are grounded on general popular acceptance. Two points are can do the same job without so much use of force. noteworthy. First, when the Marcos regime lost its legitimacy, it That's where legitimacy comes in, and, at the risk of violating lost its power to rule. Second, nonviolence played a large role in Stewart's Law, I am actually going to try to define it. depriving Marcos of the presidency of the Philippines. As Gene First of all, legitimacy is not mere popularity, although popularity Sharp has recently written in his new book, Making Europe helps. Legitimacy is not mere acceptance; acceptance is an out- Conquerable (Cambridge: Ballinger Publishing, 1985): "Denial of come of legitimacy. Legitimacy is not the mere absence of disord- legitimacy, refusal of obedience, and noncooperation by the gen- er, although the presence of disorder can be taken as an indica- eral populace, by the societal institutions...can effectively pre- tion of illegitimacy. And legitimacy is not the same as goodness or vent the political consolidation and control that make" domestic virtue, but that does point us in the right direction: Legitimacy is tyranny possible.
    [Show full text]
  • Anarchism in Australia
    The Anarchist Library (Mirror) Anti-Copyright Anarchism in Australia Bob James Bob James Anarchism in Australia 2009 James, Bob. “Anarchism, Australia.” In The International Encyclopedia of Revolution and Protest: 1500 to the Present, edited by Immanuel Ness, 105–108. Vol. 1. Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell, 2009. Gale eBooks (accessed June 22, 2021). usa.anarchistlibraries.net 2009 James, B. (Ed.) (1983) What is Communism? And Other Essays by JA Andrews. Prahran, Victoria: Libertarian Resources/ Backyard Press. James, B. (Ed.) (1986) Anarchism in Australia – An Anthology. Prepared for the Australian Anarchist Centennial Celebra- tion, Melbourne, May 1–4, in a limited edition. Melbourne: Bob James. James, B. (1986) Anarchism and State Violence in Sydney and Melbourne, 1886–1896. Melbourne: Bob James. Lane, E. (Jack Cade) (1939) Dawn to Dusk. N. P. William Brooks. Lane, W. (J. Miller) (1891/1980) Working Mans’Paradise. Syd- ney: Sydney University Press. 11 Legal Service and the Free Store movement; Digger, Living Day- lights, and Nation Review were important magazines to emerge from the ferment. With the major events of the 1960s and 1970s so heavily in- fluenced by overseas anarchists, local libertarians, in addition Contents to those mentioned, were able to generate sufficient strength “down under” to again attempt broad-scale, formal organiza- tion. In particular, Andrew Giles-Peters, an academic at La References And Suggested Readings . 10 Trobe University (Melbourne) fought to have local anarchists come to serious grips with Bakunin and Marxist politics within a Federation of Australian Anarchists format which produced a series of documents. Annual conferences that he, Brian Laver, Drew Hutton, and others organized in the early 1970s were sometimes disrupted by Spontaneists, including Peter McGre- gor, who went on to become a one-man team stirring many national and international issues.
    [Show full text]
  • Gold Democrats and the Decline of Classical Liberalism, 1896–1900
    SUBSCRIBE NOW AND RECEIVE CRISIS AND LEVIATHAN* FREE! “The Independent Review does not accept “The Independent Review is pronouncements of government officials nor the excellent.” conventional wisdom at face value.” —GARY BECKER, Noble Laureate —JOHN R. MACARTHUR, Publisher, Harper’s in Economic Sciences Subscribe to The Independent Review and receive a free book of your choice* such as the 25th Anniversary Edition of Crisis and Leviathan: Critical Episodes in the Growth of American Government, by Founding Editor Robert Higgs. This quarterly journal, guided by co-editors Christopher J. Coyne, and Michael C. Munger, and Robert M. Whaples offers leading-edge insights on today’s most critical issues in economics, healthcare, education, law, history, political science, philosophy, and sociology. Thought-provoking and educational, The Independent Review is blazing the way toward informed debate! Student? Educator? Journalist? Business or civic leader? Engaged citizen? This journal is for YOU! *Order today for more FREE book options Perfect for students or anyone on the go! The Independent Review is available on mobile devices or tablets: iOS devices, Amazon Kindle Fire, or Android through Magzter. INDEPENDENT INSTITUTE, 100 SWAN WAY, OAKLAND, CA 94621 • 800-927-8733 • REVIEW@INDEPENDENT.ORG PROMO CODE IRA1703 Gold Democrats and the Decline of Classical Liberalism, 1896–1900 —————— ✦ —————— DAVID T. BEITO AND LINDA ROYSTER BEITO n 1896 a new political party was born, the National Democratic Party (NDP). The founders of the NDP included some of the leading exponents of classical I liberalism during the late nineteenth century. Few of those men, however, fore- saw the ultimate fate of their new party and of the philosophy of limited government that it championed.
    [Show full text]
  • The Populist Movement
    The populist movement Item Type text; Thesis-Reproduction (electronic) Authors Montgomery, Winona Publisher The University of Arizona. Rights Public Domain: This material has been identified as being free of known restrictions under U.S. copyright law, including all related and neighboring rights. Download date 29/09/2021 21:06:34 Item License http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/ Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/627573 THE POPULIST MOVEMENT WINONA MONTGOMERY LIBRAIO UNIV. OF ARIZONA T HE P 0 P U.L 1ST OVEMENT A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA in PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE R _IQUIREMENTS- FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER of ARTS BY WINONA MONTGOMERY MAY 15 1923 E929/ // ACKUOWLEDGEMENT The writer wishes to acknowlede her indebted- ness to Professor H. A. Hubbard Associate Professor Ida C. Reid under whose direction this thesis was written, for their interest and advice. THE POPULIST MOVEMENT FORCES THAT CAUSED THE POPULIST mnv:TTET2 Chapter I Situation of the Farmer. A. EzTDansion of the West. 1. Increased agricultural production. Fall in „prices of agriraltural -)roducts. 3. Increased demand for money. B. Railroads. 1. 7elcomed 137 farmers. 2. Farmers objected to hi7h freight rates. 3. Farmers opposed Railroad ownership of land. C. Period of Depression. 1. Poor crops. 2. Low prices of cotton. D. Organization. 1. Grange 2. Farmer' l o c a l organizations. 3. Farmers' Alliance and Cobr- - ati7re Union. 4. Farmers' and Laborers' Union of America. 5. National Farmers' Alliance. Chapter II American Labor. A. Low Wao:es. 1. Table of wages. 2• City caused laborers;' expenses to increase.
    [Show full text]
  • Berliner Anarchistisches Jahrbuch 2012
    EDITORIAL EDITORIAL Liebe Genoss*innen, werte Öffentlichkeit! um sechsten Mal erscheint nun zelpersonen riefen Vorträge, Demos le Essenzen anarchistischer Strömun- unser „Dokument A – Berliner und andere Aktivitäten zu diesem The- gen und Bewegungen verschiedenster Z anarchistisches Jahrbuch“, mit ma ins Leben. Zusätzlich sorgte auch Gruppen und Einzelpersonen in einem dem wir euch die anarchistischen- Ak eine Gruppe von Senior*innen da- Jahrbuch zu vereinen. So gibt es auch tivitäten im Berlin des Jahres 2012 prä- für, dass sich das stereotype Bild von wie im letzten Jahr neben den von den sentieren. Hausbesetzer*innen veränderte und Gruppen eingebrachten Texten wieder diese Thematik ebenfalls in Medien eine Liste anarchistischer Veranstal- Nachdem sich im August diesen Jah- und „Normalgesellschaft“ einen Auf- tungen und Publikationen aus dem res, in St. Imier, Anarchist*innen aus schwung erhielt. Diese von der Politik Raum Berlin. der ganzen Welt versammelten, um zu geschaffenen und auf dem Rücken der debattieren und sich auszutauschen, Menschen ausgetragenen Machtkämp- Um auch weiterhin eine breite Masse und dieses Treffen auch in den Medi- fe sorgten dafür, dass sich in verschie- zu erreichen, wird unsere Kooperation en vielfach Beachtung erhielt, rückte densten gesellschaftlichen Bereichen mit dem Verlag Edition AV fortgesetzt, der Anarchismus auch in diesem Jahr Menschen vernetzten und gemeinsam sodass unser Dokument A dieses Jahr wieder in den Blickpunkt, nicht nur bei versuchten, dieser Entwicklung ent- wieder unter der ISSN: 2193-7850 zu Menschen, die mit der Thematik ver- gegenzutreten. Aber auch kleinere beziehen ist. traut sind, sondern auch viel mehr in Themenbereiche finden ihren Einzug der allgemeinen Öffentlichkeit. in das diesjährige Dokument A.
    [Show full text]
  • Evaluating the Economic Policies of Grover Cleveland
    SUBSCRIBE NOW AND RECEIVE CRISIS AND LEVIATHAN* FREE! “The Independent Review does not accept “The Independent Review is pronouncements of government officials nor the excellent.” conventional wisdom at face value.” —GARY BECKER, Noble Laureate —JOHN R. MACARTHUR, Publisher, Harper’s in Economic Sciences Subscribe to The Independent Review and receive a free book of your choice* such as the 25th Anniversary Edition of Crisis and Leviathan: Critical Episodes in the Growth of American Government, by Founding Editor Robert Higgs. This quarterly journal, guided by co-editors Christopher J. Coyne, and Michael C. Munger, and Robert M. Whaples offers leading-edge insights on today’s most critical issues in economics, healthcare, education, law, history, political science, philosophy, and sociology. Thought-provoking and educational, The Independent Review is blazing the way toward informed debate! Student? Educator? Journalist? Business or civic leader? Engaged citizen? This journal is for YOU! *Order today for more FREE book options Perfect for students or anyone on the go! The Independent Review is available on mobile devices or tablets: iOS devices, Amazon Kindle Fire, or Android through Magzter. INDEPENDENT INSTITUTE, 100 SWAN WAY, OAKLAND, CA 94621 • 800-927-8733 • REVIEW@INDEPENDENT.ORG PROMO CODE IRA1703 “Henceforth, I Must Have No Friends” Evaluating the Economic Policies of Grover Cleveland F BRANDON DUPONT [Government paternalism] is the bane of republican institutions and the constant peril of our government by the people. It degrades to the purposes of wily craft the plan of rule our fathers established and bequeathed to us as an object of our love and veneration. It perverts the patriotic sentiments of our countrymen and tempts them to pitiful calculation of the sordid gain to be derived from their Government’s maintenance.
    [Show full text]
  • Anarchism and Cosmopolitanism Carl Levy a a Department of Politics, Goldsmiths, University of London, New Cross, London, SE14 6NW, UK Available Online: 10 Oct 2011
    View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE This article was downloaded by: [Goldsmiths, University of London] provided by Goldsmiths Research Online On: 11 October 2011, At: 01:18 Publisher: Routledge Informa Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954 Registered office: Mortimer House, 37-41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH, UK Journal of Political Ideologies Publication details, including instructions for authors and subscription information: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/cjpi20 Anarchism and cosmopolitanism Carl Levy a a Department of Politics, Goldsmiths, University of London, New Cross, London, SE14 6NW, UK Available online: 10 Oct 2011 To cite this article: Carl Levy (2011): Anarchism and cosmopolitanism, Journal of Political Ideologies, 16:3, 265-278 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13569317.2011.607293 PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE Full terms and conditions of use: http://www.tandfonline.com/page/terms-and-conditions This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan, sub-licensing, systematic supply, or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. The publisher does not give any warranty express or implied or make any representation that the contents will be complete or accurate or up to date. The accuracy of any instructions, formulae, and drug doses should be independently verified with primary sources. The publisher shall not be liable for any loss, actions, claims, proceedings, demand, or costs or damages whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with or arising out of the use of this material.
    [Show full text]
  • 'The “Wizard of Oz” As a Monetary Allegory,' Journal Of
    Hugh Rockoff of Rutgers University, ‘The “Wizard of Oz” as a Monetary Allegory,’ Journal of Political Economy, Vol. 98, 1990, pp. 739-760. I. Introduction The Wizard of Oz is perhaps the best-loved American children's story. The movie, starring Judy Garland, Bert Lahr, Ray Bolger and company, is an annual television ritual. The book on which the movie is based, L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, however, is not only a child's tale but also a sophisticated commentary on the political and economic debates of the Populist Era.1 Previous interpretations have focused on the political and social aspects of the allegory. The most important of these is Littlefield ([1966] 1968), although his interpretation was adumbrated by Nye (1951), Gardner and Nye (1957), Sackett (I960), and Bewley ([1964] 1970). My purpose is to unlock the references in the Wizard of Oz to the monetary debates of the 1890s. When the story is viewed in this light, the real reason the Cowardly Lion fell asleep in the field of poppies, the identity of the Wizard of Oz, the significance of the strange number of hallways and rooms in the Emerald Palace, and the reason the Wicked Witch of the West was so happy to get one of Dorothy's shoes become clear. Thus interpreted, the Wizard of Oz becomes a powerful pedagogic device. Few students of money and banking or economic history will forget the battle between the advocates of free silver and the defenders of the gold standard when it is explained through the Wizard of Oz.
    [Show full text]
  • Populism to Fascism: a Look at the Political Mind of Milford Howard
    POPULISM TO FASCISM: A LOOK AT THE POLITICAL MIND OF MILFORD HOWARD MICHAEL JAMES MILLIGAN Oakville, Ontario, Canada B.A., University of Toronto, 1982 A thesis presented to the Graduate Faculty of the University of Virginia in Candidacy for the Degree of !1aster of Arts Concoran Department of History University of Virginia May, 19 85 / /.c- ',>< . .; / . ../ I k /� Acknowledgements Every life is interesting; if not the personality, then the environment, the country, the life itself is interesting. Man likes to enter into another existence, he likes to touch the subtlest fibers of another's heart, and to listen to its beating. Alexander Herzen My Past and Thoughts Examining the life of Milford Howard was a fascinating experience. I cannot deny that I have gained an admiration and affection for the man. Through Howard I have also gained a very personal and informative view of Populism and the early New South. This is certainly not to say that Howard was important and influential in the general scheme of Southern politics and society, he was not. I do suggest, however, that Howard's concerns and actions, like those of any thoughtful, sensitive individual, are worthy of note and investigation. As much as the perceived "successes" of his time, Howard's life helps us understand the historical era in which he struggled. I have many people to thank for their assistance. Mr. James Kuykendall and Mrs. Elizabeth Howard of the Landmarks Historical Society of Fort Payne, Alabama were invaluable in collecting and relaying information on Milford Howard. I found their enthusiasm for Howard contagious.
    [Show full text]
  • 20140513 Insteadofabookbyth
    Benjamin Tucker’s Liberty Instead Of a Book, By Men Too Modest To Write One Edited by Lukas Nikodym Tomas Nikodym Foreword by Lawrence W. Reed Produced by MiceEatCheese.co Martin Moravec Published by ReadLiberty.org Version: 1.0.0 Liberty itself is in the public domain, meaning that everybody can use it freely. Everything else is a subject to the CC0 license. Thanks to: Archivers: John Zube Shawn P. Wilbur Transcribers: Martin Moravec Benjamin Sojda Lukas Nikodym Tomas Nikodym Ivan Burbakov Proofreaders: William Kiely FOREWORD By Lawrence W. Reed Hardly a day goes by when I don’t hear someone proclaim with certainty an opinion that he thinks is new and correct but which is in fact both ancient and wrong. “Where men are the most sure and arrogant,” wrote Scottish philosopher David Hume in the 18th Century, “they are commonly the most mistaken.” We have so much to learn from the past, so much that we ignore at our peril. This is as true of men’s words as it is of their deeds. Wisdom is not unique to our present age, though we may fancy ourselves wiser than those who came before us and lived in simpler times. The fact is, most of the issues of our day reflect similar ones of the past that were discussed and debated in their own temporal and cultural context, often by men of greater vision than the loudest and most self- righteous pontificators now. This is why it’s important to rediscover the discussions and debates of old. Dusting off and becoming reacquainted with the contributions of dead wise men i should always be a part of the discussion among enlightened living men who seek wisdom.
    [Show full text]