{∅, {∅}, {∅, {∅}}} : Rage Against the Meat Grinder

I've come with the main purpose of sharing writings I occasionally come across in this place where they stand a better chance of being some short use than anywhere else.

I have stayed a reader this far for two reasons: my general nature that in all things relating to internet communication, "I would prefer not to."
And owing to a brief experience with a tiny corner of fellow-feeling elsewhere, I'm also wary of changing the ecosystem of strange new social forms like this one here. But that is inevitable. A stranger arrives - something has changed.
I have to say – since I only was reminded of it yesterday – that regardless of the theme; pessimism, antinatalism, anything I ought to appreciate, all the internet forms that involve a mass audience (even when they don't have one, but are designed to assume one in principle), like twitter and facebook, make me queasy. Anything with a mass broadcast style triggers some kinds of social reflexes that no one seems able to avoid, and everything turns into a posture or style and is repulsive straight away. I avoid those things.

All in all, as a minor character, I mean to keep a low profile.

I felt I had to join in following a short sequence of coincidences that I enjoyed. It can be pleasant to invent a sort of cartoon of fate from meaningless events. I'll tell you about it: There's a thread on Tolstoy, started by Holden. As that appeared, I was reading the Kreuzter Sonata. There, I saw for the first time the name of von Hartmann.
Elsewhere, I noticed the thread named after the Unconscious - meanwhile, I'd finished reading the Philosophy of the Unconscious in its entirety, collecting fairly representative passages in my notebook. Then von Hartmann appeared again, referenced from Weltschmertz (which I haven't read).
I will be joining-in reading Weltschmerz. So far, I don't know how von Hartmann is covered. But my first purpose here, if you aren't opposed, is to set up a stall, so to speak, (one thread) where I feed in von Hartmann's writing direct from the source.
Once I joined and the search function activated, I saw at last that Holden had in fact posted the entire Kreutzer Sonata passage that set me off, and so a sort of little circle closed.

I took off for von Hartmann as a kind of diversion late into tWaWaR, trying to casually follow Schopenhauer's influence on his near contemporaries. I enjoy the unusual course his pessimism led him in the search for 'Practical Philosophy'. Despite disagreeing with him (I think he utterly misjudged the development of the world by our time in history), I appreciate his fixated interest on the species, something that I had already for ages been trying (and failing) to make the basis of my thoughts and moral ideas. Eschatological, I suppose is the word. Though it isn't a word I've ever tried to seriously use in my life.

Enough of that, though. I'll feed in passages of von Hartmann over time, if nobody is opposed to it.

This is the thing - practical philosophy. What a comical problem, to have this sense of a consistent thought system, but to be trapped in this social universe of motives and social causes and acts – how to join one to the other?

I believe the common conception of the singularness and neatness of the human individual is the most idiotic delusion around in our world. The conscious part available to the voice and so on, inward or outward, must only be a fraction of the churning motive force, which makes our reason almost impossible to act out. A good example is being goaded that your world view should rationally lead to your own suicide: yes, fine! rationally – but I like to imagine the whole individuated mind as a gas-giant planet. Maybe mind is even the wrong word. There are general patterns in the motion of the weather systems, but they are regional and the speaking mind is a dim patch, a region, and the whole includes violent, paradoxical tendencies in many directions. So it usually takes a catastrophic change in the rest of the secret, animal mind (extremes of emotional chaos or absolute collapse of meaning-making. Probably also rare flukes of character) to allow the rational idea to find its sufficient motive.

I'm beginning to think the only worthwhile self-development anyone can aim for is a method for dumb endurance that doesn't cross back over into everyday delusion. In the areas of life where our philosophies disappear (the idea of the seasick sunset): fevers, mad insomnia, terrible injury, migraine, severe dissociation, poisoning, deep mental instability with loss of meaning, anaesthesia, postictus, out of control altered states, confrontation?, and most probably the end stages of illness - the desperate times where the urge to escape life is extreme, but perhaps precisely due to the circumstances also impossible – how do I (or we) keep a hold of ourselves? This makes me start to think of meditative images, ikons, rosaries, maxims, symbols and other religious strategies. Things to build in the mind in advance to leave behind for weakened states, so as not to turn totally over to fear.
I see philosophies for endurance all over the boards and I admire them. I have been pleased to read all of your thoughts – and that applies to all the posters.



I'm lost on my tangent now. I've been typing this post for two weeks - perhaps you know how it is. Almost certainly you know how it is to keep a certain idea going even as the urge to record it and the mood change over time. To flog it to death. It's gone quite stale.

I also have a quite rare translation of Count Leopardi's essays and aphorisms that I would like to share with you, by the way. I would be pleased to do that.

(It's certain a little bit funny that all of the texts I'd like to share parts from, like treasures even if slightly Shitty ones, are almost certainly available freely on the internet. But I'll go on pretending to be bringing along something unique, for the sake of joining in!)

I've trawled many valuable reading suggestions from the boards, and now I have to try to give back something of possible interest.

So, greatest respect, reader and fellow sufferer. Any future posts won't be this size, unless they're long quotations. Which they are most likely to be, now that I think of it.


By the way, the name of Raskolnikov reminds me to suggest you consider reading Demons, if nothing else for the way Dostoyevsky handled certain ideas in the character of Aleksey Kirillov.
Many if not most of the most brilliant representations of versions of pessimism seem to have come from authors who didn't share them. I think that's a fascinating thing.
I'm going off to peel eggs. **** a diddly doo.

Mr.Maughan,welcome aboard! Some of the things which you wrote are really intriguing.

I read the Kreuzter Sonata many years ago.The profound tale about anti-natalism. It touched something very deep inside of me-my fervent will to exist no more. Of course, it must be said that Tolstoy greatly admired Schopenhauer. Like you ,I believe that most of what we really want is unconscious. It makes me smile when people say that Freud discovered the unconscious. The Will is mostly unconscious.One often feels as if one were in a very strange nightmare.

Nothing justifies life-not the sunsets,not the sonatas,nothing whatsoever.
What is the way out then,one asks naturally.
Another reason why I guess I liked the Kreuzter Sonata is the jealous and murderous husband,the protagonist .There was something very raw and honest about that tale.
I remember it reading on a train,it was raining then. I was as depressed then as I am now.

I look forward to your posts regarding Leopardi & von Hartmann.I read somewhere that Leopardi was often sick.He was usually just laying on his bed .He was often in pain. Also,he died young.
Once again,welcome!

How to access all three volumes of Eduard von Hartmann's Philosophy of the Unconscious in one electronic edition  (for $31 with kobo 40% discount)

Maughan really has me extremely intrigued about von Hartmann's Philosophy of the Unconscious, and I was not satisfied with the 99-cent version on Amazon as it was only volume 1 and not formatted very well.

So, I went on a search like a man possessed.

The digital version on Amazon for less than $8 is bogus.  See comments:  Amazon ...

So, since the full 1148 page hardcover edition is just far too expensive (the cost of an ereader), I did a search for an electronic copy of that same edition.  Note that the 1148 page paperback sells for $46 on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.  These appear to be the least expensive options as long as the shipping is free.  I'm not sure how this works for Holden in India.  Not only that, but because you "prefer not to" lug around such a huge book, an electronic version is the best bet.   There is something about this book which brings to the surface old resentments against Sickmind Fraud ... how he seems to have taken credit for "discovering the unconscious".  HAAA !

The only full 1150 page electronic versions available are at kobo for the Kobo ereader ... and Barnes and Noble for the Nook.

[Be sure to skip the vgilink deals to continue to Kobo site]

Today I mysteriously received an email from kobo for a 40% discount.  I guess this was triggered by my registering with them to check out the free edition of the same text.  I found that it was only volume 2, and, again, much like volume 1 on Amazon, the formatting was all messed up.

The used Kindle I found on ebay arrived yesterday, and since there are no full legitimate "Kindle versions", I decided to use the 40% coupon and worry about removing DRM and converting/transferring to the device later.

Again, I was working like a madman as this may be one of the most significant books I will read in my lifetime, right there next to Schopenhauer's life work.  I cannot overstate the significance.

So, Holden, if you are still using your phone for reading books, I am sure kobo has an app for reading their books.  If you set up an account, add a couple free books to your library, and wait a few days, maybe you will receive the 40% discount coupon.

That brings the price down to $31 with tax.  I hope this is true for India as well.  If you want the actual epub file to read with a different device, say a Kindle, then, there are some challenges as far as

(1) downloading the file from Kobo's "cloud" to your computer.  See Downloading DRM-protected content

It seems they have a new interface on their website, and the "old" buttons on the right are no longer visible.  [Sorry Maughan for putting all this technical shiit here, but it is very important for posterity, for those who may stumble upon this only to realize how difficult it is to acquire a copy of von Hartmann's full 3 volume Philosophy of the Unconscious].

Somehow you have to trigger a message that will offer to "return to old Library".

If and after you do purchase the ebook, it would only be accessible through the app, and then only with internet access, which is not too cool, Mickey.  So log into your Kobo account | My Library

There will be a list of books, or at least the one you purchased.   Click on the word DATE ADDED.  You will see "welcome to your new library".  Click on the link to return to old library.

Select the ebook, then click on the button on the right that says ADOBE DRM EPUB.

It will download a file, URLLink.acsm

(2)  You'll need to Download Adobe Digital Editions

I know this is a tedious process, but ... von Hartmann!

(3) create an ADE id on your device/computer. 

(4) Now, you can open the URLLink.acsm file.  Adobe Digital Editions will open the file and download the .epub.

It is still DRM-protected.

(5) THE HACK:  You can use this for free 10 times.

(6) then the epub file will be ready to be converted with Calibre, and sent to your device.

_____________________________________________
This was all done by the Unconscious.   

It works in mysterious ways, I guess.

Please forgive me for my obscene enthusiasm.

Greetings again, Maughan.   Firstly, for those who may inspect these back and forth correspondences between us (for technical and literary insight, of course, not for some kind of evidence of "lone-wolfishness"), I must confirm that the somewhat pricey electronic edition sold on kobo DOT com, which can be downloaded after purchase as "EPUB 2 (Adobe DRM-protected)", was of the highest quality.   For this particluar electronic edition, if one wants to convert it with Calibre for reading in a Kindle, the DRM must be stripped, as mentioned above.  The process was kind of fun.  To paraphrase Schopenhauer, there is no need to retype the details posted above.

So, I can confirm that the one selling on kobo DOT com is the Taylor and Francis, June 2014 (Imprint: Routledge) with ISBN:9781317830412.  This is the electronic counterpart to the 1148 page paperback (ISBN: 978-0415613866) = 1148 page hardcover (ISBN:  978-0415225564).   In other words, it is all 3 volumes in one, unlike the other editions floating around the Internet.

Just an aside:  This was one of the rare purchases (of electronic literature) for me as I usually reserve actual transactions with currency for acquiring hard copies of [math] textbooks [solution manuals].  I have enough textbooks, and now I am venturing back into other kinds of literature - but I have no more shelf space as that was reserved for math.  By good Fortuna, along comes the ereader.  Strange days, indeed!

I began reading von Hartmann's opus, and I agree that he is no Schopenhauer, but who is?   Myself, even though Holden gives me much hyperbolic praise, I am certainly a mental dwarf.  My study of mathematics constantly reminds me of my lack of sophistication and the general haphazard Plathian nature of my individual brain. 

I also have some very strong "disciple-like" feelings connected to Schopenhauer, but I am mostly curious to read von Hartmann's presentation just to get a different take on the intellectual climate of his time-era.   I have always been curious about that period ... Husserl and his teacher, Franz Brentano ... how their stand against "psychologism" influenced the creation of Phenomenology around 1899 (and I always wish someone, anyone, would mention Schopenhauer's influence on their work).   The fact that Freud denied having read Schopenhauer is just a historical scandal, if you want to know my opinion.  It casts doubt on the entire enterprise of "Psychology," especially the way it props itself up as an actual science, even to this day.  Oi, Vienna!

So, my interest in von Hartmann's work is to see just where a certain kind of philosophy came to be called Psychology, with a capital P.

I am reading with self-restraint, and I find myself constantly having to forgive von Hartmann for his referring to "uncivilized peoples" as "savages" and the like.   He loses ground with me with such snobbery, but I suppose he was a product of his times.  Like I said, I try to forgive thinkers of ages past for such things.  So far, I try to give an honest reading, making sure I am very clear on what he means by inductive versus deductive reasoning, and so on.   It's a great exercise in seeing where the terms of mathematics and philosophy overlap ... and how the field of "psychology" begins to seek validation as a "science".

There were other things in your recent post I would like to respond to.   I sense you take your time with what you post.  Myself, I tend to blurt things out randomly for fear of forgetting what I was going to write.  [Then I come back to clean up the carnage and correct all the typos].  Now I will pause, save what I have typed thus far, and roll the first cigarette of the day.

<PAUSE>

OK, now that I experienced the tobacco-induced headrush ...

I will see which works by Leonid Andreyev are avialable in inexpensive (free) digital format.  Is his full name  Leonid Nikolayevich Andreyev ?  Did he write any ghost stories? 

As I mentioned, my brain is rather manic and haphazard, so I consider myself, at best, a pseudo-scholar, a total amateur.

Please give me a lot of slack.

While I was inhaling deeply the tobacco smoke, getting a little dizzy, I reflected on a saying I remember from my paternal grandfather.  He would say with a grouchy grin, "Life is not worth living until after the third cup of coffee."

I would add that a little tobacco also helps (NOT too much, though).

I used to think a little alcohol also helped, but I am afraid I have a certain nervous condition that predisposes me to indulge in the habit to the point of it becoming more of a hindrance than an aid, so, as is the case with so many things of this nature, the cure becomes more trouble than it is worth.  For the moment, I have dispensed with such indulgences as alcohol and hard drugs.  My life falls to peices all too quickly, and at this point, I am trying to keep it together.  One of the main benefits is being able to keep a steady hand, not to mention the ability to pick up where I left off the night before rather than diving into absolute chaos first thing in the morning.   

Note about Lazarus by Leonid Nikolayevich Andreyev [confirmed, thanks]:  This story is included in the free public domain ebook compilation, Famous Modern Ghost Stories.

I have to concur with the commenter cited below as far as having access to so many classics.  If only those held in captivity by the State the world over could have access to some kind of reading devices!   Of course, not all the prisoners would appreciate such access to literature, preferring as they do to lift weights and throws balls through hoops ... ah, but now I am rambling ... 


COMMENTS from Amazon about Ghost Stories (intended for the benefit of Holden of India):

You never know what you're going to get when you grab a public domain e-book. Never before has so much material been available to readers for so little cost but often you get what you pay for. Sometimes even less. That's why this was such a pleasant surprise. The book format has very few of the typographical and formatting problems so often found in public domain books and has an active Table of Contents making for quick and easy location of what you want. I downloaded this book over a year ago in search of a few of the authors mentioned favorably in H.P. Lovecraft's "Supernatural Horror in Literature." Included are indispensable classics such as "The Willows" by Algernon Blackwood and "The Middle Toe of the Right Foot" by Ambrose Bierce as well as "The Bowmen" by Arthur Machen which was the origin of the myth of the "Angels of Mons" in which the ghosts of fallen English long bowmen from the Battle of Agincourt rise in aid to the overwhelmed and outnumbered British troops retreating through Belgium in 1914. An odd but equally enjoyable inclusion is Myla Jo Closser's story "At the Gate" which will have dog-lovers like myself reaching for the tissues. As a result of this book I have since bought larger collections of the works of Bierce, de Maupassant, Machen, and Blackwood and am devouring them all. If you've ever wondered about the influences of contemporary authors of supernatural fiction this is a great place to start digging.

Next, a comment mentioning Maughan's suggested Lazarus.  Holden had dropping hints about the supernatural horror genre, gently guiding me in a Ligottian direction for some time now.   I simply lost patience with the small print in the inexpensive hard copies (of Lovecraft and Poe) I had found.  Now, with the ereader contraption, I might have a better shot of exploring Holden's World.

Fantastic collection of 19th century ghost stories by all the classic authors. This is a great way to investigate several different styles of gothic storytelling in one place - plus it's free! "Lazarus" will keep you awake at night contemplating the horrific consequences of the world's first zombie.

Until next time, keep fighting to stay dry and don't forget to eat food!  Unfortunately these things our brains are engrossed in have no practical value, and the brain is only an appendage ... the stomach is where our "true self" exists, unfortunately.

Another note for those of us who do NOT have much money, where Andreyev's "Satan's Diaries" [Kindle version] sells for $4 on Amazon, there is a free version at Project Gutenberg.

Something I feel compelled to add:  While I sometimes pride myself on being fairly intelligent, I completely submit that I am well aware of the enormity of my ignorance.  With access to so much literature and textbooks, each day it becomes clearer and clearer to me what a dwarf I am.   This is simply a brute fact, and I am confident I will not be judged too harshly here.

For example, I never heard of Leonid Nikolayevich Andreyev before today.

Another example is my lack of motivation to read the works of Albert Caraco.  I find I am too lazy to get beyond the language barrier.

The same can be said for the work of Peter Wessel Zapffe.  Even if I could track down a hard copy of Om det tragiske, I would not be able to read the Norwegian even though my own mother has cousins in Sweden.  When she emails old Gunner, she uses a translator with glee.   We both tilt our heads to the side in a retarded manner when we hear how the Swedish words are pronounced, and neither of us bothers to spend too much time figuring out what all the funny looking symbols mean on top of some of the vowels.

I am not the least bit ashamed of having become so thoroughly Englisized and Amerikanized; although maybe I should be at least a little ashamed.   

I only tried to learn Spanish about 14 years ago so I could flirt with a young woman from Mexico at the local five and dime.  Lucky for both of us, she instinctively knew to reject my advances!   

So, Maughan, I commend your study of the Russian language. 

I am reminded of Russian from my hometown who had a biting and dark sense of humor.   At the local soup kitchen (free lunches at the church), looking around the room noticing that out of 60 people, 45 were from Latin America, presumably Mexico and thereabouts, he would joke, "I spent my whole life learning to speak English, but it appears that I have studied the wrong language.  I should have studied more Spanish!"   

Another way of thinking about it could be this.Say,there is a 2 year old baby.It is aware of its surroundings but as they are very new for it,it is experimenting with everything.Sometimes it puts its small finger in a pot of boiling water,sometimes it puts its middle finger in the electricity socket,sometimes it puts its index finger in a chilled water container & sometimes it puts its ring finger in a pot with room temperature water.
The baby feels immense pain in all the above mentioned cases but the last.

Does that mean the "ring finger" has attained salvation? No. It is but a small part of the baby's body.But the baby's experiments tell it that  when it plays with the pot with room temperature water it is least likely to cause pain to itself..



Yet another way of looking at it could be this-imagine there is an exorcist in a room trying to help a possessed man by getting him rid of the demon(WILL).The Rite of Exorcism is actually pretty simple and straightforward for the priest, but the demon(s) try all manner of things to distract the priest or stop the Rite.  They will scream and laugh hysterically, speak of hidden things such as future events, or bring things up about the priest; they can try and throw things or become violent; they will lie and try to deceive the priest into believing that they are the spirit of a saint or good angel; they can even try to distract them by levitating or doing other strange things.  Demons are desperate and will try all sorts of things and speak all sorts of nonsense, anything to throw off the priest.  This is why it is imperative to have a humble and holy priest. A good exorcist will not pay any attention to the antics of the evil spirit and will command it to be silent unless spoken to and will not delve into conversation with the spirit other than to ask it a few important questions, such as: how many are inhabiting the person, when they entered into the person and why, and what their names are. 
Excessive questions can actually decrease the success rate of the exorcism and can cause the exorcism to take a much longer time (we’re talking months and years here).  This is not typical, and many exorcists stick to the strict rule of using only the words in the Rite and do not engage the demon in any further conversation.

If an exorcist asks a demon-how does it feel to be a demon,or how are things in the demon world or what to they do when they are not possessing someone,the exorcism is all but lost.