First Post: An Explanatory Introduction

This is a blog with a purpose. The purpose of this blog is to counteract the unhealthy tendencies and bemusing misconceptions that inevitably arise from living in the modern world. The emphasis of this work is ethical in the Aristotelian sense; it aims to clarify concepts and issue directives in the interests of sanity, which conduces to a healthy and effective state of being. Thus, it can be described as therapeutic for both author and readers. The method of this work is largely metaphysical in nature; it begins and ends with being, namely that sort of being which we ourselves possess, i.e. Dasein. It is the human approach to the conundrum of modern existence.

There are no mysteries here, or at any rate no intention to obfuscate. The aim is rather to demystify all that is not essentially mysterious. There is no "atmosphere" on this blog; that is to say, no stylistic constraints or limitations of subject matter to interfere with the clear elucidation of being, although there must and inevitably will be a style. The difference between the two -- between atmosphere and style -- is that in the former there is the presence of an ego, while in the latter there is only personalized action. There is no ego on this blog, despite the fact that it is both autocratic and endearingly personal. All noble actions must be both of those things, but nobility has nothing to do with egotism. Nobility is the greatness of the person. The greatness of a thing is its good. The good is interconvertible with the true and the real. The path to reality leads through the personal.

There is on this blog the presumption of an audience, otherwise we would be speaking to no one. Any author not writing for person or persons specific must nevertheless keep before his mind's eye this great cloud of witnesses, whose presence alone triggers and justifies the action. The curious thing about writing, though, is that no matter how popular an author may chance to become, his audience while he is working remains largely presumptive, for he is not directly aware of any real persons when engaged in the act of writing. This is a good thing, for it keeps the audience pure, separated and divine. Nietzsche remarked once that the Trojan war was nothing if not a spectacle for the gods. Sir Isaac Newton was said to have delivered his lectures to a hall of empty seats. Any sort of tragic, heroic, or inspired action is of the same nature; even writing, which when classed among "actions" is surely the most pitiful. It is done "unto God," Who sees all, knows all, judges all, and Who hopefully forgives our trespasses.

There is on this blog the consciousness of failure. In spite of our lofty aspirations, we know we have made mistakes before and will do so again. In fact, looking back over the course of our lives, our actual accomplishments seem to resemble our professed goals so little that the latter seem like empty grandstanding, while we appear to be rank hypocrites. This is, however, too harsh a judgment. It only illustrates the great gulf that lies between our present state and perfection. It may be that the perfection we seek is only achievable in a partial, broken, and fragmentary way, but whether or not that fragment is fought for makes a great deal of difference. If you do not get in the game, you cannot win.

This blog is "getting in the game." Let's begin, shall we?