IMO, historically, greedy madmen--mostly--have always been power over history. The problem is they have control over much more destructive forces. Yes, Hitler caused a lot of deaths. Stalin probably more. However, we have no way to estimate all the deaths created by Henry Kissinger--I have no sadness about his death--which includes all the bombings in Cambodia that eventually created a power vacuum and the murderous killings of Pol Pot. War and genocide appears to have existed all through history.
Here is a thought:
Camus, Sartre, and all others formed their philosophies based upon what they observed in life and what they believed was true. I’ve learned that almost nothing I grew up with and believed was true, was true.
* the Wild West was not like is was portrayed by Hollywood. Most of the people on cattle drives were not white men and many were ex slaves.
* our founding fathers primarily were slave owners and not nice people. Incidentally, most of their ideas about Democracy did not come from Ancient Greece but from some advanced thinking of some northeast Native American tribes that I never learned about in schools.
* the roots of the Abrahamic religions was once polytheistic until men wanted more power. Then they killed of Asherah.
*the “theory” about how hunter gatherers lived with men out hunting and women gathering is now being discredited in many ways as women are more biologically built to be hunters as science has shown they have developed more natural endurance and it appears our early hunting was developed chasing a prey over long distances until the prey was exhausted. Also, archeological evidence is now showing some women as hunters. Who knows, maybe early men learned by watching lions where the hunting pride is made up of females and the males can lay around, look important, roar, sleep, eat and impregnate females, when not fighting other males.
*all the science I learned very early was revised and revised many times until it looks completely different. We got the Big Bang modified later with expansion theory. Now, because of the James Webb telescope all that is blowing up.
I could go on and on. However, all theories are built upon limited observations in this universe so the theories are limited.
A major problem exists because we grew up with fairytales. We grew up wanting to be beautiful and live happily ever after. I can’t imagine early hunter gatherers sitting around a fire discussing happiness. Chasing happiness leads you to disappointment and depression.
Where am I going with all this? I haven’t clue but I’m aware of observing life much more, challenging all my beliefs and opinions, and somehow becoming more comfortable with life--at times--much like Camus.
PS-apparently having a happy disposition appears to be a function of not only early environment but genes. Read about David Hume who was a person with a great disposition. He is one of my favorites. Loved his idea that what is does not imply what ought.
I love the premise of the book, when god was a woman, haven’t read it in ages so who knows if it’s still hold up. The female, the bringer of life was seen to make new humans but not known how she did it! A miracle of life, which it is no matter how you explain it. I firmly believe the world was dominated by the female, protecting and creating life. Hunting? Sure, why wouldn’t she be able? The discovery is so shocking because the assumptions have grown so far from the purpose of life. Mysogeny rose to take power. We are modern now, through many cycles of change. Perhaps the perception of change through technology and innovation always being for the better is what’s incorrect. Fire brought light and warmth. How far does it take us intellectually and does the path of intellect improve our stay on earth. There are indeed more questions than known answers. We have only one life experience and can’t know all alternatives.
I once read--do not remember when or where--that Julius Caesar had many reasons for attacking the Celts. However,one was that the Celts had a ruling structure with women at the top. This was anathema to the Romans where men held all the power. Apparently Caesar even wrote about this in his journal during the campaign.
Also, all the stories about Catherine the Great in Western Europe were propaganda by western leaders because of their fear of Catherine. Powerful women scare men.
I think I may have shared this before. If so, forgive my repetition. I have researched over time the mostly forgotten history--more properly herstory--of women who made major contributions to science and math.
E = MC**2. The ** means the 2 is an exponent. When Einstein was trying to develop the General Theory of Relativity he was stumped for years. He brought in the greatest mathematician in Europe to help him, Hilbert. After more struggles Hilbert couldn’t help but suggested help from someone at his university who he thought was very gifted but could not receive full status because this person was a female. Emmy Nother was brought in and she developed a revolutionary mathematics--used now in many spin-off branches of mathematics--that allowed Einstein to put the equal sign in his equation. No Nother, no general theory of relativity.
Nother’s father was a professor of math who didn’t want his daughter to study math. He encouraged her to study French, get married and have children.
I have many stories like this. There are many stories of women making great discoveries where a male supervisor later receives a Nobel Prize for the discovery and the woman basically ignored. All cosmology developed because of a women who was not allowed to use the telescope at Harvard.
I do get it. My aunt went to law school but was only allowed to help a cousin with the family business. I'm old so .. that the was it was and is. My sister was rejected from medical school countless times because she was married in college. After pharmacology school she was accepted. Being dismissed, ill advised, pandered to. If you paid attention to how many women were touched, abused raped and never said? When you can see it without feeling you must somehow have personal responsibility, you can see how it's baked in to the US and "our" culture. It always forms a woman's personality.
IMO, historically, greedy madmen--mostly--have always been power over history. The problem is they have control over much more destructive forces. Yes, Hitler caused a lot of deaths. Stalin probably more. However, we have no way to estimate all the deaths created by Henry Kissinger--I have no sadness about his death--which includes all the bombings in Cambodia that eventually created a power vacuum and the murderous killings of Pol Pot. War and genocide appears to have existed all through history.
Here is a thought:
Camus, Sartre, and all others formed their philosophies based upon what they observed in life and what they believed was true. I’ve learned that almost nothing I grew up with and believed was true, was true.
* the Wild West was not like is was portrayed by Hollywood. Most of the people on cattle drives were not white men and many were ex slaves.
* our founding fathers primarily were slave owners and not nice people. Incidentally, most of their ideas about Democracy did not come from Ancient Greece but from some advanced thinking of some northeast Native American tribes that I never learned about in schools.
* the roots of the Abrahamic religions was once polytheistic until men wanted more power. Then they killed of Asherah.
*the “theory” about how hunter gatherers lived with men out hunting and women gathering is now being discredited in many ways as women are more biologically built to be hunters as science has shown they have developed more natural endurance and it appears our early hunting was developed chasing a prey over long distances until the prey was exhausted. Also, archeological evidence is now showing some women as hunters. Who knows, maybe early men learned by watching lions where the hunting pride is made up of females and the males can lay around, look important, roar, sleep, eat and impregnate females, when not fighting other males.
*all the science I learned very early was revised and revised many times until it looks completely different. We got the Big Bang modified later with expansion theory. Now, because of the James Webb telescope all that is blowing up.
I could go on and on. However, all theories are built upon limited observations in this universe so the theories are limited.
A major problem exists because we grew up with fairytales. We grew up wanting to be beautiful and live happily ever after. I can’t imagine early hunter gatherers sitting around a fire discussing happiness. Chasing happiness leads you to disappointment and depression.
Where am I going with all this? I haven’t clue but I’m aware of observing life much more, challenging all my beliefs and opinions, and somehow becoming more comfortable with life--at times--much like Camus.
PS-apparently having a happy disposition appears to be a function of not only early environment but genes. Read about David Hume who was a person with a great disposition. He is one of my favorites. Loved his idea that what is does not imply what ought.
Always good to hear from you, Jim.
I love the premise of the book, when god was a woman, haven’t read it in ages so who knows if it’s still hold up. The female, the bringer of life was seen to make new humans but not known how she did it! A miracle of life, which it is no matter how you explain it. I firmly believe the world was dominated by the female, protecting and creating life. Hunting? Sure, why wouldn’t she be able? The discovery is so shocking because the assumptions have grown so far from the purpose of life. Mysogeny rose to take power. We are modern now, through many cycles of change. Perhaps the perception of change through technology and innovation always being for the better is what’s incorrect. Fire brought light and warmth. How far does it take us intellectually and does the path of intellect improve our stay on earth. There are indeed more questions than known answers. We have only one life experience and can’t know all alternatives.
I once read--do not remember when or where--that Julius Caesar had many reasons for attacking the Celts. However,one was that the Celts had a ruling structure with women at the top. This was anathema to the Romans where men held all the power. Apparently Caesar even wrote about this in his journal during the campaign.
Also, all the stories about Catherine the Great in Western Europe were propaganda by western leaders because of their fear of Catherine. Powerful women scare men.
People think the history to grasp on Israel et al is tough. Men and women. His story, Her story. Far more baggage. The last great argument.
I think I may have shared this before. If so, forgive my repetition. I have researched over time the mostly forgotten history--more properly herstory--of women who made major contributions to science and math.
E = MC**2. The ** means the 2 is an exponent. When Einstein was trying to develop the General Theory of Relativity he was stumped for years. He brought in the greatest mathematician in Europe to help him, Hilbert. After more struggles Hilbert couldn’t help but suggested help from someone at his university who he thought was very gifted but could not receive full status because this person was a female. Emmy Nother was brought in and she developed a revolutionary mathematics--used now in many spin-off branches of mathematics--that allowed Einstein to put the equal sign in his equation. No Nother, no general theory of relativity.
Nother’s father was a professor of math who didn’t want his daughter to study math. He encouraged her to study French, get married and have children.
I have many stories like this. There are many stories of women making great discoveries where a male supervisor later receives a Nobel Prize for the discovery and the woman basically ignored. All cosmology developed because of a women who was not allowed to use the telescope at Harvard.
I do get it. My aunt went to law school but was only allowed to help a cousin with the family business. I'm old so .. that the was it was and is. My sister was rejected from medical school countless times because she was married in college. After pharmacology school she was accepted. Being dismissed, ill advised, pandered to. If you paid attention to how many women were touched, abused raped and never said? When you can see it without feeling you must somehow have personal responsibility, you can see how it's baked in to the US and "our" culture. It always forms a woman's personality.