Nietzsche’s Opposition to Pity and Comfort

In much of his writing, Friedrich Nietzsche railed against pity – which he saw as a soul-crushing, enfeebling emotion and ethic – and comfort, which again he thought was the enemy of strength, health, and vitality. Nietzsche’s fierce opposition to Christianity originates from the centrality he believes it places on pity, and how this feeling…

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Meshuggah, Transhumanism, and the Allure of Cults

In one of Meshuggah’s most well-known tracks, New Millennium Cyanide Christ, we find an exploration of the themes of transhumanism and cults. Drummer Tomas Haake, who writes the lyrics for the band, said of the track in an interview with Greg Prato: That’s more of a dystopian take on a sectistic or extremist kind of…

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Book Review: After the Ecstasy, the Laundry by Jack Kornfield

After the Ecstasy, the Laundry (2000) is a book by Jack Kornfield, a renowned Buddhist and meditation teacher. This is the second book I’ve read by Kornfield, the first being the best-selling A Path With Heart (1993), which I’d highly recommend as an introduction to Buddhism and a practical guide to Buddhist meditation, including the…

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Book Review: Two Lessons on Animal and Man by Gilbert Simondon

Gilbert Simondon (1924 – 1989) was arguably one of the most original and innovative thinkers in contemporary French philosophy. A student of Maurice Merleau-Ponty, Simondon’s work has had an influence on various disciplines ranging from philosophy and anthropology to media and cybernetics. As Aislinn O’Donnell describes: ‘On one page, he may describe an electrical field,…

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Is David Cameron Right to Call Britain a Christian Country?

Many were surprised to see David Cameron take on a new persona, that of an evangelical Christian. In an article he wrote for the Church Times, our beloved PM made had the following to say: I believe we should be more confident about our status as a Christian country, more ambitious about expanding the role…

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