Oooo this is fascinating and something I'm always trying to figure out lol that and how to get people to stop seeing the left/progressives as a threat and teaming up with extreme right wingers. Considering going back to college and getting a poli sci degree and then getting a masters in something like public policy!

@ikik1648 Any luck yet? Seems to me, we need to rely on the effects of reality to get the message across that reality doesn’t care whether you are a screaming ideologue or a centrist with your head in the sand. So what I mean is, perhaps asking question like: “So how’s your health insurance working out for you?” or “What my grocery shopping cart is telling me seems different from the messaging out of the last Fed meeting. What’s yours saying?” Or, “So, if you don’t support Ukraine, then you’re all good with having a system like Russia’s here?” etc.

Far better than roger berkowitz

Apologies for my late response, but I only saw your post now. To me, and I'm only 57, the entropy you refer to has crept into our lives from as early as the late 60s, when the strife we experienced due to the Vietnam War boiled over, in addition to the assassinations of RFK and MLK; and the 70s, with the Nixon administration's shenanigans culminating in Watergate and his resignation (not to mention VP Agnew's beforehand), leaving us diminished, disillusioned, and disaffected. Ford's controversial pardon engendered deeper cynicism among us. Then came Carter's mediocre presidency, Reagan's joyfully oblivious administration, which first pried open the disparity between rich and poor, while also giving rise to the Neo-Con/Fascist movement that came of age under The Orange Menace's Reign of Horror. And let's not forget the Iran-Contra Affair. Then came the Slick Willie and Monica Show, Cheney's War in the nsme of 9/11(with Dubya as Worst Supporting Actor), Obama leaving us wanting more than Hope, yet relishing the homage we pay to him as a celebrity in the political thereafter, and of course, the vile, foul-smelling, putrid vomit that was and still is all things Trump. What you call entropy is the world I lived in since I committed myself to enlightened citizenship (that I dsre call myself an enlightened citizen means we're in deep trouble). I take entropy to mean my situational normal. I knew nothing else. I would give anything to bear witness to FDR in real time. Despite his foibles, he was a force for good, be it through the Great Depression or World War II. He still stsnds light years ahead of the sea of political guano that is all too pervasive today. Which is why we ordinary folk reinforce our limited worldview within the confines of our lonely rooms through social media. Misery loves company, especially for those among us who feel they have nowhere to turn their lonely eyes to. Here is where our present-day entropy manifests itself.

Same here! Excellent presentation

Yeah. One side is totalitarian,and the other just wants to make a living. Don't get confused about who wants to rule the world.

It's funny: everyone here is clutching their pearls about this subject,but no one seems to be able to realize that it's only half of the country who is heading this way. In case you haven't figured it out yet,it's the left. You know,the college participants who are all over this board.

Thanks for this suggestion--great recommendation! :)

You might enjoy Zizeks thoughts on Ideology

I agree.

If there were a philosopher King, will we still live with Democracy?

@@keiju49 thanks for your response . Certainty not in present day view of democracy where the mass votes for a leader rather than one who has knowledge and wisdom through philosophy with state and individuals in mind . Today one needs only to go to social media and quickly sees the horrendous uneducated shadowy views ( dogmatic not only in the religious sense) of serious philosophical matters . If one were to write a post graduate work with legitimate reference through academic reference on the same topics presented in social media posts it would at least be intelligible and read with some sense of comfort. It’s more like listening to a pack of wolves rather than to a wise person of collective wisdom . When one after being on social media looks into the crowd sees not or feels no wisdom it senses lowly educated howling without knowing . A lot of it is to do with filtered down thoughts from philosophers though used out of context and certainly not with having the knowledge and scholarship of these philosophers . Nor aware of the game they were playing with the others . Philosophy as is politics is a serious matter . Good thing medicine doesn’t allow for any perspective will do , or else we all will be dead at the hands of a fool !

Origins of Totalitarianism :)

And Eichmann in Jerusalem

this video was created for a course in which students were assigned readings

also, always. important to cite sources and show where you're getting things in the texts! :)

@@OverthinkPodcastPhilosophy ok, the videos are part of your university teaching. with this double purpose it makes sense.

Anarchism is diametrically opposite to totalitarianism. If totalitarianism first forms the ideal of a perfect society, and then shapes society to the ideal by any means possible, anarchism forms the ideal of a better society, in which everybody takes part of that society, nobody is dominated and nobody wanted to dominate, then seeks to use the correct means, because certain means -the state- create certain ends which are contrary to our goals

@@edcify8241 That seems like a rather empty distinction, every ideology will eschew certain means. This just highlights the foolishness of the idea of totalitarianism itself.

@@edcify8241 In the first line you said totalitarionism first forms the ideal of a perfect society and then you said "anarchism forms the ideal of a better society" isnt that saying the same thing? Ive read a decent chunk of anarchist texts to me one of the striking features is the refusal to outline a perfect society from the getgo

I think what she's saying is unfinished. Ellie isn't wrong, but I think she's missing the part where you can't really be "outside" of ideology. Human behavior already teaches us that choices we make are actually pre-determined one way or another. So from a sociologist's perspective, you can't really escape an ideology and the status quo is essentially made by the most dominant ideology. Hannah Arendt isn't the only thinker who studied ideology anyway. Many other prominent contributors have extended the discussion after her time. So yeah, in essence, you're right, one cannot have a view of the world without layers of influence of ideas we've absorbed over time, whether its life experience or things we learn from others.

Une, lol.

"The thinking... Them thoughts are actually harmful, mate. Do not."

@@edcify8241 Thank you for your feedback. Not sure I fully understand your comment. Saying that thinking is bad is harmful? Thinking can be 'good or bad' depending on many factors. I am sure Arendt was well intended, but she is being irresponsible.

@@fl3651 If anything, irresponsible how?

This!!!

Nazis and commies are the same. Camps, war, power, propaganda. You're blinded by allegiance to ideology.

The two party system is already totalitarian by any useful definition - it’s totalising, everything is subsumed into either of two factions in the bourgeois dictatorship

@@ruben7801 I totally agree with you, but it’s getting worse the way things are going.

Then you should give me all your property and let me tell you what to do. You're not doing anything wrong, right? Just give me control over your life bro.