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Socialisim / Walt Whitman and the Dangers of Dualisim

Posted by: Ryan Close on October 12, 1999 at 12:30:49:

What is Socialisim?

Is it oposed to Dualism? This is the worldview where if two things are diffrent they must be in a type of Hierarchy. Examples:

God Man Man Good White Materia
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SEPERATION
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Man Woman Nature Evil Black Immaterial
etc...

In 1984 we see Dualisim at work. A passage of 1984 argues that the only way to impose your will on any one else is to make that person suffer, therefore crushing their will. Clavin Hobbes stated that if an element of society causes disorder, the ruler has the right to eliminate this element by force. In this Hobbesian / 1984 / Authoritarian worldview we see an increadible hierarchy.

Authoritarian Monarch / Ruler order
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SEPERATION
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His Subjects chaos

Dualisim is expressed best by the survivalist’s creed, "To hell with them, Let the bastards die. When they die, they will not be competing with me for my resources and I can consume them." This is only posible when you see your self as the top of a dualistic hierarchy. I supose this is based on pride, which comes from the desire to attain infinite survival, while survival comes from our body's fear of death.

Dualism is opposed to a view my teacher calls the Complementary view. Being a Christian I saw how the act of Jesus on the cross tore down the Dualistic relationship between man and God alowing Man to Commune with God, therefore the act of Communion. Therefore I prefer the term Communisim to "the Complementary view," but I realize that this is a loaded term. I wish I could use it in a freer way.

In the Complementary view, just because two things are diffrent dose not mean that either is better or prefered. Every thing is conected in an intimate way.

Whitman wrote with this view in mind. There is almost no emotion in his poems, except that which appears to be lust. This is because there is no prefered state, therefore there can not be a prefered emotion linked to any event. Rather he wants to connect with the entire universe in an almost sexual way. He says that the kelson (the part of the ship that conects all the planks along the bottom) of creation is love. So he can therefore conect with the entire universe by conecting in small ways with individuals. And in conecting with induviduals he also experiences that kelson, the idea of love, if even in a small way, thereby alowing him to commune with all things. It is a Communion of all with all. It is beyond lust.

This perfect Communion seems to be imposible here on earth at the present. Though Dualisim can be seen as evil since it creates racisim, sexisim, slavery, nationalisim, and almost all the social problems we face as a multiclassed global society, we are forced to use it. By declareing Dualisim evil and less desierable than the Complementary view we become Dualistic. Is this a universal trick, or joke? Based on the Tao, fundamental Good and Evil, Right and Wrong are universal and also fundamentaly opposed. Never shall the two meet. Therefore just because the two exist forces even Good to adopt a Dualistic position even though Dualisim is evil.

The Complementary View Good Right
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SEPERATION
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The Dualistic View Evil Wrong

Unfortunately, at present the the Complementary worldview seems to be only a dream. I beleive that only once evil is finaly destroyed and there is no dualisim at all can we ever have a true Communion Based Society. In this Communion, everyone would be equal, no one would hold a position of superiority because there would be no favored frames of refrence. Furthermore, dispite being conected in increadibly intimate ways, we would all retain our individuality.

With this definition of the Complementary worldview can we find any agreements with Socialisim?

-Ryan-


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