habitually probing generalist

Heaven
is a disaster.
And you won’t get there
any faster.

Wagner, Kurt. “the saturday option” on Lambchop’s what another man spills.

In case you weren’t up to reading all of The Unbearable Lightness of Being and morality and A Nation Beyond Forgiveness, or you can’t see the connection, I am going to try to tie them together for you.

Lightness is associated with freedom, escape, and a lack of commitment. It is attractive, but also “unbearable,” largely because lightness is so fragile, and so threatened by the weight of existence. Weight is associated with the idea of eternal return, and the weight of unbearable responsibility. (From the section on Lightness and Weight (Heaviness) of Unbearable)

In this part, Kundera makes a blistering attack on sentimentality, hypocrisy, and humanity’s desire to avoid the unpleasant, in other words, kitsch. Kitsch is an aesthetic ideal. “It follows then that the aesthetic ideal of the categorical agreement with being is a world in which shit is denied and everyone acts as though it did not exist.” (Kundera, 248)

Kundera links kitsch to totalitarianism, calling the Russian May Day ceremony the “model of Communist kitsch.” (Kundera, 249) In “totalitarian kitsch, all answers are given in advance and preclude any questions.” (Kundera, 254) Sabina, the artist, the “person who asks questions,” is the real enemy of kitsch. “My enemy is kitsch, not Communism,” Sabina claims. (Kundera, 254) She most clearly speaks out for individualism and beauty against conformity and kitsch. (From the section on The Grand March of Unbearable)

For Kierkegaard, the aesthetic and the ethical are “domains of culture,” or “existence spheres.” The aesthetical approach involves living in the pleasure of the moment, and involves the impact of things on our senses. The ethical approach involves a struggle with the self to achieve a consistent, coherent, unified self. According to Kierkegaard the ethical sphere is a higher existence sphere, which involves more freedom.

…

Questioning, as well as an activity, is a form of existential being. “A question is like a knife that slices through the stage backdrop and gives us a look at what lies behind it. In fact, that was exactly how Sabina had explained the meaning of her paintings to Tereza: on the surface, an intelligible lie; underneath, the unintelligible truth showing through.” (Kundera, 254) Thus, Sabina’s art is aesthetic. (From the section on Aesthetical / ethical (as “spheres of existence) of Unbearable)

But he didn’t think that war should be viewed as just another business, or as any sort of “business” at all. This psychologist, and the entire apparatus of our government and military today, find no problem with this approach. They embrace it enthusiastically. Today, it is “a flaw” to think that “monetary values” should not “outweigh moral ones in a war.” This is where we are now.

Life and death, torture, suffering, unendurable loss and agony — it’s all a matter of profit and loss. Anything that improves the bottom line is permitted — even the slaughter of innocents. We are a nation of
mercenaries — and we have lost our soul, perhaps for good. (From Forgiveness)

Lightness / Heaviness. Aesthetic / Ethical. Forgiveness / Non-forgiveness.

Kitsch is an aesthetic ideal. “It follows then that the aesthetic
ideal of the categorical agreement with being is a world in which shit
is denied and everyone acts as though it did not exist.” (Kundera, 248)” Kitsch and an aesthetic ideal is exactly what plagues America. How else is one to understand the almost complete lack of caring regarding the massive wrongs inflicted on this world by our government? If it were only a lack of caring, that might be explained in other ways. But the lack of caring coupled with the complete indifference to even knowing the truth is the clincher—a world in which shit is denied and everyone acts as though it did not exist.

“Kundera links kitsch to totalitarianism[.] In “totalitarian kitsch, all answers are given in advance and preclude any questions.” (Kundera, 254)” Exactly.

The aesthetic of profit and loss. The aesthetic of “life and death, torture, suffering, unendurable loss and agony.” Where are the ethics?

“Sabina, the artist, the “person who asks questions,” is the real enemy of kitsch. She most clearly speaks out for individualism and beauty against conformity and kitsch.” “Questioning, as well as an activity, is a form of existential being.”

“A question is like a knife that slices through the stage backdrop and gives us a look at what lies behind it.” And, yes, I explained Sabina’s art as aesthetic. Life requires a balance of some sort. And art may, in fact, be ethical. I intend to ask questions. I, too, will try to clearly speak out for individualism and beauty against conformity and kitsch.

Note: You may also want to see my post, Todorov on totalitarianism.

He claims that the societal trait that allows such crimes is totalitarianism. He also claims that totalitarianism has three main characteristics which are important in its influence on individual moral behavior. The first of these traits is that of the internal
enemy. If the individual is not with the state, then he is against it. This leads to dividing humanity into two groups of unequal worth. The inferior beings are usually punished or even exterminated. This, in turn, leads to a certain form of moral behavior. One comes to the
enjoyment of power over one’s ‘enemies.’

The second characteristic is that “the state becomes the custodian of society’s ultimate aims.” (Todorov, 127) The state places itself between the individual and his values and as such, “the state replaces humanity as the standard by which to distinguish good from evil and thus determines the direction in which society will evolve.” (Todorov, 127-8) This leads the individual to the feeling of relief from personal responsibility for decisions. The state restricts its subjects to instrumental thinking and the treating of all actions as means. This is precisely how such “ordinary people” are capable of such evil. The state accomplishes its goals without disturbing the individual’s moral conscience; it is simply replaced with a new one.

The third characteristic is that “the state aspires to control the totality of an individual’s social existence.” (Todorov, 128) The state controls who works, where they work, what kind of job they get, if they can travel, where they can travel, whether they can own property, whether they can live, and so on. Almost all aspects of life are under the control of the totalitarian state. This leads to social schizophrenia. The individual must exhibit public docility at least. This social schizophrenia is a weapon in the hands of the state though. “[I]t lulls to sleep the conscience of the totalitarian subject, reassures him, and lets him underestimate the seriousness of his public deeds. Master of his heart of hearts, the subject no longer pays much attention to what he does in the world.” (Todorov, 129)

Three main characteristics of totalitarianism:

• the internal enemy
• the state becomes the custodian of society’s ultimate aims
• the state aspires to control the totality of an individual’s social existence

Clearly, the first exists. “We Stand United.” “If you’re not with us, you must support the enemy”. “America, love it or leave it.”

The second. Almost as easy. Between all of the instrumental thinking and the treating of all actions as means, and the theocracy the current powers are trying to establish, I do not think there is any valid argument that this government is not trying to be the custodian of society’s ultimate aims.

The third. A bit harder. If one is white and male, and especially if one is wealthy then one’s actions are little restrained. But be anything other than white or male, or simply be poor (or even middle class) and one’s actions become highly constrained. Many of the members of our society are afflicted with social schizophrenia and they have been lulled to sleep. “Master of his heart of hearts, the subject no longer pays much attention to what he does in the world.” It is a sleep I once knew well. Never again though for me. Never again.

do not want

do not ponder

what goes on here

goes on up yonder

ghastly mask

shape undone

a human pile

of hair and gum

this wicked man

has become unwise

Wagner, Kurt. “n.o.” on Lambchop’s what another man spills.

The unbearable lightness of forgiveness? “Lightness is associated with freedom, escape, and a lack of commitment. It is attractive, but also “unbearable,” largely because lightness is so fragile, and so threatened by the weight of existence. Weight is associated with the idea of eternal return, and the weight of
unbearable responsibility.”

The weight of unbearable responsibility. That of choosing to judge the “psychologist, and the entire apparatus of our government and military today” morally. To not forgive. Make no mistake. It is an unbearable responsibility. But try I must.

I think we are beyond forgiveness now. Forgiveness is not possible for what we have let ourselves become. (Silber)