 They say that a man will become the books he reads and the people he associates with. But in our modern, "tolerant" society- a society in which we have little control over who we surround ourselves with-, the power of the book over the development of the mind becomes even more powerful. Tragically, few people read in the critical, classical sense these days. Instead, we scan the internet; we read what someone else writes about a book, and then think to ourselves, "Ah, now I understand the book; there's no need to read it." How sad and stupid we have become... The written word is a powerful thing. In fact, for centuries of socio-cultural development, literacy could be used almost as a proxy for freedom itself: Masters could read; slaves could not. And that was all one needed to know. Somewhat paradoxically, we "modern men" who live in a world that long ago abandoned slavery have in turn abandoned the very mechanism by which it was once measured: the ability to read and write. Moreover, we have abandoned it at precisely the moment in which we need it most, with father dishonored, with the nuclear family in a multi-generational free-fall, and with manhood and masculinity condemned both in school and in society. Luckily, we can always rediscover what we have lost; when the world has failed us, the book remains. And so with that, we humbly present a short list of books that every man should read, in no particular order. Book 1: Hagakure, by Tsunetomo YamamotoManhood is nothing if not the pursuit of honor, and in the face of death and destruction. And nobody exemplifies that standard more so than the Samurai of feudal Japan. But although we know much about the Samurai, most of what we know has come down to us second-hand. This is why the Hagakure is of such monumental value: It was written by a Samurai, about the Samurai, for the benefit of the Samurai. Thankfully, the book takes no prisoners, and leaps into the Way of the Samurai from the very first page with the following damned manly passage: "The Way of the Samurai is found in death. When it comes to either/or, there is only the quick choice of death. It is not particularly difficult. Be determined and advance. To say that dying without reaching one's aim is to die a dog's death is the frivolous way of sophisticates. When pressed with the choice of life or death, it is not necessary to gain one's aim." ~ Tsunetomo Yamamoto Hagakure Book 2: Gates of Fire, by Steven PressfieldTwo millennia before the Samurai came into existence, a small tribe of Hellenes had already begun building what must be considered even to this day perhaps the greatest warrior society ever to have existed in human history: the Spartans. And none have brought their ethos to life quite like Steven Pressfield, whose brilliant book Gates of Fire became an instant classic upon publication. Having himself been a Marine, he is an author uniquely acquainted with the theory of war and the philosophy of the warrior, and expresses that acquaintance with ease, for instance in the following passage: "War, not peace, produces virtue; war, not peace, purges vice; war, and preparation for war, call forth all that is noble and honorable in a man. It unites him with his brothers and binds them in selfless love, eradicating in the crucible of necessity all which is base and ignoble. There in the holy mill of murder the meanest of men may seek and find that part of himself, concealed beneath the corrupt, which shines forth brilliant and virtuous, worthy of honor before the gods. Do not despise war, my young friend, nor delude yourself that mercy and compassion are virtues superior to andreia, to manly valor." ~ Steven Pressfield Gates of Fire Book 3: The Picture of Dorian Gray, by Oscar WildeThe Picture of Dorian Gray is well-known among literati as an English classic. But what is rarely discussed is Oscar Wilde's insight into the soul of modern man, and into the dangers of materialism. For The Picture of Dorian Gray is, above all else, a criticism of modernism, of its soullessness and superficiality; moreover, it is a warning. "Be cautious, young man," it seems to say, "for all that glitters is not gold." "You will always be fond of me. I represent to you all the sins you never had the courage to commit." ~ Oscar Wilde The Picture of Dorian Gray Book 4: Dune, by Frank HerbertFrank Herbert's brilliant book Dune- and indeed the entirety of the original Dune series- is a master's class on Nietzschean philosophy taught via science fiction. Dune is many things: a superhero novel; a treatise on man's relationship with the world; a deep and penetrating look into the mechanics of power dynamics within human society- and much, much more. Without Dune, there would be no Star Wars and no Star Trek. Frank Herbert's insight into human psychology was second to none in the science fiction world, and his ability to consistently express those insights in novel forms was incomparable. "I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer; fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear; I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past, I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain." ~ Frank Herbert Dune Book 5: Demons, by Fyodor DostoevskyIt was once said that even if Dostoevsky had not been such a brilliant psychologist, he still would have been the greatest writer of all time, if only because he could paint pictures as though he were Rembrandt. This may or may not be the case, but the very statement reveals the monster of genius that was Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky. Finally, his character Nikolay Stavrogin may be one of the greatest literary creations ever written, and is a perfect representation of man in the modern world: lost, vicious, and damned to himself. "You cannot imagine what sorrow and anger seize one's whole soul when a great idea, which one has long and piously revered, is picked up by some bunglers and dragged into the street, to more fools like themselves, and one suddenly meets it in the flea market, unrecognizable, dirty, askew, absurdly presented, without proportion, without harmony, a toy for stupid children." ~ Fyodor Dostoevsky Demons Book 6: Beyond Good & Evil, by Friedrich NietzscheThere is perhaps no philosopher in history who delved more deeply into the depths of the human condition than Friedrich Nietzsche, and none of his books expressed that depth in a more logical, systematic fashion than Beyond Good & Evil. Nietzsche was fearless in his willingness to face the truth- no matter how horrifying-, and no philosopher has ever written prose like Nietzsche wrote prose: ecstatically, half-mad, and without pity either for himself or humanity. Beyond Good & Evil may well be his most quoted book- and that is saying something. Of all philosophers, Nietzsche is the most quotable, not to mention the most misunderstood. "To recognize untruth as a condition of life- that certainly means resisting accustomed value feelings in a dangerous way, and a philosophy that risks this would by that token alone place itself beyond good and evil." ~ Friedrich Nietzsche Beyond Good & Evil Book 7: The Hero With a Thousand Faces, by Joseph CampbellWe mentioned earlier that without Frank Herbert, there would be no Star Wars; the same could be said for Joseph Campbell. For it was Campbell's work in The Hero With a Thousand Faces that changed our understanding of male-mythic psychology forever- and created a blueprint for what he referred to as the Hero's Journey. Campbell was a monster among academics, which is interesting because before he came along, "mythologist" was not really a thing at all; Campbell made it a thing, because his work- and the genius that shined through it- simply could not be ignored. And today, that work is still considered a classic, especially among Jungians, as can be seen in the quote below: "The agony of breaking through personal limitations is the agony of spiritual growth. Art, literature, myth and cult, philosophy, and ascetic disciplines are instruments to help the individual past his limiting horizons into spheres of ever-expanding realization. As he crosses threshold after threshold, conquering dragon after dragon, the stature of the divinity that he summons to his highest wish increases, until it subsumes the cosmos. Finally, the mind breaks the bounding sphere of the cosmos to a realization transcending all experiences of form - all symbolizations, all divinities: a realization of the ineluctable void." ~ Joseph Campbell The Hero With a Thousand Faces ~ Joshua van Asakinda [Note: This content is self-funded and self-published; please consider supporting it by donating through our payment portal at PayPal.]
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 [Full disclosure: I am both a Buddhist and a Nietzschean. At first glance, these two philosophies may appear to be at odds. And yet, I do not find- or rather, feel- any particular animosity between them, at least when they are both understood properly. Nonetheless, I have always been aware that my feelings towards their relationship are strange, and have wondered whether or not they might be reconciled. For myself, I have grown convinced that such a reconciliation is not only possible but probable, and can be achieved with little difficulty; what follows is my reasoning.] Question: Can traditional religion (in this case, Buddhist) be reconciled with natural philosophy (in this case, Nietzschean)? In other words, are religious imperatives compatible with the practical observations of philosophy? Or are we instead doomed to an epistemological dualism: either an essentially religious worldview or an essentially natural worldview- but never both? Put differently, is a unified theory of existence entailing both religion and philosophy tenable at all? Can a practical moral system of behavior be derived from natural philosophy that is in accord with traditional religion, without resorting to intellectual gymnastics? A few definitions are in order... Definition 1- "Will": The capacity for action, for causing some effect upon reality. Definition 2- "Power": The measure of the capacity for action, for causing some effect upon reality. Definition 3- "Religion": The pursuit of the metaphysical; the pursuit of whatever is higher and greater than physical reality, called by whatever name. Definition 4- "Morality": The sanctioning of behaviors in accord with those truths revealed by the pursuit of the metaphysical; the suppression of lower, physical instincts and impulses to higher, metaphysical instincts and impulses. Definition 5: "Self-mastery": The cultivation of the human being through higher, metaphysical instincts and impulses; the realization of spiritual potential, accomplished by means of self-denial of more fundamental thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Now, in order to proceed, we must make two assumptions... The first assumption, which is fundamentally Buddhist: Whatever is, simply is mind- or rather, altered and affected by mind. Because whatever we perceive to exist is conditioned by our perception of it. However, this must be understood to be an epistemological insight or assertion rather than an ontological insight or assertion- that is, it is a truth about our interaction with reality than than reality in and of itself. Furthermore, it must be understood that the Buddha used two words to describe the mind, the first being citta, the second being manas. This is an important distinction, for citta represents the emotional mind while manas represents the intellectual mind; citta is sometimes even translated as "heart." And so the Buddha was arguing that we create the world with the mind that wills as well as with the mind that knows- and thus, the cultivation of the mind/will is critical to Buddhism (hence its long tradition of seemingly-paradoxical martial-monastic training). The second assumption, which is fundamentally Nietzschean: Whatever is, simply is power- or rather, will to power (wille zur macht, as it was called by Friedrich Nietzsche). Because all actions- whether moral, amoral, or immoral- are expressions of will in some form, and result in effects that alter reality; these effects are measurable, and the measure of these effects is a quantum of power. But can we get from this assumption to a traditionally religious ground? Or is such a worldview doomed to tyranny and wickedness, as it was during World War II when Nietzsche's philosophy of power was adopted whole-heartedly by the Nazi Party of Germany? Ultimately, the critical factor is not power itself- because everything is power- but rather the manner in which that power is expressed, and whether that expression reveals wellness or sickness, waxing strength or waning strength, the will in control or the will in descent. Here we come to the ultimate crux of the question, because it may very well be that by using power as an ultimate measure of value- again, because power simply is reality in its essence- that we may construct a value system that is at once cohesive and in yet accord with a traditionally religious worldview. How? By continuing down the rabbit hole; by acknowledging that power is, first and foremost, an internal condition rather than an external condition- that it is mastery over the self that most clearly represents power, and that the fanatical need (all needs represent deficiencies) to overpower another betrays not power at all but rather weakness, internal chaos, or as Nietzsche called it, "anarchy among the instincts." But how can we be certain that power is an internal condition rather than an external condition, or is this rather wishful thinking? Certainly, there are those that prefer to conceal their weaknesses behind the veil of virtue; they say, "I'm too good to do that," rather than what they ought to say, which is (the truth), "I'm too weak to do that." Nonetheless, because the same will that exists within each of us also exists within each and every other thing and being, our control over things in the world must always be limited- and severely limited, almost to be point of being utterly inconsequential. However, we can control ourselves. That is, after all, the central teaching of Buddhism: We can master ourselves- and that is enough; in fact, that is the path of Awakening! Nothing else is necessary- only mastery of the self. But what does mastery of the self look like, exactly?
And so it becomes clear that a system of moral behavior rooted in power is possible, provided we are consistent in its application. Would a man who had attained mastery over himself lie? No, because that lie would reveal fear in the face of truth. Would a man who had attained mastery over himself steal? No, because that theft would reveal a deficiency within himself in regards to his own ability to fulfill his own needs. Would a man who had attained mastery over himself rape or murder the innocent? No, clearly, because such crimes would reveal that he had not in fact mastered his own instincts and impulses, and that he remained enslaved before the tyranny of his own passions. Finally, we are forced to admit that those that have historically spoken about power most loudly have too often been those least acquainted with its possession. For as Nietzsche himself once remarked, "Slaves make the worst masters." Because power- real power- is quiet, self-satisfied and self-sufficient. It needs nothing; it lacks nothing- and so it demands nothing. ~ Joshua van Asakinda [Note: This content is self-funded and self-published; please consider supporting it by donating through our payment portal at PayPal.]  The human being is a meaning-seeking organism. For although he may pursue sex, fame and fortune, or the intoxication of military victory, ultimately, all of these are but proxies; they are mere expressions of a deeper and far more primordial instinct: the pursuit of purpose- that is, of a goal, of a path to that goal, and of a will sufficient to walk that path no matter the consequences. And so when all the superficialities of society are stripped away, it becomes clear that what man truly needs and longs for is not material gain at all but rather meaning and manhood. This can hardly be argued; philosophers have known it since the beginning of history- but who reads philosophy these days? Man's pursuit of purposeful living- what Socrates referred to as eudaemonia (εὐδαιμονία), the nobility of the spirit- can hardly be ignored. And yet we live in a world that is, to quote Nietzsche's madman, "plunging continually" into chaos and darkness: "Have you not heard of that madman who lit a lantern in the bright morning hours, ran to the market place, and cried incessantly: "I seek God! I seek God!" -- As many of those who did not believe in God were standing around just then, he provoked much laughter. "Has he got lost?" asked one. "Did he lose his way like a child?" asked another. "Or is he hiding? Is he afraid of us? Has he gone on a voyage? emigrated?" -- Thus they yelled and laughed. ~ Friedrich Nietzsche The Gay Science Friedrich Nietzsche, of course, has not been the only one to fear the dangers of nihilism- of a world without meaning. In some form or other, the idea has been discussed by great minds as diverse as Émile Durkheim, Viktor Frankl, Joseph Campbell, and in more modern times, Simon Sinek. And there is good reason for fearing "the advent of nihilism:" A man without meaning is a terrifying thing indeed. When man finds himself devoid of meaning, he finds himself alone and adrift, alienated even before himself- and finally, toxic, vicious, self-denying and self-destroying (and that is to say nothing of what such a man may do to the world!). However, recognizing that nihilism is dangerous- both personally and culturally- is only the first step; determining what can be done about it is something else entirely. The problem is complex, and seems resistant to simple solutions. It is not a problem that can be legislated away; no amount of social or political engineering has ever been or will ever be sufficient to quell the chaos at the heart of the human being. And so there is nothing to be done but for man to rediscover at last his own purpose and destiny. There are no other options. After all, if we fail in this regard, we may truly find ourselves lost forever in "the tombs and sepulchers of God..." ~ Joshua van Asakinda [Note: This content is self-funded and self-published; please consider supporting it by donating through our payment portal at PayPal.] |
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