Right-Wing Fundamentalism as Pathology

Addendum,

After the reconstruction of philosophy was wrung through the likes of language, logic and learning, a critical glitch in human thought still loomed for treatment in the following pieces. They implicate perhaps the greatest single threat to species survival remaining at this turn of centuries. It messes up everything from genuine Christianity to the "l776" design of Adam Smith and Thomas Jefferson for modern political-economy.

RIGHT-WING FUNDAMENTALISM AS PATHOLOGY

Stern Style

The American style of distributing social justice is still sternly steeped in Old-Testament "pharisaism;" which is classically authoritarian and patriarchal. The old hardnosed idea has been to identify and punish "sinners" as the way of stamping out social disorder (and superstitiously exorcising the supposed "evil" in all of us).

Religious relics retaining this rigid style deftly ignore just how much disorder is aroused reflexively—as a matter of protest, for example—among persons rudely accused of disobedience in-detail. These "technical" offenders are often hounded as scapegoats for broader conditions (arguably like a naughty Bill Clinton during the great "adultery" debacle).

Sheep and Goats

Indeed the whole human drama can be analyzed suggestively as a ticking tension between "sheep," naturally predisposed to enforce established authority, and "goats" contrarily disposed to follow their own way. (From both sides: if those troublemakers would just settle down, every scenario would be rosy).

Actually a maturing humanity needs both propensities: to maintain the old while some go for the new and unexplored.

Rulebook Justice

The classic accusation by righteously sheepish Americans follows a repository "rulebook" of rights and wrongs more or less specified—under biblical influence—in terms of "either" black "or" white (with little if any gray). The "book" is a starter, arguably, but still primitive device for anticipating genuine wrongdoing—in advance of the situational contexts within which people actually behave. It dulls down their natural ability to recognize real injustice when they see it.

The overall accusatory model for rote control of nonconformity condemns crudely with a "broad brush" (often disregarding the mitigating circumstance). The "book" as its sword is only slowly becoming more flexibly humane. Consider fundamentalist attitudes toward gays, for example—and adulterers.

Pseudo Christianity

Fundamentalist "Christians" typically overlook the reported rebellion by Jesus himself against the sternly conformist style that was becoming intolerable among his own people. They were forbidden, for example, to function on the sabbath. More ominously, they were zealously stoning adulterers at the gate.

Basic lessons of the New Testament—notably the Golden Rule applicable alike to accuser and accused—are neatly neglected; as primordial pharisaism continues to foment injustice and rebellion. The humble and gently loving spirit of an archetypal Christ is forgotten in the fray. Forgiveness fades.

Supposed Whims of Deity

The Old-Testament style—shared by fundamentalists in all three western religions—turns upon the fossilized belief in a God supposedly having "personal" traits: like arbitrary anger, gender, jealously and an eagerness to take sides in human conflict. (Not conducive to the constancy needed for universal justice.)

This imaginative concept reverts back to the primitive assumption—by ancient story tellers—that phenomena are dictated by the "whims" of mythological deities: like the local "war god" who (according to hearsay) led early Hebrews through the desert to bloody conquest of the promised land. Consider too the pantheon of "laughing" gods supposedly controlling the lives of Greeks and Romans; and those embedded in the very texture of less "civilized" tribes.

Rationality and Natural Law

It was in ancient Greece, nonetheless, that the foundation was laid—notably by Socrates and the Stoics—for a more workable (if neglected) concept which remains the empirical cornerstone of modern civilization and justice: that phenomena unfold from a pervading "rationality"--readily discernible to the human mind as natural law.

If anyone wishes, this mature formulation can be found compatible with the refined notion of conventional theology that "thoughts of God" abide at-large (as impersonal "essence") urging us toward beauty, truth and justice. (To paraphrase poet John Keats, that is really all we need to know on earth. Additional assumptions would likely be wishful, non-empirical and downright superfluous.)

Natural law has furthermore facilitated conceptually such developments in civilization as international law, human rights and the American Declaration of Independence and Constitution.

Religious and Ideological Obstructions

Natural law is also the empirical basis of the combined design by Adam Smith and Thomas Jefferson for modern political-economy. The preceding MANIFESTO preliminarily analyzed though how this "l776" design has been deflected in operation—away from maximal efficacy both nationally and internationally—by religion in tandem with variously popular ideologies.

A superficial incompatibility is dissolved, nonetheless, at the outset of further analysis below.

Perplexities of Pleasure and Character

The motivations of self-interest, driving the l776 design, and altruism preferred by religion, share the desperate incentive behind most human endeavors: to generate enough pleasure (of the spirit if not the flesh) to make bearable the suffering in life. The idea here is to emphasize that more than hedonistic delight is at stake.

Thus the moving incentive might be called a challenge to enjoy life if you can (entailing the judicious juggling of short- and long-term pleasures of mind and body). A practical way to do it was advised simply by Plato's REPUBLIC (Book 9): become a "just" person (adult, actually; although growing into one is what really gets tough).

This pragmatic imperative is continued under the Jeffersonian phrase "pursuit of happiness." It is used here to kernalize everyone's self-interest in developing a hearty personal character—encompassing ethics, naturally—in order to maximize happiness (including pleasures of healthy self-esteem). Of course this individual maturation minimizes trouble aroused when others are angered by one's childish injustice—and whatever pangs of guilty conscience one is capable of feeling. (Saddam and sons provide currently illustrative examples.)

Character development is generally favored by religion, of course, but not singled out for sufficient emphasis amidst sanctimonious sermons about subservient (flock) behavior and beliefs.

Confusion about Right and Wrong

What appears self-evident in the foregoing discussion is obscured by religious (and ideological) confusion. The verbal proliferation of (often conflicting) behavioral rules and dogmas mixes people up about what to do in life; especially when inflexible "book" instruction—either black/ or white—clashes with one's gut instinct on the "grayness" of what is right or wrong in rising situations.

It is simply impossible to anticipate everything that may become proper by reading some book. The arbitrary assumption that it can be done—out of context—occasioned Alexis de Tocqueville's acute observation that the Indians were less burdened than white folks by "incoherent notions of right and wrong." (Chapter One of DEMOCRACY IN AMERICA ((l835).)

Naturally moral sensibilities—notably the normal conscience—can be guided, yes, but never preempted entirely by verbal instruction in advance of rising situations. Not even the Bible can do that, notwithstanding fundamentalist faith in its "infallibility." (This wishfully non-empirical assumption has been a source of great confusion.)

In default of more coherent instruction consequently, people easily fall back upon deceptively attractive norms for achievement: like material gluttony and egotistic control over others (greed and power, in short). By perpetuating deceptive hearsay about the venerable authority of verbal instruction therefore, an unrealistic religion has helped tempt people—ironically—to clog the political-economic system with a childish avarice that reflexively minimizes happiness.

As people are befuddled by "book" beliefs accordingly, the primary goal of developing an adult character—whatever else one achieves in life—is neglected lamentably. Massive mendacity maintains instead.

Education: Natural, Secular and Religious

Plato's REPUBLIC was foundationally envisioned as turning upon the natural ability of citizens to interact rationally in rising situations more like adults than children. The grand purpose of education was to bring out this programmed potentiality in each. It should teach independent thinking (in terms of right-brain visualizations to balance left-brain verbalization); listening more and talking less (to oneself and others); and naturally "following one's bliss" (as advised by philosopher Joseph Campbell)--"beyond the reach of crazy sorrow" (from the universal vagabondage of Bob Dylan's "Tambourine Man").

Religion could shine responsively in an educational role. Theologian Jim Kellett of Springfield, Missouri heralds this vitally social function. His doctoral dissertation, sermons and writings in progress reveal a neglected message of the New Testament: likened to the psychological teachings of Dr. Abraham Maslow about maximizing happiness through self-actualization.

The Reverend Kellett wanted to emphasize that the pleasures of this personal maturity do include fulfilling an altruistic urge toward simple "goodness." This has been self-evidently programmed into every (non-pathological) psyche as a natural source of friendship and cooperation.

The altruistic urge needs release though—from religious/ ideological confusion (giving it a bad name as sissified "do-goodism," notably)--along with the basic rationality of normal common sense. (Maturation actually demands a rather "muscular" mentality.)

Religion could, by this practical example, help people get along better by simply growing up; instead of mesmerizing them with a lot of tiresome dogmas (about who is "divine" and who is not, for example). A realistic religion could thereby enhance rather than impede the common sense needed for rising exigencies of everyday life.

The Tiresome Call to Arms!

Europe has arguably absorbed the lesson of rationality better than America (which is still hung up, ironically, on the Old Testament). During the rush for war against Iraq Europeans criticized President Bush, notably, for rhetorically repeating—ad nauseum—that God is on "our side" (against those awful "evil-doers").

The same primitive claim is made, of course, by militant Muslims; as the world teeters unnecessarily on the brink of (unjust) religious war. The more civilized call for universal brotherhood and justice—from the compassionate core of all major religions—is relegated to some faint voice crying in the wilderness of righteous wrath.

Polarization of Humanity

Fundamentalism everywhere thus divides "us against them." Everyone gets mad as injustice prevails. Constant attacks on "rulebook" deviations, however trivial, inexorably turn those accused into enemies of inflexible accusers.

This dynamic could well figure into etiological analyses of society searching, notably, for sources of crime. Some psychopathic defectives are hell-bent to prey on others, of course; but many other criminals are literally created—unnecessarily—by intolerable demands for "biblical" conformity and unjust accusations of "evil" deviation therefrom.

A common kink in the human condition recurs when a lunatic fringe—expectable in most any population—takes enough power to enforce belief in a single "revealed" truth. This is a deadly fantasy, as demonstrated throughout this website, perpetuating war between believers and infidels.

A half-century ago when Eric Hoffer penned THE TRUE BELIEVER, the most explosive fringe consisted of left-wing anarchists. Now though a dramatic shift has been enacted as bombers and other nuts rally round the religious right.

Socially Dysfunctional Selfishness

As a fundamentalist strain becomes ascendant in a religion its demand for austere conformity to one collective truth confuses the self-interest of others affected in finding their own way toward maturity; which normally supplies a natural anchor for common sense. Actually such self-correcting mechanisms of natural law grandly are obscured when a few selfish folks can enforce their way as the only proper one.

This kind of oppression squelches the diversity of opinion and endeavor required for the viability of a political-economic system. Wherever this primitive resurgence surfaces—from here to Asia—society is blighted to whatever degree by a poverty of soul and means. (This is reportedly what happened to the resplendent civilization of Islam centuries ago, when its "black robes" suddenly opted for more certainty by demanding literal adherence to the Koran: which unfortunately contains xenophobic passages.)

Fundamentalist fantasies about a world obedient to one (left-brain) belief system tend to generate instead a nightmarish world with many downtrodden masses wishing desperately for escape to anything better. Crime, drugs and/or terrorism may become deceptively attractive as vehicles for return to some sane reality.

Actually these victimized populations, whether in America or abroad, can best be shaken back to reality by compassionate education—ideological de-confusion, naturally—about improving their own lot. The needed compassion can be guided by the Golden Rule and an attending colloquial refinement: live and let-live.

The Big Bugaboo

The foregoing reminders might help mitigate the tyranny wrought wherever sheepish right-wingers selfishly impose their buggy beliefs on others. It can now be hypothesized that this trouble—to be ironed out by humanity maturing into wholeness—is sourced among its more unstable populations (deserving compassion like everyone else).

The real troublemakers these days suffer seemingly from neurotic insecurity crying out for more established authority and contrived certainty than needed by most folks. A compassionate way to treat this pathological craving for a protective "hard shell" might be found among some snoofy studies by Sigmund Freud and his Viennese cohorts: much suffering evidently flows from lingering dysfunctions of potty training.

It seems that especially authoritarian parents pass on an obsession for holding-everything-in: with the "uptightness" identified by commonly colloquial lore as a source of persnickety propriety. Some seriously scientific snooping here might resolve realistically a tempest in our teapot.

In the meantime, please stop imposing childishly fundamentalist fantasies on the rest of us.

McCord
From a Stone-County saloon
April, 1, 2003
(With subsequent editorials)

Epilogue: Phony "Conservatism"

Mucho controversy raged in late summer, 2003 about an unflattering study of right-wingers published this year in the Psychological Bulletin. The authors (Krulanski et al.) called extreme "conservatism" an affliction rigidly rooted in neurotic "fear and aggression, dogmatism and the intolerance of ambiguity..." (and uncertainty, of course).

The authors were quick to disclaim value judgments, in an evident attempt to hold howls of protest to a dull roar. In all fairness, they did thereby suggest reverse twists to some debatably derogatory opinions expressed about right-wingers in the current essay. They are at least decisive, notably, and their authoritarian insecurities do contribute to the law and order needed by everyone (including criminals).

As acknowledged at the outset of this essay, humanity needs both sheep and goats as a matter of dividing fundamental functions. (Actually it appears that every human is an infinitely divisible blend of the two predispositions, usually preponderating though in one direction or the other.) Of course extreme tendencies in both must still be discouraged.

Extreme traits are indeed calling special attention these days to an emotional immaturity of right-wingers; especially when it affects a national policy decreasingly esteemed by the rest of the world. The rush for war against Iraq, as a notable catastrophe, is related to a tendency of President Bush toward "premature conclusions, ... simplistic cliches and stereotypes..." (Bush is reportedly singled out for a virtual case study to himself with comparative reference to a bevy of historical tyrants.)

The raging firestorm has also renewed "conservative" growls that too many professors and journalists tilt toward the left. It is obviously probable though that these accomplished professionals are usually mature enough, relatively speaking, to eschew childishly negative attitudes coming chronically from the far right: including kill-joy suspicion about whatever appears too pleasurable.

The increasingly humane attitudes of responsible opinion-makers these days evidently reflect instead a progressive movement toward the Golden Mean—between extremes—represented, ironically, by the pragmatically-flowering "triangulations" of Clintonesque thought (to cast more fuel on the fire). Left-wing extremes obviously loom as a lesser problem currently than the snarling disapproval of human centrality by sore-headed "conservatives" flailing away at the windmills of social change.

They have instigated their own "culture war," notably to turn back the vanished 60's (thereby painting themselves into a basement-corner of Plato's cave). This divisive irresponsibility fails to deserve any "equal" representation among more centrist professional circles. It is past time instead for relegating them to a lunatic fringe occupied by the Klan, Neo-Nazis and other haters of humanity on the threshold of having too much fun for their acidic tastes.

Yes, the quality of everyone's life is finally attaining ascendancy in "responsible" social thought progressing toward the awakening proclaimed decades ago as "renaissance" ---the highest phase of modern revolutions-- by Edmund Wilson (in TO THE FINLAND STATION). In l980 sociologist Marilyn Ferguson documented this progress extensively (in THE AQUARIAN CONSPIRACY); although the Reagan regime promptly applied some (arguably cautionary) dampers.

Now that everything is boiling to a new head it is time to take stock of the revolutionary movement. It is designated by respectable consensus broadly as the western "liberal" tradition. Now it can be synthesized with genuinely conservative appraisals of America as the hope of a bewildered world.

Thus the failed Russian Revolution highlighted the futility of "jacobin" attempts in previous revolts to invent a new world from scratch; with one exception. The American Revolution—which started the grand progression—maintained a continuity in history and natural law now ripe for global fruition.

A l972 prophecy of the Cheyenne Indians (in H. Storm, SEVEN ARROWS) can be paraphrased here to encourage the process. Humans everywhere (especially the salty common people of the earth) will learn to look openly at one another for the first time as brothers and sisters: with wonder at whatever the tempestuous fuss has been all about. It is time for them to cast off the confusing masks of pretense—at jubilee dawn after a rowdy masquerade—and finally, with eyes opened, to see through the deceiving verbiage of the unscrupulous among them.

Right-wingers are trying like hell to hold back this dawn. Again, some caution is in order. But they had best settle down and let it happen; at the risk of being heaped upon the trash hump of history as haters of humanity. Hopefully the far right can in any event be voted out en masse next year; as the common people catch on to how treacherously they have been tricked.

If the foregoing appears unduly derogatory to right-wingers, they are invited to defend themselves with "antitheses" of the opinions expressed herein. We would then see if their own responses demonstrated "these truths to be self-evident ..." while nevertheless helping to fill out whatever may be incomplete about them.

If these "conservatives" do mean well, after all, they can thereby rejoin humanity in a grand quest to synthesize all opinions into greater approximations of universal truth than heretofore attained. As the inexorable drift of nature unfolds rationally into a New Republic.

From the Sunrise Cafe
Reeds Spring, MO
August 21, 2003