You are on a good path in life when you do your true will (what you truly want), leading you towards eudaimonia (long-term well-being). Your rational true will aims at a goal and listens to reason, which calculates the outcome probabilities of actions. You use reason to estimate how potential actions will affect eudaimonia, and then you choose the path of action with the most desirable consequences. This is how you make good life decisions, right? Well, not quite... The problem of rational … [Read more...]
On the Power of Thought
What is the power of mind? Definitions Thought = a mental process = a conscious cognitive process Power of mind = the causal efficacy of thought = the capacity of mental processes to create changes in the world Two types of mind power Natural causal efficacy. Thoughts indirectly influence the external world through intentional behavior. Spiritual causal efficacy. Thoughts directly influence the external world through psychic forces. The second type of mind power is … [Read more...]
Why Positive Thinking Is Bullshit
I recently wrote an article on How to Live a Good Life by Doing Your True Will, and you might have noticed that nothing in that post refers to thoughts, beliefs, or the power of mind. This is because these concepts are hugely overrated and commonly misused. What makes thoughts useful is that they can be structured by reason to make plans and solve problems. Likewise, beliefs are useful if they map on to reality. And the power of mind? Well, there are psychological mechanisms like placebo … [Read more...]
Are Consequences All That Matter? (Intentions Vs. Outcomes)
The True Will is the chief principle of decision making. A man doing his True Will acts in a way that maximizes eudaimonia. So what matters are the outcomes of his actions, its consequences for well-being. Does this make his intentions, his state of mind, irrelevant? Imagine a man punching another man in the face in an act of self-defense that we assume maximizes eudaimonia. Does it matter whether the man threw his punches out of reactive anger and ill intent or out of mindcoolness? It … [Read more...]
How to Learn About Human Behavior
The Politics of Human Behavior The function of politics is to control human behavior. Since control requires some form of knowledge, all political decisions are rooted in some understanding of human behavior. But how can we understand human behavior and what kinds of knowledge do we want to dominate the political landscape? Four Ways to Learn About Human Behavior 1. Personal Experience We know about the specifics of human behavior because we behave as humans and interact with other humans … [Read more...]
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