1984 revisited: collective post-modernism

I am republishing this post with slight revision  since I last revised it in 2016, having noticed the recent controversy over the ideas and worldview of Dr Jordon Peterson, a clinical psychologist and polymath scholar from Canada. As my Christian faith grows I become increasingly concerned about the loss of the concept of truth in a secular society. Christ stressed repeatedly the importance of truth in reaching spiritual fulfilment. The near hysterical reaction by university cultural Marxists to Peterson's coherent and rigorous arguments are worrying to say the least and I only hope the final result is not comparable to the mayhem which followed the 20th century adherence to truthless ideologies (e.g. Marxism, Maoism and Nazism were godless ideologies which between them generated untold misery, tragedy and over 250 million deaths over the first half of the 20th C) .

See 1984, George Orwell website

George Orwell finished his novel 1984 in 1948. It is a remarkably perceptive book about a fictional world  dominated by people whose idea of a good time is to cruelly exert power over others for the sheer pleasure of doing so and who do not believe in an ultimate truth or objective moral values

Instead they create their own model of reality in a kind of ‘collective solipsism’ (a phrase used by O’Brien, the Party leader in the novel) and force this on the Party members by controlling every aspect of their lives and thought processes from cradle to grave. Solipsism is defined in my Penguin English dictionary as the 'theory that the only possible knowledge is that of oneself.' 

The collective solipsism of 1984 is the extension of this to a whole society.

 All those in the Party are forced, by indoctrination and torture, not just to pretend belief, but to really believe, for instance,  that

2+2=5

black is white

ignorance is strength

war is peace

love is hate

The Party members thereby learn to ‘doublethink’:  to hold two contradictory beliefs at the same time. This reminds me of Steven Hawking’s ‘model dependent realism’ and post-modernism in general (as defined in philosophy rather than art; dictionaries often don't reflect this), since these philosophies deny the existence of an objective reality. Fortunately they are not collective in nature and are not imposed on us by a totalitarian regime but in my view they could have dangerous consequences in the long term even if only held individually.

Orwell appears to have based his society on the communist and fascist, godless, dictatorships of the first half of the 20^th century. The rulers in these regimes, in Orwell's view, saw themselves as the source of power and power was all that mattered. The real God does not exist for the Party founders of 1984, so the Party is God and the Party stands for power over people. Hence ‘God is power’ is perhaps the most telling slogan of the novel.

People loving power over others feature in my novel, 2077:Knights of Peace. I call them ‘dominophiles’. However, they are not as ruthlessly evil as the founders of the Party in 1984. Their danger to the world lies mainly in their capacity to bring out the badness in others and stir up trouble in zones of ‘sociodynamic’ instability, which unchecked would cause violent conflict such as ethnic cleansing. A dominophile with the right aims, e.g. wiping out some disease,  might do some good in the world; but I would not like to work under one.

What concerns me about western democracies today is that they are overly secular and attempt to hold up Christian moral values without any acknowledgement of their sacred source. The horrific consequences of abolishing the sacred are explained by Jordan Peterson (I may add a YouTube link later - there are many to choose from). Political correctness and endless talk about human rights and labelling of people as 'racist' or 'homophobe' or 'sexist' when they make  simple statements of fact are, I believe, symptons of this denial. The spiritual equality of all human beings is a natural consequence of Christianity. All are made in God's image, all are equal in the eyes of God, and without constantly reminding ourselves of this shrill denouncements of 
those who speak truths such as that 

some people are more intelligent than others

some people are more talented than others

people brought up in different environments or cultures are different 

people of different races are physically different 

people of different gender are, on average, different at a deep emotional and visceral level

can only lead to trouble. 

I believe there is a God who incarnated himself into humanity. If this is true, and the evidence is huge, then pretending that it is not is a complete denial of reality, a mass insanity which can only have dire consequences, starting with the rise of demigods offering prosperity, social justice and security to the masses. I don't know what Donald Trump really stands for but we need to be careful about expunging the divine source of reality from government, schools, hospitals, private companies and all public institutions, lest we open the door to evil to rush into the spiritual vacuum. 

The Triune God is real and sustains every atom, thought and being in existence.  He is the source of reality itself, the bedrock, the 'truth that sets us free' and attempts to ignore this can only have horrific consequences. 

See also Gems from the Hiding Place

John Sears
Author, 2077: Knights of Peace

cosmik.jo@gmail.com

Freedom in Christ by Gary Turner

Freedom in Christ

by Gary Turner

Satan prances round us

In a mocking “fun-dance”,

Trying to deny us

Life in Christ’s abundance:

Satan tries to blind us

But Jesus wants to find us.

Satan can enslave us

But Jesus wants to save us.

Satan will accuse us

But Jesus wants to choose us.

Satan’s there to tempt us

But Jesus will exempt us.

Satan may deceive us

But Jesus will receive us.

Satan can entrap us

Through what we say or hear,

But if we are secure in Christ

There’s nothing we need fear.

Jesus Christ –

He is the Truth,

And so, if you’re wise,

You will renounce

Each and every

One of Satan’s lies.

If you repent

And change your mind,

Then there’s something

You will find:

You won’t let

Your feelings break you

If you let

The Lord’s truth make you!

Co-operate with God

And do His will –

Then His Spirit

Shall thee fill.

Even though

You may still do wrong,

Remember to whom

You now belong:

You can no longer

Be defiled

For, though you may sin,

You’re still God’s child.

A sinner once

You may have been

But Christ declares you

Pure and clean.

Since on the cross

He once died,

You have now been

Justified,

So that in

The Father’s sight

You’re no longer bad

’Cos you’ve been made right.

You have been rescued

From your plight

So that you now

Live in light.

And since faith comes

From what you’ve heard,

Listen to God

And feast on His Word.

Meet with friends –

Just one or two –

And you will find

Christ’s there with you.

To journey with

Good friends, you must

Build relation-

ships of trust.

Knowing the truth

Will set you free

To become the person

You ought to be.

All you have to do

Is choose

To do the right thing –

You have nothing to lose!

Choose the truth;

Don’t choose the lie.

What you feed will grow;

What you starve will die.

Overcome the bad

And become the good –

Doing this

Is what you should,

And as you step into

This reality

Then you will find

You’ve been set free!

Gary Turner

Rejuvenating the High Street

In the UK the centres of many of our villages, towns and cities are beginning to look derelict as failing retailers close down and the shop windows are boarded up. Presumably it is the same in many other nations.

But does it have to be like this?

The cost structure of business is changing as energy, transport and raw materials become more expensive, and as governments factor in environmental costs previously ignored by accountants. Recycling, repair and upgrading are becoming more viable than planned obsolescence and disposal. The cost of manufacturing in the developing world is increasing while new small-scale manufacturing, such as 3D printing, can now be bought by small businesses. In some cases technology allows a single item to be produced as cheaply in a one off run as in a mass production run, making bespoke production more economically feasible.

Since 2011, when this post was first published, it seems to this author that there has been a growing demand for more personal service and guidance by sellers of goods and services. There is a feeling that human beings are under growing pressure to submerge their humanity in a vast buy/sell machine running on information.
At the same time artificial intelligence and deep learning are making it possible for persons to do more with machines than either
person or machine could previously do alone and perhaps for some tasks even genuine (i.e. not fake) face to face or voice to voice human interaction could become more frequent. 

Here are some possible businesses that could inhabit our High Streets in the future, even the near future:

• Goods sampling stores. Online advertising could be complemented by local stores for sampling and handling the goods pictured on the web. Sometimes images and text are not enough to warrant a buying decision. E.g. certain expensive craft ware needs to be handled, chairs sat on, tools gripped, fabrics felt. The goods would not  necessarily be sold from these high street emporiums, although terminals for ordering could be available on the premises as an alternative to ordering from home. Personally I would like a human being to do the online work and combine it with advice and conversation with me. These sampling places could be set up and run on a national scale, having a High Street presence in much the same way as chain stores do now and with an emphasis on personal interaction. Online sellers would buy space and presence in them to increase their sales and if human intervention could be used to simplify returning of and refunding of unwanted goods this would be a bonus.

• Cobblers. These would combine bespoke manufacture, crafting and sale of a pair of shoes on the premises. The customer would choose a general design from the web or on the premises, with interpersonal advice if sought,  their feet would be accurately scanned to produce a mould by 3D printing (this technology is already available) and a skilled cobbler would craft a perfectly fitting shoe around this according to the customer’s wishes. The shoe maker would buy in the usual leather, plastic, rubber etc. in bulk. The shoes would be expensive, made to last and able to be repaired or partially recycled in the same business.

http://worldpeace2077.blogspot.com/2011/08/rejuvenating-high-street.html

• Tailors. The customer would be greeted by a member of staff, shown a selection of materials to feel and choose from, then enter a booth to be scanned and to view images of herself or himself in various pre-selected outfits. The suit or pullover or dress would be accurately made to measure on site and at lower cost than in the tailors of old, yet the customer would directly interact with a person skilled in giving advice, not a machine interface. The process would not always be fast enough to avoid a second visit to collect the purchase but it would be worth it for those who feel clothes are important.

• Furniture makers and sellers. A skilled carpenter has at his or her disposal computer-assisted tools and lathes which enable him to quickly construct a whole item of furniture (not just part of it, as on a production line). The customer would specify the size and style from computer images, as well as the type of wood and the finish from actual samples. The furniture would either be delivered in a day or so or it could be collected. Again, human interaction would be an important part of the service.

• Charity shops with enterprise booths. Oxfam, World Vision, Salvation Army, Christian Aid, Hospice shops etc. are already prominent on our High Streets. This is an obvious trend which small businesses could both help and profit from by having small booths within the shops. Each would benefit from footfall generated by the other and the charity could recoup some of its leasing costs by charging whoever occupied the booth (e.g. someone selling home-baked cakes or local arts and crafts or cutting keys etc.).

• IT centres for upgrading, recycling and repair. These could be a response to the rapid change in IT plus the need to minimise the fallout of waste as products are discarded with each new generation of mobile phone, tablet computer, touch pad, PC, printer, router, modem etc.  (The beginnings of this kind of enterprise has already become apparent since the original version of this post appeared in 2011. Witness the number of mobile phone repair and accessory shops now appearing in town centres.) Customers would have access to on-the-spot expertise and advice  as well as able to book home visits or be put in contact with independent local experts. Such centres would be linked into a national recycling and disposal infrastructure. Hopefully future IT will be designed to be more upgradeable and compatible and longer lasting.

• Green grocers and flowers sourced locally could b sold in High Street booths and shops.These should become more financially viable as robots and artificial intelligence are employed for weeding and cultivation on small plots. The variety and healthiness of the produce could be greater and again a human would be employed to give advice (e.g. on health, recipes etc.) and converse with the customer without too much time pressure.

• Training units. As western nations adapt to new kinds of business and technology, and as the median age of populations increases, new skills will have to be taught to young and old alike. A lot of this could be done on a modular basis - partly online from home but also by personal tutoring or face-to-face tuition, individually or in small groups. This will need premises so why not have shop-sized units in the High Street which could be flexibly rented by the training organisations, whether privately or publicly financed?
  

I am sure there are many examples of how with imagination we could better utilise our High Streets. Town councils and churches could play a role. This posting is to stimulate discussion on how to help them thrive and make the High Street an interesting and pleasant place to visit. 

John Sears

Author, 2077: Knights of Peace