My Politics & My Philosophy
Through my writings presented here I have come to be misunderstood by a great many people, mostly with regards to my politics and my philosophy. There seems to be, if my email box is any measure, a widespread conviction that I am a socialist of one stripe or another.
While that may be true (I do not know), it is entirely irrelevant to me and to my thinking and acting, whether you call that politics or philosophy. While I do have a passing interest in political economy and a much-more-than-passing interest in reading and discussing both Western and Eastern philosophical systems and ideals, neither of those things can easily map onto my personal ethos; what I care deeply about and what I spend my time pursuing.
If my politics or my philosophy, as the two terms seem to be used interchangeably by most people who comment on either is not obvious from my writings, and I assume it is not, or there would not be so many missed guesses emailed to me, then perhaps I should state them as explicitly as I can, as I understand them now. That last bit is by way of warning; what I write here now does not signify everything I have ever cared about or everything I will ever be involved with, it is a description, not a proscription. With that in mind, my politics are as follows:
- I am deeply interested in whether people enjoy what they do to get food and shelter.
- Whether we all feel like our daily interactions with our friends, neighbors, and coworkers are fulfilling.
- Whether we have the opportunity to live each day the way we desire to.
- What we can do right now, today, to change whatever deficiency we see in those three concerns.
My ‘politics’ does not consist solely of thinking about, reading about, or discussing those things. My politics arises from my day-to-day participation in them. My politics is relevant, to myself, my family, and, as best as I can understand it, my wider community.
My politics is not comprised of -ists who adhere to -isms. My philosophy is concerned with the contents of my daily life; with improving said contents according to the the measures of joy, beauty and un-symbolism and un-mediation. So there!
About this entry
You’re currently reading “My Politics & My Philosophy,” an entry on JONTILLMAN.COM
- Published:
- 3.27.07 / 4pm
- Category:
- Pondering
- Tags:
- Post-Industrial
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