What’s Wrong With Society?

Part 3A. Ideology.

Ideology is a belief system revolving around a core idea. It’s the story of the world. Its a narrow narrative and a lens of how we make sense of things. Often, it can identify and solve problems but it also turns into a destructive justification for evil while thinking we’re doing good.

“Ideology – that is what gives evil doing its long-sought justification and gives the evildoer the necessary steadfastness and determination. That is the social theory which helps to make his acts seem good instead of bad in his own and others’ eyes, so that he won’t hear reproaches and curses but will receive praise and honors. That was how the agents of the Inquisition fortified their wills: by invoking Christianity; the conquerors of foreign lands, by extolling the grandeur of their Motherland; the colonizers, by civilization; the Nazis, by race; and the Jacobins (early and late), by equality, brotherhood, and the happiness of future generations.”

What's Wrong With Society?

Part 4A. The dominance of the “autonomous self” ideology in America and the West.

The autonomous self is a distorted view of freedom. It is this vision of what it means to be human that we are rapidly moving towards and that our technology dynamic makes possible.

“the story of the autonomous individual says that the "I" is self-sovereign, emerges into without any prior obligations that have been placed on it, and chooses the laws it has for itself.”

“Nothing can be forced upon the autonomous self from without that it does not agree to from within. When someone or something— a person, other people, various groups, governments, and so forth-tries to force the "I" to accept something it does not will to accept, the "I" is violated. The border between the "I" and the world of self-chosen obligations has been broken, and the invaders have entered territory that is not theirs.”

What's Wrong With Society?

Part 5A. Assume Positions!

Societal Role-play drives corrosive effects and drive the cycle of retaliation

Think of society like we’re all in a play acting different parts of the story. We see the play unfolding. Because our ethics and moral grounding is shattered and shallow, we have no inherited identity. We make our own identity, and we step into different roles. Often; we see others playing their roles and we react to them by stepping into a counter role. These roles give a sense of order to the chaos and a sense of meaning to our lives.

Here are some stock characters that arise in this context, according to Alasdair MacIntyre

1. The Manager
2. The Bureaucrat
3. The Therapist
4. The Aesthete
5. The Scientist
6. The Conservative Moralist

Which role are you playing?

Something is wrong and we know it. But we lack what’s needed to truly discover what’s missing and how to live it out.