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diff --git a/website/src/content/blog/2024/01/14/sapiens_on_religion.md b/website/src/content/blog/2024/01/14/sapiens_on_religion.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..b484557 --- /dev/null +++ b/website/src/content/blog/2024/01/14/sapiens_on_religion.md @@ -0,0 +1,77 @@ +--- +title: Harari’s Sapiens on Religion +description: >- + In which I discuss why I think Harari’s characterisation of religion + is inadequate because it’s too materialistic. +pubDate: + year: 2024 + month: 01 + day: 14 +--- + +I’ve been slowly re-reading Yuval Noah Harari’s 2014 classic, +<a href="https://www.ynharari.com/book/sapiens-2">Sapiens</a>, +which apart from being ridiculously over-scoped and hilariously +under-evidenced, is proving delightfully entertaining. + +I’ve just finished chapter 12, covering the world history of all +religion in thirty pages. Of course, at that level of brevity, +there will be many deficiencies. But here’s some thoughts - not +terribly well organised - which stand out to me. + +Hurari generally assumes a materialist metaphysic (a problem which +blights the book more generally). Nothing exists except physical stuff. +This gives him severe tunnel vision. As a consequence of this +restricting metaphysic, he is forced to adopt limiting accounts of what +the role of religion is in world history, and therefore what religion is. + +> The crucial historical role of religion has been to give superhuman +> legitimacy to [all social orders and hierarchies]. +> Religion can thus be defined as <em>a system of human norms and +> values that is founded on a belief in a superhuman order</em>. +> <footer>p. 234</footer> + +It might seem a little unfair to criticise Harari for giving a +materialist account of religion. <i>Sapiens</i> is, after all, a +materialist world history. + +But this account is just one extreme example of how that project, to +give a materialist account of world history, will inevitably lack the +metaphysical resources to really understand the human story. + +On Harari’s view, any human enterprise which attempts to understand +that which transcends direct human experience is at best an effort in +imaginative story-telling. All scientific theory, theology, ethics and +metaphysics either contorted out of all recognition into a pragmatic +fiction or is cast to the flames. + +In particular, it’s a view which is incapable of taking seriously some +of the most important questions human beings have grappled with in the +course of their history. Those who know me won’t be surprised at which +ones I’m going to pick out: who was the being which made their covenant +with Abraham? How is that promise being fulfilled? And who the heck was +Jesus of Nazareth? + +If Harari’s characterisation of religion is adequate - and the Abrahamic +faiths come under that banner - then those questions are reduced to +nothing more profound than Doctor Who fans arguing over ‘canon’. The +question of who God is becomes a mere tool for the organisation of +society, rather than a substantial and important question on a matter +of fact. + +This is a shortcoming for its own sake: a materialist account of +religion cannot adequately account for the phenomenon of religion +itself. + +But it is also a shortcoming even by its own lights. Without giving +serious consideration to the substantial matter of what Harari calls +‘religion’ (which, to his mind, includes the Abrahamic faiths, +Hinduism, paganism, animism, Buddhism, Shintoism, Confucianism, +capitalism, communism and Nazism), even the material facts are +inexplicable. Why would, as Harari is keen to point out, out, people +fight and die over and over again for a fiction? + +The material facts themselves prove that ‘religion’ as he construes it +is not window dressing to the real story of history. It cannot merely +serve as a mechanism in the churning of material history. It is itself +the centre of the story. diff --git a/website/src/content/blog/2024/01/29/euhwc_toast_to_the_lasses_2024.md b/website/src/content/blog/2024/01/29/euhwc_toast_to_the_lasses_2024.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..8641a5d --- /dev/null +++ b/website/src/content/blog/2024/01/29/euhwc_toast_to_the_lasses_2024.md @@ -0,0 +1,261 @@ +--- +title: EUHWC Toast to the Lassies 2024 +description: >- + At the <a href="https://www.euhwc.co.uk">EUHWC</a> Burns meet in + Ullapool last weekend, I had the last privilege of giving the Toast to + the Lassies. Particularly for the benefit of those who weren’t there, + here it is in full! +pubDate: + year: 2024 + month: 01 + day: 29 +--- + +Had Burns, instead of his sweet bonnie Jean,<br> +his skills poetical for to mature<br> +had any one of our club’s lassies seen<br> +he would forever have remained obscure.<br> +If he had nothing but this box of worms<br> +Scotia would have been poorer, that I’m sure.<br> +Now none of us can claim to be a Burns,<br> +I’m no poetic master, still, I’ll have a punt,<br> +though let’s be clear, I’ll do it on my terms.<br> +I’ve everywhere avoided being blunt -<br> +politeness matters more than any schema -<br> +but it is hard when Isla’s such a cunt.<br> +It was a challenge to produce a terza rima<br> +I could recite withouten snoring;<br> +you’ve been so stiff I thought youse had oedema.<br> +The bother is this year is you’ll all been boring:<br> +no drugs, no sex, no gossiping or lies,<br> +no rock and roll, and hardly any whoring.<br> +But hey well, rules is rules, I’ve had to try!<br> +At least it can’t be worse than the reply.<br> + +I’ll start with Audrey, the club’s senior member,<br> +for if there’s something that I say which disconcerts her,<br> +it’s fine: the poor old girl, she won’t remember.<br> +She likes to let us think she’s a hard worker<br> +but we’re electing a third social sec…<br> +it’s pretty clear she’s just another shirker.<br> +This lady, half American, half Czech,<br> +for study, moved to Scotland for to do<br> +American history – really, what the heck?<br> +The club is so much louder thanks to you:<br> +impressive vocals for just five foot two.<br> + +That woman, Willow, reggles is bespeckled<br> +with her sickle and her fishing tackle<br> +shackled by the shins while she is heckled;<br> +the way that Willow waddles maks me cackle<br> +like a speckled jackal getting tickles,<br> +worth a shekel in the tabernacle;<br> +I chuckle muckle at her love of pickles<br> +which she wiggles when she has the heart<br> +while work for the Committee’s fickle trickles.<br> +Her modus operandi: <em>you can’t rush art.</em><br> +Her reimbursements programme’s going great;<br> +any day now, she’ll maybe even start.<br> +She cannot walk without Audrey, her mate:<br> +I wonder when they’re going to consummate.<br> + +Although they make them pretty tough in Peebles,<br> +the thought of actually going up a peak<br> +fills Shona Lewis with the heeble-jeebles.<br> +New car? We miss your beautiful antique!<br> +How long before this one’s also up a creek?<br> + +Once there was a lass called Hannah Collier<br> +whom even hell below regarded nasty,<br> +deeply despised by all that dwells there.<br> +Dating’s proceeding slowly for our lassie;<br> +not far from giving up til she beguiles<br> +a hot Italian in Southsider: classy!<br> +At first, Michaelo seems to be all smiles<br> +till it transpires he’s one of Dante’s demons…<br> +I guess it’s back to posters of Harry Styles.<br> +One day you’ll get a decent boy, keep dreamin;<br> +somewhere there waits a handsome Mr Collier.<br> +Hopefully when she meets him she’ll no be steamin.<br> +Hannah, I’m not sure why you chose to maul your<br> +poor skeleton at Subway (she’s still tetchy)<br> +and then abandon what remains of all your<br> +dignity at Ryvoan with a Frenchie!<br> +I think he wishes that he never met ye.<br> + +And has a quiet Felicia e’er been seen?<br> +The energy she has is frankly wild.<br> +I’ve never seen a hillwalker so keen!<br> +<i lang="de">Ssie ischt raschtlos und nie gelangweilt</i>.<br> +She eats raw oats with soggy protein powder:<br> +a camping pot has ne’er been worse defiled.<br> +She uses what her Maker has endowed her<br> +with: her recorder skills are off the charts;<br> +youse think I’m joking, but I wouldn’t doubt her!<br> +This lass of the land of the Rot-Gold-Schwarz<br> +will soon depart, though long we might beseech ya<br> +to stay. Of course, you’ll break all of our hearts,<br> +but mine most of all. Any time, Felicia,<br> +Creag Meagaidh calls, I know routes up the rear<br> +dark and under-explored that I can teach you!<br> +I won’t deny I think it’s rather queer<br> +the things you do with chickpeas, but no matter.<br> +You’re keen, you’re quick, you’re cool, that much is clear.<br> +In fact, I think you’d make a damn good faffer:<br> +swoop down on distilleries like the Luftwaffe.<br> + +And now we come to our girl Emily Topness!<br> +You’re keen for social sec. You’d suit the role<br> +because… I’m not quite sure, it’s embdy’s guess.<br> +We met your sister, and she was just as dull.<br> +No, please drone on about Icelandic soil!<br> +Poor Joe here down the front’s bored out his skull.<br> +And since I mentioned Joe – I hate to spoil<br> +it for you – but you’ve got the inferior Joe,<br> +by Jove, no joke, it’s Jock here’s got the style!<br> +Nah, write the boy a sonnet, get in the flow,<br> +Whatever you produce’ll beat by thrice<br> +your Masters thesis. What’d you got to show<br> +for months of hunting for the butterflies?<br> +‘There weren’t any.’ Oh, and have some sense,<br> +cos I’ve heard rumours – I assume they’re lies –<br> +you’ve called yourself the ‘poet in residence.’<br> +You know you can’t compete, drop the pretence.<br> + +Tereza was our gear sec for last year.<br> +She helped herself to stuff: that’s factual.<br> +Now when she asks to loan a bit club gear<br> +we have to ask her to provide collateral.<br> +She picked up tin whistle pretty sharp!<br> +Which is to say, she’s not a natural.<br> +She’s nowhere happier than under tarp<br> +gazing up at the moon and stars alone<br> +somewhere distant and remote like Glen Tarff.<br> +Now what to say about Lucy Ma-the-soooon....<br> +she likes… to faff… mm hmmm… well, moving on!<br> + +And now we come to Emilie the French.<br> +She seems to be nice on the trips we see her<br> +but my distrust of frogs will ne’er be quenched.<br> +Claims she’s a ‘pharmacist’? So she’s a dealer.<br> +Need some pills in a pinch? You call, she’s there<br> +at your door in her rally-approved four-wheeler.<br> +One question we have is, why are you here?<br> +Most folk are in uni, you’ve no refutin<br> +you were kicked out after second year!<br> +Now the Engineering grad, Sophia Newton.<br> +Your namesake, Isaac, was a man convicted,<br> +constructed calculus; but no computin,<br> +not even Isaac’s, could’ve e’er predicted<br> +you’d drop the Eng for creative writing!<br> +now that’s what I would call a self-inflicted<br> +inflection point! It must be quite enlightening,<br> +but that doesn’t excuse when you give us an earful.<br> +The blood boils in our veins, the rage heightening,<br> +and you’re an American, that makes me fearful.<br> +What’s your secret? You have us knackered!<br> +What are you on to always be so cheerful?<br> +Now we approach the topic of Merzbacher.<br> +Wait, she’s not here? Abandoned ship?<br> +She says she’s informatics: so she’s a hacker?<br> +She has strong views, she lets her anger rip.<br> +Poor George got an earful, full of future advice,<br> +but why hasn’t she been on another club trip?<br> +We’re cruel to focus on this list of vice;<br> +the fact remains: she’s headstrong and nice.<br> + +On Skye, a lady gave her poles to Sasha,<br> +which was really nice - I mean just the best -<br> +but Sasha really didn’t have to flash her.<br> +Quick history lesson: way back, RBS<br> +led the banking system to self-destruct<br> +and left taxpayers to pick up the mess.<br> +Since then, the name’s so irredeemably fucked<br> +they’ve had to ditch the brand once and for all.<br> +There’s one lassie who I need not instruct<br> +What, these days, the Royal Bank is called<br> +cos NatWest’s nasty history of scandal<br> +didn’t stop Booth from working there at all.<br> +Nothing motivates her more than to trample<br> +upon the working class. They set her free.<br> +She sank the pound quicker than the Belgrano,<br> +because ‘there is no such thing as society,’<br> +that’s how it is, is it? All right, I see.<br> + +Now, coming all the way from Glenmore Lodge,<br> +it’s Ellie’s turn! We have done what we can,<br> +although I’m scared what she’ll put in my squash.<br> +She wasn’t into Benji, but listen man,<br> +you’re lucky that you dodged her drunken benders.<br> +You’ll wake up in a tent in Kyrgystan,<br> +as for how you got there, no-one remembers,<br> +and if you’d known you’d be sleeping next to Ellie,<br> +you would’ve brought some fucking ear defenders.<br> +She’ll wrap you in bubblewrap, from your ears to your belly,<br> +cotton clothes for none, and no complaining,<br> +applying safety to the max, spare socks in your wellies.<br> +She’s always at her Mountain Leader training,<br> +practicing her night nav in the locale,<br> +pursuing QMDs - unless it’s raining.<br> +But some water should not scare our gal!<br> +She’s had much experience with the wet as of late:<br> +after all, she got on well with our navy pal.<br> +What was the age of that particular first mate?<br> +Older than your ex - always part of the plan?<br> +Ah, of course! He was a spry twenty-eight!<br> +Youth’s for the losers, let’s get you a real man,<br> +mature and rugged, but kind and astute?<br> +Just make sure he’s not as old as your gran.<br> +One request we all have is you ditch the uke:<br> +never have strings been pluckèd quite so shitely;<br> +we would all much rather be hit by a nuke.<br> +And please shut up about your nice society.<br> +We are all glad you had a fun summer,<br> +but bringing it up throws us right back to sobriety.<br> +To lose you of course would be a bummer:<br> +that is, for your carefully groomed newcomers.<br> + +Now time for the main woman, El Presidente!<br> +To here, it’s been like getting stones to bleed,<br> +but in Isla Burslem’s case we’ve material aplenty!<br> +As Holy Scripture says, ‘let those who lead<br> +well be worthy of double honour,’ so<br> +your bit is double length – it’s quite the screed!<br> +I’ll start off with her brilliant boyfriend – oh!<br> +Not boyfriend! Friend? To me this rather smacks<br> +of low commitment, but what do I know?<br> +So far, he’s disappointing, but on track.<br> +What’s he up to Isla: seven minutes? neat!<br> +Despite that, he is never holding back<br> +your blossoming romance with Dr Peat.<br> +Don’t deny it, that launch was pretty hard!<br> +It’s fifth base next: that’s photos of his feet.<br> +It’s fair to say her reputation’s marred.<br> +We all regret that we did once anoint<br> +her President: her premiership’s ill-starred.<br> +Hey - you’re meant to be in charge of this joint!<br> +You’re seldom seen cos of the mountaineering<br> +meets that you’re always on. You’d made your point<br> +before you chose to go off disappearing<br> +to <em>New Zealand</em>… we get the message! Plus<br> +we’ve had enough of all your domineering:<br> +maybe it’s time we put you on a bus!<br> +Nah, I’m just joking. All I’ve said’s refutable.<br> +But the boys, we mean this next bit, all of us,<br> +so stop me Isla if this isn’t suitable<br> +but honestly we think your mum is beautiful.<br> + +Alas, I have to bring an end to this rhyme.<br> +I know it wasn’t much, in our defence,<br> +the fact you used ChatGPT’s a crime.<br> +I hope I’ve not caused over much offence<br> +don’t worry, that is it, I’ve said my bit,<br> +so I’ll turn from the ladies to the gents.<br> +Yeah, don’t look away now, we wrote this shit!<br> +I see you looking at your laces, Chris!<br> +Wit without real goodwill is not legit,<br> +so boys, don’t send sincerity to piss!<br> +Why did God say he’d take our hearts of stone<br> +and give us hearts of flesh? For this, for this!<br> +Here is flesh of our flesh, bone of our bone;<br> +love, and love nothing more but God alone.<br> |