Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

A cold, sterile world exists before us — a desolate, lunar landscape with no laughter, mirth, or intimacy to put our mortal minds at ease. If C.S. Lewis’ grim omens are at all worth heeding, then such an outcome is entirely plausible. As described in The Abolition of Man, Lewis foresees a class of “Conditioners”…

When Dr. Dimble mentions the “struggle between Logres and Britain,” it refers to a perpetual tug-of-war between the Old and New Orders — the budding visions of the few against the wisdom which has sustained mankind since its civilizational inception. Modernity, for all of its convenience and grand hopes, is subject to corruption by the…

A cold, sterile world exists before us — a desolate, lunar landscape with no laughter, mirth, or intimacy to put our mortal minds at ease. If C.S. Lewis’ grim omens are at all worth heeding, then such an outcome is entirely plausible. As described in The Abolition of Man, Lewis foresees a class of “Conditioners”…

Religion is often looked at with disdain in the West — as an anachronism; as an impediment to progress; as mere “superstition” to be tolerated in the pursuit of power and unanimity. It is this critical-beyond-reason lens that both C.S. Lewis and Ryszard Legutko find problematic, because this willingness to “debunk” poses a risk of…

“All power yearns towards totality, and only authority stands in the way, [including] the moral authority of individual human beings who have their bearings” (Zuboff 404). Such is the reality that Mark recognizes in Chapter 14 of That Hideous Strength, as Professor Frost attempts to numb his humanity, replacing basic intuition with hardened rationalism. In…

A cold, sterile world exists before us — a desolate, lunar landscape with no laughter, mirth, or intimacy to put our mortal minds at ease. If C.S. Lewis’ grim omens are at all worth heeding, then such an outcome is entirely plausible. As described in The Abolition of Man, Lewis foresees a class of “Conditioners”…

Ambiguity is often the weapon of choice for totalitarian actors, whether it is Deputy Director Withers or the haughty elitists within the European Union. They feign the benefits of a pluralistic society, and seem to appreciate viewpoint diversity at the surface-level — but surface-level it remains. Do not dare dip your feet in either —…

Thesis: Beware of the conditioners, because their power and “progress über alles” dogma will intensify exponentially as time presses forward, and their ranks condense. Their goal is simple: ideology is paramount, and thus, a monopoly on thought is a justified endeavor. Short Paragraph Description: This thesis explores overarching concepts that are present in each of…

The road to ideological monopoly is paved by ambush AND charge, often employed in respective succession. C.S. Lewis’ fictional “N.I.C.E.” organization employs this methodology, combining subtle thought alteration tactics (usually propagated in media format) with arrant barbarism through the emergence of an omnipresent, corrupt police force. When ideology is viewed through the same critical lense…

Change or be changed — that is the motto under which N.I.C.E. operates. Humanity’s true triumph and ascendence is only achieved when “nature herself begins to throw away the anachronism. [This is when] real civilization becomes possible” (Lewis 170). The hyper-rational N.I.C.E. members are apostles to this creed, believing themselves to be the ultimate catalysts…