Assault on Reality as Moral Responsibility

[Frater Theodbald]

« Tout progrès intellectuel étend notre responsabilité morale. »
  - Oswald Wirth

Ok, so the Swiss philosoper, Oswald Wirth wrote that intellectual progress extends our moral responsibility.  He wasn't talking about "rationality" or "geeky/nerdiness" nor technology / science when he wrote "intellectual" ... it meant in a much more deeper, occult sense, in relation to the initiatic process or the developmental process an individual goes through as he or she progresses in maturity. 

In this sense, I have noticed in many individuals, in many authors, in much mythology too, how when one reaches a certain stage of magical development, one has the motivation to emancipate others.  To initiate others.  To teach.  To share the sacred fire.

I see the Assault on Reality as a service to society, an artistic gift that is given to them.  Kind of like giving the spiritual keys to a mental prison.  Not everyone will want them, many people will have been "institutionalized" and will want to stay in prison.  However, does the Magician / Occultist have the moral prerogative to help hir peers to evolve as individuals and as a society?

[Maelhavok]

No, we honestly don't.


It would be nice if we all DID, but, there is no "moral prerogative" for us to do so.


To be fair, though, that is merely my personal opinion.

[Aliga]

Honestly? I don't know, perhaps time will tell. I'm gonna do it regardless, though  8)

[Roni Jean]

I think it depends on if that is an aspect of the part you play. Some have a drive to bring others together, some have a drive to create as much as they can, some have one task that will be their focus. Some do a little of everything.

That drive that insists you find a way to do the "impossible", that is the part that pushes us forward. If that push insists you find others and take part in that moment that keeps them progressing, then the task may be considered a prerogative.

However, as we work, and choose to interact with like minded individuals (as we are here), we will inevitably provide those moments for others and reap the benefits of them ourselves. It may be a single comment that provides insight which makes someone really sink into a method they have been developing, or it may be a long term collaboration. Either way, or anywhere in between, we effect one another, we help each other grow and gain perspective.

As to the morality of such things, we all handle that in our own way. Some wing it, some share everything they come across. I tend to try to gain a basic idea of how someone works, like learning the language they speak. It facilitates ease of communication, and keeps me from mixing in things they just won't see the same way that I do.

[The Cursed Akkadian]

Important note: By reading this you may become morally responsible. Trigger warning: Colonialism, Marshmallows, Lack of Gender-neutral Terminology (I just don't know those terms, yet).

The Assault on Reality does not state a grand moral imperative and I don't see a foundation for deontological arguments in any writings. You could create a moral dilemma by asking "should I..?" which would have long lasting effects and create a moral imperative for yourself.

Ex: Should I bring intellectual enlightenment to others or stay home and roast marshmallows?

(If your answer was "marshmallows", or "all the colors of the rainbow", stop here.)

Your problem may also be a trap: do you have the right to emancipate others? Is your motivation to emancipate others  the same as bringing fire to the savages of Colonialism?

The answer to this is the same as your question:

Whether you do or don't improve the intellect of others, you may be causally responsible. If that provides you with a moral imperative well then...Yes.

(Unless you are determinist, and were created as a decision making machine, of course.)

If that doesn't provide you with anything useful or the dilemma has reduced you to jibbering and tears, you may wish to clear your mental browsing history lest this corrupt your subconscious.

[Red Blossom]

There is two ways:

To influence others

Or

To let them die in ignorance.

I personally choose carefully who I want to wake up looking at if they can, indeed, wake up. 

And to be honest, I don't think everybody can be awoken.

[Frater Theodbald]

That's a good point, Red Blossom.  Food for thought.

[Ahavah Ain Soph]

Something that I would point out is that, for those who otherwise could not otherwise be "awakened", forcefully shoving them into a different world tends to shatter them. My debate on morality as a whole notwithstanding, even this could be useful to the assault. It engrosses these people into an entirely different world, one farther outside of the norms than any sanity could reach, the only thing is, it's not useful to them. Those are the sorts of individuals I'm sure you've all seen. They took one too many tabs of lucy and their reach extended beyond their grasp. Now, due to their incoherence, they have become great tools for divination and not much else. They've become even deeper dreamers, living in a different dream.

[arjil]

There is a difference between opening doors, and pulling a "this is SPARTA!" Down the nearest rabbit hole.

[Ringtail]

Oh God, that image XD