Comments on: Clive Hamilton and the wisdom of Arthur Schopenhauer http://clubtroppo.com.au/2008/08/10/clive-hamilton-and-the-wisdom-of-arthur-schopenhauer/ Sun, 12 Feb 2012 10:02:19 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: tim watson http://clubtroppo.com.au/2008/08/10/clive-hamilton-and-the-wisdom-of-arthur-schopenhauer/#comment-319512 tim watson Mon, 22 Sep 2008 00:02:51 +0000 http://clubtroppo.com.au/2008/08/10/clive-hamilton-and-the-wisdom-of-arthur-schopenhauer/#comment-319512 Just finished reading the book. It seems a very strange attempt to tie up all of Hamilton's political and ethical preferences into a grand philosophical statement based on the noumenon. Hamilton says he is constructing a 'post-secular ethics' but he ends up constructing a personal mysticism. Whatever offends Hamilton personally is an affront to the noumenon, and therefore bad. Whatever Hamilton views as positive, i.e. downshifting, is a triumph of the noumenon over the world of appearances. I am also disinclined to Hamiltons view that the existentialists are in some way responsible for consumer culture as he suggests in the book. The existentialists diagnosed the problem of meaningless and issued the challenge for people to create meaning in their own lives, largely through creative activity. It was not a philosophy that urged people to go forth and consume as Hamilton seemingly suggests. If you have read Hamilton's other books you will probably understand where he is coming from on this one. It could have been titled 'all the usual hang-ups': Corporate paedophilia, consumer culture, growth fetishing, affluenza, downshifting, bestiality etc, etc. At the end of the day it wasnt a bad read, but I dont think his concept of the post-secular ethic will be wildly popular! Just finished reading the book. It seems a very strange attempt to tie up all of Hamilton’s political and ethical preferences into a grand philosophical statement based on the noumenon. Hamilton says he is constructing a ‘post-secular ethics’ but he ends up constructing a personal mysticism. Whatever offends Hamilton personally is an affront to the noumenon, and therefore bad. Whatever Hamilton views as positive, i.e. downshifting, is a triumph of the noumenon over the world of appearances.

I am also disinclined to Hamiltons view that the existentialists are in some way responsible for consumer culture as he suggests in the book. The existentialists diagnosed the problem of meaningless and issued the challenge for people to create meaning in their own lives, largely through creative activity. It was not a philosophy that urged people to go forth and consume as Hamilton seemingly suggests.

If you have read Hamilton’s other books you will probably understand where he is coming from on this one. It could have been titled ‘all the usual hang-ups’: Corporate paedophilia, consumer culture, growth fetishing, affluenza, downshifting, bestiality etc, etc. At the end of the day it wasnt a bad read, but I dont think his concept of the post-secular ethic will be wildly popular!

]]> By: John Humphreys http://clubtroppo.com.au/2008/08/10/clive-hamilton-and-the-wisdom-of-arthur-schopenhauer/#comment-304953 John Humphreys Fri, 15 Aug 2008 09:50:32 +0000 http://clubtroppo.com.au/2008/08/10/clive-hamilton-and-the-wisdom-of-arthur-schopenhauer/#comment-304953 Great post. And another daft set of ideas from Hamilton. He has failed to be a "new John Galbraith" and now he is failing in becoming a "new Peter Singer". Both Galbraith & Singer were (in my opinion) often wrong... but they were both much more formidable than Hamilton as intellectual powers. His argument against beastiality was, as Don suggests, simply a rabbit out of a hat. He simply asserts that the uber-spirits in his religion are offended and he accidently mistakes this for an argument. Great post.

And another daft set of ideas from Hamilton. He has failed to be a “new John Galbraith” and now he is failing in becoming a “new Peter Singer”. Both Galbraith & Singer were (in my opinion) often wrong… but they were both much more formidable than Hamilton as intellectual powers.

His argument against beastiality was, as Don suggests, simply a rabbit out of a hat. He simply asserts that the uber-spirits in his religion are offended and he accidently mistakes this for an argument.

]]> By: Patrick http://clubtroppo.com.au/2008/08/10/clive-hamilton-and-the-wisdom-of-arthur-schopenhauer/#comment-303604 Patrick Mon, 11 Aug 2008 21:30:54 +0000 http://clubtroppo.com.au/2008/08/10/clive-hamilton-and-the-wisdom-of-arthur-schopenhauer/#comment-303604 What N Gruen said. What N Gruen said.

]]> By: Patrick http://clubtroppo.com.au/2008/08/10/clive-hamilton-and-the-wisdom-of-arthur-schopenhauer/#comment-303602 Patrick Mon, 11 Aug 2008 21:30:27 +0000 http://clubtroppo.com.au/2008/08/10/clive-hamilton-and-the-wisdom-of-arthur-schopenhauer/#comment-303602 What Ken said. What Ken said.

]]> By: Nicholas Gruen http://clubtroppo.com.au/2008/08/10/clive-hamilton-and-the-wisdom-of-arthur-schopenhauer/#comment-303482 Nicholas Gruen Mon, 11 Aug 2008 13:27:17 +0000 http://clubtroppo.com.au/2008/08/10/clive-hamilton-and-the-wisdom-of-arthur-schopenhauer/#comment-303482 Well, that is a brilliant post Don. Really marvellous. Well, that is a brilliant post Don. Really marvellous.

]]> By: timboy http://clubtroppo.com.au/2008/08/10/clive-hamilton-and-the-wisdom-of-arthur-schopenhauer/#comment-303373 timboy Mon, 11 Aug 2008 04:52:02 +0000 http://clubtroppo.com.au/2008/08/10/clive-hamilton-and-the-wisdom-of-arthur-schopenhauer/#comment-303373 I picked up this book the other day, but haven't had the time to read it yet. The thing though that stood out to me just from flicking through it, is how a book titled "the freedom paradox" can ignore existentialist philosophers almost entirely. Surely they deserved some attention in such a book. It made me wonder what Hamilton has against Sartre, and existentialists more broadly? I picked up this book the other day, but haven’t had the time to read it yet. The thing though that stood out to me just from flicking through it, is how a book titled “the freedom paradox” can ignore existentialist philosophers almost entirely. Surely they deserved some attention in such a book.

It made me wonder what Hamilton has against Sartre, and existentialists more broadly?

]]> By: Tom N. http://clubtroppo.com.au/2008/08/10/clive-hamilton-and-the-wisdom-of-arthur-schopenhauer/#comment-303277 Tom N. Mon, 11 Aug 2008 01:57:30 +0000 http://clubtroppo.com.au/2008/08/10/clive-hamilton-and-the-wisdom-of-arthur-schopenhauer/#comment-303277 Very interesting and well written post, Don - thanks. Very interesting and well written post, Don – thanks.

]]> By: FDB http://clubtroppo.com.au/2008/08/10/clive-hamilton-and-the-wisdom-of-arthur-schopenhauer/#comment-303265 FDB Mon, 11 Aug 2008 00:48:22 +0000 http://clubtroppo.com.au/2008/08/10/clive-hamilton-and-the-wisdom-of-arthur-schopenhauer/#comment-303265 Once more with feeling Ken? Once more with feeling Ken?

]]> By: Ken Nielsen http://clubtroppo.com.au/2008/08/10/clive-hamilton-and-the-wisdom-of-arthur-schopenhauer/#comment-303259 Ken Nielsen Mon, 11 Aug 2008 00:29:06 +0000 http://clubtroppo.com.au/2008/08/10/clive-hamilton-and-the-wisdom-of-arthur-schopenhauer/#comment-303259 Hamilton's thesis, repeated in various formulations in most of his writings is that we are unhappy because we are materialistic. Too many things, too much affluence. Affluence has only brought us unhappiness. As Arthur points out, no-where in Hamilton's writing is there any hint of joy. He seems much unhappier than me or anyone I know. His philosophy does not seem to be a remedy for affluenza. Perhaps the influence Schopenhauer has had on him explains all this. Hamilton’s thesis, repeated in various formulations in most of his writings is that we are unhappy because we are materialistic. Too many things, too much affluence. Affluence has only brought us unhappiness.
As Arthur points out, no-where in Hamilton’s writing is there any hint of joy. He seems much unhappier than me or anyone I know.
His philosophy does not seem to be a remedy for affluenza.
Perhaps the influence Schopenhauer has had on him explains all this.

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