Comments on: Corrections on ‘Leftist Critiques of BDSM’ http://faithfullyagnostic.wordpress.com/2009/05/15/corrections-on-leftist-critiques-of-bdsm/ Yes and no Thu, 31 Dec 2009 01:17:37 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: stumblingmystic http://faithfullyagnostic.wordpress.com/2009/05/15/corrections-on-leftist-critiques-of-bdsm/#comment-102 stumblingmystic Tue, 19 May 2009 19:26:04 +0000 http://faithfullyagnostic.wordpress.com/?p=352#comment-102 While it should be obvious that BDSM in and of itself is in no way any kind of psychopathology, empirical literature shows that people driven to engage in BDSM are generally those who find life a bit meaningless, nihilistic, etc. — who are bored and seek and escape from the drudgery of regular daily life. From my perspective — and I admit that I find BDSM culture frankly boring to be honest — BDSM is two things … 1) It’s a parody of the “sadomasochism of everyday life” which we are all caught up in to varying degrees due to the way human institutions are structured. 2) It's a way to artificially create extreme sensations in the absence of a self-sustaining, rich inner life. From a spiritual perspective, this is a poor substitute for the real thing — experiences as intense and in fact far more intense can be created and experienced on the mystical journey through the inner relationship with the Divine. This too is a hedonism, but of a much higher grade and nobility ... it requires the conquest of personal desire and the surrender to a transcendent Will that is paradoxically also empowering ... While it should be obvious that BDSM in and of itself is in no way any kind of psychopathology, empirical literature shows that people driven to engage in BDSM are generally those who find life a bit meaningless, nihilistic, etc. — who are bored and seek and escape from the drudgery of regular daily life.

From my perspective — and I admit that I find BDSM culture frankly boring to be honest — BDSM is two things …

1) It’s a parody of the “sadomasochism of everyday life” which we are all caught up in to varying degrees due to the way human institutions are structured.

2) It’s a way to artificially create extreme sensations in the absence of a self-sustaining, rich inner life. From a spiritual perspective, this is a poor substitute for the real thing — experiences as intense and in fact far more intense can be created and experienced on the mystical journey through the inner relationship with the Divine. This too is a hedonism, but of a much higher grade and nobility … it requires the conquest of personal desire and the surrender to a transcendent Will that is paradoxically also empowering …

]]> By: buttersisonlymyname http://faithfullyagnostic.wordpress.com/2009/05/15/corrections-on-leftist-critiques-of-bdsm/#comment-99 buttersisonlymyname Mon, 18 May 2009 19:17:25 +0000 http://faithfullyagnostic.wordpress.com/?p=352#comment-99 It's also important to note that I am not a motivational hedonist. I have elaborated upon this in my posts 'The Importance of Virtue Ethics, Part II' and 'Elaboration on an Earlier Point.' It’s also important to note that I am not a motivational hedonist. I have elaborated upon this in my posts ‘The Importance of Virtue Ethics, Part II’ and ‘Elaboration on an Earlier Point.’

]]> By: buttersisonlymyname http://faithfullyagnostic.wordpress.com/2009/05/15/corrections-on-leftist-critiques-of-bdsm/#comment-98 buttersisonlymyname Mon, 18 May 2009 19:16:23 +0000 http://faithfullyagnostic.wordpress.com/?p=352#comment-98 It is 'worldly unethical' in that it is a state that involves inner disharmony or turmoil. Desperation is an aspect of addictive behaviour, of loneliness and of feeling trapped. These are all states that fall significantly short of the ideal worldly mental-bodily state (which itself falls short of the ideal spiritual state; hence the division of ethics into two layers). I believe that kinksters desperately seek after excitement because they are trying to 'spice up' an act that is generally driven by a seeking of excitement. Instead of accepting that the nature of pleasure is that it diminishes, and is unsatisfactory and fleeting, they try to increase the intensity of the pleasure. Notice the analogy with addictive behaviour here ('alcohol used to give me a buzz, now I have to drink more and more... oh my God I need alcohol now!'). It's a kind of escapism, and all escapism is desperate seeking. It is ‘worldly unethical’ in that it is a state that involves inner disharmony or turmoil. Desperation is an aspect of addictive behaviour, of loneliness and of feeling trapped. These are all states that fall significantly short of the ideal worldly mental-bodily state (which itself falls short of the ideal spiritual state; hence the division of ethics into two layers).

I believe that kinksters desperately seek after excitement because they are trying to ’spice up’ an act that is generally driven by a seeking of excitement. Instead of accepting that the nature of pleasure is that it diminishes, and is unsatisfactory and fleeting, they try to increase the intensity of the pleasure. Notice the analogy with addictive behaviour here (‘alcohol used to give me a buzz, now I have to drink more and more… oh my God I need alcohol now!’). It’s a kind of escapism, and all escapism is desperate seeking.

]]> By: Meadester http://faithfullyagnostic.wordpress.com/2009/05/15/corrections-on-leftist-critiques-of-bdsm/#comment-97 Meadester Mon, 18 May 2009 04:47:56 +0000 http://faithfullyagnostic.wordpress.com/?p=352#comment-97 OK, I appreciate your effort to clarify. I still disagree with most of what you said, since I am a hedonist. I believe that pursuing pleasure when no innocent, non-consenting party is harmed is always right; denying anyone, including oneself, pleasure under such circumstances is always wrong. I doubt that given our divergent views we can ever come to an agreement about spiritual ethics or spiritual maturity. I still would like you to explain this sentence if you can:"It is worldly unethical to seek desperately after excitement, and kink is a symptom of such a seeking." Why is it worldly unethical to desperately seek excitement? And why do you believe kinksters are "<i>desperately</i> seeking excitement, instead of just seeking it? OK, I appreciate your effort to clarify. I still disagree with most of what you said, since I am a hedonist. I believe that pursuing pleasure when no innocent, non-consenting party is harmed is always right; denying anyone, including oneself, pleasure under such circumstances is always wrong. I doubt that given our divergent views we can ever come to an agreement about spiritual ethics or spiritual maturity.

I still would like you to explain this sentence if you can:”It is worldly unethical to seek desperately after excitement, and kink is a symptom of such a seeking.” Why is it worldly unethical to desperately seek excitement? And why do you believe kinksters are “desperately seeking excitement, instead of just seeking it?

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