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Vanguardhedonist.

Themanasgod. RobertoVassallo

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Vanguardhedonist.

Makean“digitalEgo”

Whyputupanegoattheexpenseofdigitalmaterial.Thereasonsapparentlymanyarereducedtoonlytwo.Thefirstisthemostobviousbeingfinallythemselves,orratherwhatyou

havealwayswantedtobe,thesecondistheappearanceortheDionysianegogratification.Whetheroneortheotherareessential,asisthematerialexpressionofthesupremacyon

themselves,andalsoasamanifestationandfulfillmentoftheego.Beingaswehavealwayswantedtobeandnowwecanlooknotonlybydevelopingaself(oregomultidigital).I

disagreewiththosewhoradicallychangeseverythingthemselves,itshowsareluctantself‐

esteem.Eachofushassomethingthatworksandthensomethingelsethatworksnot,everythingistounderstandwhatdoesnotfunctionandoperateachangeofcourseforthe

better.Inanagewhereimagebasedontheappearanceplaysadominantrole,andwherenooneisexemptfromadjustmentsofanykind.Thehedonistdigitalappropriateselementsof

"makeover"nowaccessibletoall.Thenetworkprovidesmanynaturalresourcesforthe

fulfillmentoftheego.Instruments,accessories,andnotleastthesocialnetwork.Therealityissparingofstimulibecausesurgesinawallmadeofpreconceptionsandfalsefreedom.True

freedomliesinbeing,inappearance,inthefulfillmentofthesensesandthesearchofthe

ephemeral,thecomplacency,toseekthepleasuretohimself,toenjoyoneselfandothersandarethereforewellperformancesimpromptunakedbodiesgraceandbeauty,agilityand

powernanosparesnoeyes,sublimedemonstrationofhumanperfectionandprimaryconditionofexistence.

Hedonism

Fromthegreekpleasure,enjoyment,is,inageneralsense,anydoctrinethatputsthepleasure,

howeverunderstood,andinaccordancewiththeultimategoalofhumanactivity,makingitconsistofthevalueitselfofthemoralgood.Hedonismisaderivativeinthefieldofempiricism

epistemologyethics:infactdeniedtohumanknowledgecanreachbeyondthefactsofexperience,theabsolutevaluesofaspiritual(God,soul,good,etc..),Itfollowslogically

impossible,oratleastitwasinappropriatetoaskthesesupposedvaluesasthefoundationandnormofthemorallifeandhappiness,anditiseasytoreplacethemtheimmediateand

concretecriterionofsatisfaction,pleasure,enjoymentoftheindividualactionsareableto

providetheindividual.Hedonism,that,strictlyspeaking,distinctfromothersimilarethicalsystemssuchasutilitarianismandhedonism.

HedonismappearssystematicallyinWesternphilosophywithAristippus(435‐360),the

founderofCyrenaica.MaterializetheconceptofgoodwassomewhatindeterminateinSocrates,Aristippusthebiastowardstheindividualenjoyment,understoodstillfairlybroadsense,asthefulfillmentofanydesireortensionofthesoul:allpleasuresaregood,whatever

thesourceandtheobject;criterionofpreferenceisonlytheirgreaterdegreeofrefinement

andintensity,whichisjustthesecondAristippus,thepleasuresofsense,intheimmediateconcretenessofthepresentmoment.Thevirtueofthewiseisnotthattheartofpleasure,ieto

obtainthegreatestpossibleenjoyment,pleasureandmasterywhilefollowingastheonlyandsupremeruleofaction(cf.Diogo.Laert.,II,86ff),thepleasureisdesirableandgoodfor

himself.TheprinciplesofAristippus,carriedoutinvariouswayfromhisschool,reappearing

laterinEpicureanism.EvenEpicurus,theequationisgood=pleasure,evil=paininthesearch

ofpleasureandthusescapethepainisthesupremeendoflifeandstandardofhappiness(DiogenesLaertius,X,128).ButEpicurusamongthebestself‐esteeminthosepleasuresofaspiritual,however,tofindtheymustbediscerning,preferringthosethat,inrelationtothe

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nearanddistantconsequencesarelikelytoobtaingreatersumofenjoyment(cf.Epist.

MenoeceusA,128‐30).Evenifitisapaintobefoundamongagreaterpleasure.TheethicalsystemofEpicuruslookslikeananticipationofBentham'smoralarithmetic.

Theaddresshedonistic,takenbysometrendsoftheRenaissance(Valle)liveson,albeitin

differentforms,empirical‐materialisticsystemsofmodernphilosophy.Mainrepresentatives:Gassendi,Helvetius,Diderot,Holbach,Feuerbach,andfoldedutilitarian,Bentham,Jamesand

JohnStuartMill,Spencer.Inthelattercurrentsaresometimesintroduced(StuartMill),indisagreementwiththegeneralprinciplesofthesystem,thecriteriaforqualitative

discriminationbetweendifferentclassesofpleasures(Utilitarism,chap.2:3rded.,London1867,pp.11ff.).NotethathedonismisthebasisofMarxistsocialsystemand,asapractical

wayoflife,widespreadintoday'ssociety,dependingalsoonthecultureofmodernphilosophy

largelyorientedtowardthemetaphysicalskepticismanddenialofthetranscendent.

Ethicshedonistic,essentiallynegative,hemakesthemistakeofignoringthefundamentalhighestvaluesofhumanlifethataretheindispensablebasisofamoralobjective.Thetotal

reductionofethicalgoodpleasureisincontrastwiththemoreimmanentneedsofthehuman

spiritwhichlawsandregulations,priortotheprofitandimmediategratification,istheprimaryduty,expressingabsolutemoralorderwithinwhichhisactionspreciselybecause

personalandspiritual,itmustfit.Thepleasureandprofit,understoodintheirmost

comprehensivesense,andthatChristianethicsisnotintendedtodeny,buttheyrepresentanelementoftheconcomitantandconsequentmorality,butconstitutetheessence,exceptto

denymoralityinassuch.Infact,thehedonism,withitssubstantialnegationofthevaluesofhonesty,obligation,law,virtue,makesitimpossibletoobjectivelyvalidstandardofgoodand

evil,thusresolvingindenialofmoralityitself.Thisisreducedtoamerecalculationof

selfishnessinwhicheverythingisjudgedandacceptedaccordingtotheimmediatebenefit,

andeventhenoblestactionrequiredbyduty,orsuggestedbyadesireforgoodnessandperfection,forgiveness,assuch,anytheirmeaningandvalue.

UgoViglino

Source:www.paginecattoliche.it

Thesearchforthepleasureliesinthefulfillmentoftheselfel'avanguardiahedonisticsuited

tothisdireneed.Thefinalcultofhisownbeautythatcomestogetherasanobsession,theworshipofthe'I'astheultimategoalthedesiretobedreams,buttheselfishhedonistlivingin

symbiosiswithhisegoisneverenoughinitselfletalonebesufficientothers.Likeagodsittingonhisivorypedestalwaitingtobecovetedandlongedfor,neverwillbegrantedtoany

individual(andperhapseventohimself)forfearthatevenadropofhis"preciousself"maybelessitsurgetoselfcomplacency.playbackiftheinfiniterepetitionofhisbeingdigital,exaltation.Theactofrecreationandreplicateindefinitelythroughasimpleclick,digital

photographyandfertileseedofselfreplication.Andthisishowthenewself‐congratulatory,

awareoftheirambiguousnature,humananddivinelightlygivethemselvestotheworld,praisingthemdeities.WellsaidAndyWarhol"everyoneisentitledtofiveminutesoffame"

andnomatterhowfarreachingit,theimportantthingisthenkeepit.Thegodswerecreatedtobearthesinsofhumans,godschangewithchangingtimesandtrends,adapttonew

requirementsofsociety,aresubjecttomutations.Eveninthedigitalagemancreatesand

destroysgods,howtocreateanddestroymyths,createsanddestroysitselfinaviciouscircle

inwhichallplayerswelikeitornot.

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Themanasgod.

That'sreflectedinhisincessantsearchforthemanthroughhisbeingandbecomesagod.Art

hasalwaysbeentryingtoexorcisewhatyoudonotknow,consistentwithourdesires,restoringhuman,thatis,portrayinghimwithourfeatures,reportedsimilartowhatyouwouldliketoappearthatisimmortal.

Thepaintingabove,whereCaravaggioportraysallegoricalinthelikenessofthegodBacchus

inmyopinion,isanobviousexample.DionisiofortheancientGreeksandBacchusfortheRomans:‐"representsthatenergyis

naturalthattheeffectofheatandhumidity,bearingthefruitoftheplantstofullmaturity."Itwasthereforeseenasabeneficentdeitytomenonwhichdependedthegiftsthatnature

offered:amongthem,thewealth,culture,socialorderandcivil.Butasthisenergytendsto

disappearduringthewinter,theimaginationofancienttimestendedtoconceiveofaDionysussufferingandpersecuted."

AgodasyoungashewroteOvidinhisMetamorphoses,avengefuldeitythatimposedseverepunishmentsthatdonotfollowitslaws,butalsoadeityfriendly,jovial,carnalandsensual.Thefruitsoftheearthexplodingintheirbeautyandflavoristheyouththatexpressesallthe

lusheroticismofhisofficeunconscious,hymntojoyhymntolife.Thefruitsgivepleasuretothesight,touch,tastelikethegrapesripegrapeistransformedintowine,asymbolofjoyand

lust.ThemanGodisgoingtotastethefreshlypickedripegrain,thelookthatdoesnotfixthe

viewer,butsexylookthatislostintospace,aswellascarnalcollectionasisthepositiontodefendwhathehasinhishandbutalsotoattack,strainingforwardtothefruitsthat

symbolizeallthesins,toojuicynottobeattractedandtoogreedytobeabletodowithout.

Soevenagodcanexemptthemselvesfromsin,butbeingagodbecausethatinitselfcanforgivethisweakness.Tothemanisgodtoaccomplishandfulfillhimselfbyhiscomplacency

licitorillicit.ThemanstandsindivinitytochallengeGod,buttobepartofit,abreath,ablinkofaneye,butstillacellGod.

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 Artasexpressionofego.

Whatwearewithoutart,withouttheaggravationofourselves,onlyshadowsorreflectionsof

shadowsworsescatteredinthedarkofnight.ArtasBaudelairesaid,isalighthouseandwe

areprojectedtoadd.Innerlightexaltationofbeautybutalsotheexactoppositeandthatisthehorror,itistruethattherecanbebeautyinugly.Manyhavepraisedthismomentarystateof

affairsthatisthehorror,theuglinessanddisgust.Certainlyforaestheticpalatesofthesewordsmaymergeasablasphemerintheeyesaccustomedtobeauty,these"visions"may

causerepulsion.Blackistheoppositeofwhiteandyetnoonehashorror,evilthreatensgoodanddespitewhatanyonehasdisgust,sindominatesthevirtue,however,nooneavoidsthe

contrary,itseemstheexactopposite.

Isoftenpreciselywhatwedislikeorallegedthatattractsus,whyshouldnotalsobelookingforwhatisnot?Asthebeautyeachhasitsconceptandthusalsoforwhatitisorbaditlooks.

Theartisbeautifulorugly,thearttellsthenamedoesnotlenditselftointerpretationordiscussionisacceptedforwhatitis.

Artistheexpressionofegothatmanifestsitselfinmanyforms,poetry,stories,painting,

drawing,musicandsong,artisthearchitectureoftheuniverseandeverythingoureyesaccustomedtofutility,feelandperceivedassuch.

Asmalldropofraincontainsinitselfawholeworld,akaleidoscopeofcolors.