Introduction
This is where you’ll find my (constantly updating) book which aims at concretizing what I believe to be an emerging world view in the zeitgeist: Neo-Hermeticism. My goal is to pull out of the ether what I believe will be the underlying implicit philosophy of those paying attention. I hope you enjoy these ideas as much as I have had piecing them together.
No prior context is needed, chapters can be read in any order.
Part I — Deconstruction
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Chapter 1: The First Question
The entry point to the Neo-Hermetic system.
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Chapter 2: How not to think about morality
The dominant methodology for doing moral theory, conceptual analysis, fails at answering the First Question. Conceptual engineering must be utilized instead.
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Chapter 3: What is morality? What is rationality?
Conceptually engineering the fundamental classes of theories which can answer the First Question.
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Chapter 4: Moral bedrock
Morality is circular or arbitrary. But we need not collapse into nihilism. The seeds of Neo-Hermeticism.
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Chapter 5: Reasons and realism
Is morality objective? What count as reasons for acting?
Section II — Construction
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Chapter 6: Present-aim theory and meta-desires
Meta-desires as the bridge from Present-aim theory to transcendent morality. Sewing the seeds of Neo-Hermeticism.
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Chapter 7: Virtue as the first stepping stone
Upon the firm foundation of Present-aim theory we build towards a theory of grounded virtue.
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Chapter 8: Archetypes
Using a Jungian analysis of mythology and literature to help answer the question: which virtues?
Section III — Ascent
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Chapter 10: Psychological ascension
Leaning on theories from Plato, Nietzsche, Jung, Piaget, Kegan, Buddhism, and Hinduism to show convergence on how the psyche or “soul” can ascend a hierarchy of value.
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Chapter 11: Practices
Cultivating your ecology of practices to maximally, and meaningfully align yourself with the Neo-Hermetic worldview.
Appendix
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Appendix I: Conceptual evolution
How we stand on the shoulders of concepts to see further.
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Appendix II: Utilitarianism is silly and you all need to cut it out
Knock it off