wagthedog's blog

It has often been said Satanism is not a religion but rather a philosophy. This is more often than not the cordial dismissal of metaphysical pretense and spiritual pipedreams characteristic of most of all belief systems that characterize religious systems. But Satanism is also truly dissimilar from Philosophy, particularly contemporary philosophy in many ways. 

Here I thought I might point to several of them. 

1. In View of Intelligence

Despite defining it, few in academic rigor truly appreciate  as wide or diverse types of intelligence such as kinesthetic intelligence or heuristic intelligence. 

Kinesthetic being things that are more physical such as athletic prowess, physical conditioning, skilled and unskilled labor etc. 

Heuristic being the kind of street smart/social smarts typical of a small buisness owner or management in many work places. 

 It is not about premises being held, but simply emphasis. Satanism makes little distinction between intent and intelligence but cultural factors and disciplines such as philosophy can and does reinforce.

2. Denial of Individuality 

Although not as bad as it will be, an increasing emphasis on dissecting the questions of being in terms of historical, biological and social abstractions. This in some ways is a convenient and powerful analysis but in others is simply mistaken. For it conceives of humanity only as a collective, only in the third person. It completely foregoes qualia, subjectivity and the person. One who rises above circumstance is no longer the hero, but simply not the victim of statistics the majority of their peers belong. 

3. The Passive Thinker

Much of academia, still focuses on this idea that the best way to know the Universe is to sit and contemplate it. This idea harkens back to ancient Greece but came full form during the medieval period of christian interpretation of the Greeks. For in ancient times a philosopher was as much counsel, a teacher, mentor etc as he was someone that conceived of thought. Only after philosophy came full to be an institution and one subservient to metaphysical and cultural tropes as a secondary form of discourse did it become quite so absurd. 

For in secular fashion philosophy is a secular ecclesiastic body that revere the western canon, a hall of dead ideas. 

For all these reasons and perhaps more Philosophy ceases to be a way of life. The very antithesis of what Satanism is and what a Satanist is.

It leads me then to state these three simple conclusions. 

1. Satanism as general might be best understood and unpacked as a concept by describing it as the frame, rather than the picture itself. Keven. I. Slaughter does a great job here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PpI_TvJXc84. 

2. Although philosophy wholesale might be bankrupt a few thinkers are worthy of note, probably Nietzsche, Heidegger & Machiavelli have the most worth. As a principle activity self examination, critical thinking, skepticism and questioning are always sound for ones mind. 

As opposed to a philosopher or philosophy but a Thinker much in the way Heidegger lays out... Although probably in more cases than not a less poetic orientation of it. 

3. There exists a religious aspect of Satanism, even if it is only as far as adopting a mythic symbol, representation, summation or emphasis of oneself, worldview, individuality and way of life as the Adversary,  or Satan incarnate.