How do we escape the nihilism of the myth
of Sisyphus? by understand aspects of the myth itself…
the basic point of Sisyphus is that Sisyphus is pushing
the rock uphill by himself… it is an individual act…
but the truth of life/reality is that we almost never
push that rock uphill alone, by ourselves…
every part of our lives is communal…
We belong to many groups, our corporation,
our jobs, our political party…
economically, socially, politically, philosophical,
are all communal engagements… part of a group…
even in death, we are with someone… or that is the
point… it is considered to be a poor death where one
is alone when they die…
So, how do we escape the fate of Sisyphus?
the nihilism that comes from within the myth…
but Kropotkin, where is the nihilism within this myth?
what is the point of Sisyphus actions? there is no point,
and Sisyphus is secondary to the action itself…
the key aspect of this myth is the rolling of the rock
uphill… that is the key event of this myth…
that is nihilism… the eternal rolling of the rock uphill…
for where is the meaning or point in that? there is no freedom,
nor is there choice in this myth… there is no past or future here..
just an endless present that has no meaning…
think of the factory… always building the car, one piece at a time,
and no variations of the work is allowed… the assembly line…
in many ways, the perfect symbol of our modern world…
the modern factory is the myth of Sisyphus brought to life…
and then, with A.I and robots, we remove human beings
from even this nihilism… leaving us where, exactly?
We try to find meaning in metaphysics… but if we
correctly understand god, then we know that if he
were to actually exists, this nihilism is really his
doing, his fault…and we are to find our reward for this
nihilism in the next lifetime… would you accept the word
of someone who promises to pay you for work done,
next week or next year or 10 years from now? No, of
course not… that is what god does, he promises
us payment in the next lifetime… like some cheap
conman…that metaphysics itself is also nihilism…
for it negates our present for some future promise…
so, how do we overcome our current nihilism?
How do we overcome the Sisyphean myth?
we see what the myth takes away…
freedom, choice, the future, possibilities,
communal action, (the myth of a singular nature, not
communal) and it doesn’t take into account our needs
and desires… where in this myth do we find the means
to achieve our needs? all beings require/need certain things
to maintain existence… food, water, shelter, health care,
education, and of course, love…what does the myth
of Sisyphus say about love? nothing of course…
it is indifferent to our needs, both bodily and psychologically…
psychological needs like safety/security, esteem, a sense
of belonging, and of course love… this myth negates
those basic psychological needs… because the myth
is all about the rolling of the rock, not our needs, or
our individual self…
there is no meaning nor sense of self or something outside
of or past the rolling of the rock… the only thing that counts
is the rolling of the rock uphill, there is no other possibility
within this myth…
So, how do we escape this myth and in doing so, bringing us
some value, meaning, choices, and freedom?
Kropotkin