This course aims to deconstruct fundamental societal constructs like money, the individual, and the nation-state, arguing they are products of human imagination and power structures, rather than inherent realities, ultimately seeking to empower students to critically analyze and potentially reshape their understanding of the world.
Mind Map
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Good morning class. Welcome to our first
class. And today what I want to do is
provide the framework for how we will
learn the semester. What are we
learning? How are we learning? Why are
we learning? All right. So this is a
class of ideas. So, it's really
important for you to pay attention and
understand how these ideas connect with
each other. If I'm not being clear,
ask me a question. In fact, make it a
habit to ask as many questions as
possible because that way you will learn
more. Learning will be more fun for you
and learning will be much more clearer
to you. Okay? So, let's get in the habit
of asking questions. So wherever I am
confusing, wherever I'm speaking too
fast, wherever you don't understand,
interrupt me. Okay, let's get that
happen. All right, so
um I first want to talk about Emmanuel
Kant.
We will we will be discussing a lot this
semester because he is the greatest philosopher
philosopher
in western history and he teaches us he
taught us how the world works and this
we can never know the objective reality.
There is an updated reality what he
calls the nomina.
Okay? Or the things
that is not knowable to us. That is a
world we can never access. Why? Because
we perceive
the world through our senses. Our
Our
senses, our perception warps the world
and changes it into a structure that we
which are the things that appear to us.
Okay. So the example is
time and space.
Time and space do not exist outside of
us. Time and space do not exist in reality.
reality.
But for us to understand reality, we
need to add in time and space.
Okay, that's the example.
All right.
So how the world works is we perceive
the world, we perceive the nomena and
turn it into the phenomena for us to process.
process.
In other words, and this is really
important, reality is what we imagine it
it
to be. There is no objective reality.
Reality is what we imagine it to be.
Life is a constant process, a constant
All right, that's that's Emanuel K.
That's the first idea I want you to understand.
understand.
So what I want I want to do in this
class this semester is train you or
teach you or inspire you to
augment your imagination so that you see
the world much more clearly. This class
is not about what to think. It's about
All right. So, let me explain the
structure of the course. So, there's past,
past,
there's present,
We'll be looking at all three this
semester. the past, the present and the
future. We were analyzing all three in
order to construct a more object of
reality for ourselves.
We will not succeed. We will fail. But
the process of trying will train our
minds to think much more critically
about the world. So let me explain how.
In the present we have geopolitics.
We'll be studying geopolitics.
For example, why is there war in
Ukraine? Why is there war in the Middle
East? What happened? We'll be studying geopolitics
geopolitics
and we will try to understand why this
is happening. We'll try to formulate an
analyical model of geopolitics.
We will then use this analytical model
to make predictions
about the future.
Why do we do this? Because these predictions
predictions
will tell us if our analy model is
correct or not. Okay, does that make
sense? It's no different from artificial
intelligence. How do you know if your
artificial intelligence the model is
correct or not? Well, you test it
against reality.
Okay, there's no difference between that
artificial intelligence system and what
we're trying to do here. And why are we
doing this? Because if we're able to
have an ethical model that makes correct
predictions, then we take all this and
go back and analyze the past to un to
of the world. That is a project we are undertaking
undertaking
this semester
to discover for ourselves the secret
history of humanity.
Because you may not know this but all
the history that you learn in school or
that history that you think you know it
is false.
Okay. The history that you know you the
history that you believe it is a system
implanted into your brains by powerful people.
people.
Okay. So the real question that we're
looking at this semester is really how does
does power
power work?
Because if you if we can figure this
out, then you will achieve liberation.
You will achieve freedom. You understand
how you're being manipulated by others.
And therefore, you'll be free. You'll be
empowered to live the way you want to
live to see the world that is true to you.
you.
So, let me give you three cover examples
Let us do a thought experiment.
I'm a bank. Okay, I decide I want to
And now you're allowed to put money in
the bank. Okay. So, all of you get
together and you put $5 million
not $5 million. Now, why do you put $5
million into my bank? Because I promise
That's a really good deal. But now,
because I owe you some money, right? I
owe you 1% interest. I now need to go
make money for myself. So, I have a
friend who's building a restaurant and
he says, "I need $5 million to build the
restaurant and after a year I will pay
you back 10% interest." Okay,
10% interest. And so I make a 9% profit
and I can use that to pay my employees,
to pay myself a salary, to build a new
building. Okay? So now I want you to
think about this.
I'm the bank. I got $5 million in
deposit money. Then I gave out a $5
million 5 million loan.
Today, how much money is in the bank? >> Countless.
>> Countless. >> H
>> H >> countless.
>> countless.
>> How much money now do I have?
I got $5 million from you guys. Then I
gave it out to someone else, right? So,
how much money is in the bank right now? >> Zero.
>> Zero.
>> Zero is zero, right?
It should be zero. Logically, the answer
is zero. In fact, zero is the answer
that you are taught in economics. It's
what you are taught. Yeah. Zero is not
an answer to all you cannot loan all the
money that you you have like for for
example if they will have a limit like
25 uh% I don't know okay maybe 10% so
you can only loan like 4 million,000
>> okay okay yeah okay really good point
okay yes okay so that's really good so
in economics you learn about the idea of
the fractional reserve system
okay what's fractional reserve Perfect.
As you say, you must leave behind
a certain amount of money. It could be
7%, it could be 10%, it depends on on
the country. Okay, let's say 10%. So,
theoretically, I can I can actually lend
out $5 million. I can only lend out $4.5 million.
million.
Okay, you're right. Okay, that's that's
that's law as well. Okay. Um actually
actually
um okay let's say I land on four $4.5
million. Okay. Now how much money do I
have in the bank?
>> Yeah half a million. Right. Okay. So
again this is what you're taught in
economics. This is what makes logical
sense. Right. The correct answer. What
actually happens in real life is you
have you now have $9.5 million.
million.
This makes no sense, right? But it
happens in reality. And how do we know?
Because over the past 20 years, Chinese
banks like the Bank of China, uh the
Bank of Industry and Commerce,
Agriculture Bank of China, if you Google
these banks, what you will see is these
past 20 years, these banks have become
the largest in the world.
How did that happen?
Was it because Chinese people got rich
and put all the money in the bank? No,
that's not what happened. What happened, guys?
guys?
supported by the government.
>> Okay. What happened was these banks
start to lend money out to corporations,
to government, to people to build
skyscrapers, to build roads.
In other words, the banks started to
create money out of nothing in order to
finance China's infrastructure projects.
And that's what banks are allowed to do.
They're allowed to print money, create
money out of nothing. Okay, does that
make sense? Now the question then is
wait a minute here that's kind of
absurd. How this system come into being?
How is it created? Okay. Well, actually
there's a very easy explanation for
where we got the system from.
All right. So, let me explain the
history and the origin of the system.
So in the beginning
it was merchants who engaged
um in finance because merchants needed
money in order to facilitate trade.
Okay. And some merchants became
extremely wealthy and when they became
very wealthy they started banks in order
to support trade and other merchants.
Okay. So um these banks
traded in gold because that was the
primary source and supply of money back
then. Okay. So
um what happened is you would come and
you would put your money your gold in
the bank for safekeeping
and the bank would give you a contract.
Right? A contract is just saying, "Thank
you for giving your gold. I promise to
give back your gold at any time that you
want it." And that's what we call a
And this would allow for better
and easier trade because now I can take
this contract and I can go to England.
Okay, maybe I'm based in Italy, but now
I can go to England and said, "Listen, I
need to buy cotton or bananas
from you." And the person is like,
"Well, what are you going to give me?"
I'm going to give you gold, right? So, I
take the receipt, I give it to you,
right? And why do we and why do we do
this? Because it's a lot easier than
giving gold to other people.
And so, this system would facilitate
trade throughout the world.
doesn't make sense.
Now I'm the bank. I have all this gold
and I want to make money with it. So I
want to give it to other people. So
other merchants would come come to me
and say, "Listen, I need gold. Can you
lend me out gold?" Right?
Right? But
But
I say to him, "Yeah, but if I give you
out the gold, you have a security issue.
It's inconvenient for you. So why don't
I give you a receipt, a contract instead?
Does that make sense? Because all I need
is a contract. All I need is a receipt
in order to go and do trade elsewhere.
Right? So, so by doing this, what I've
done is I've doubled the gold
in my bank,
right? I've created money out of nothing.
nothing.
So the gold is still 5 million. That
hasn't changed. But the receipt is now 5
million plus 5 million. So theoretically,
theoretically,
I now have 10 million in the bank.
All right? So that's how money and
Now there's a problem with the system.
What's the problem with the system?
What do you mean?
>> Um, why would I
why would the other people say as gold?
>> Okay, that's a great question. Okay, why
is it that people believe in me? Okay,
the answer is very simple. The answer is
because for most of of human history,
people didn't need money. If you if you
were just a normal person, what were you
doing? Were you in a village growing
crops? If you wanted to to like get new
stuff, what would you do? You would
trade with someone else, right? May
maybe you have a goal that I want. Well,
then I I would trade you cow for it. So,
we didn't actually need money. So, for
most of human history, no one had any
need for money. It was only in certain
circumstances that you would want money.
So, for example, marriage, right? Okay.
So throughout most of human history,
money represented debt that could be unpaid.
unpaid.
Oh sorry, debt that could never be repaid.
repaid.
So for example, a very common thing is
um maybe you and I fight and I kill you.
Well, in theory, your family should not
come and kill me. But obviously, that
would create a lot of problems, right?
So, the way to settle the dispute is I
would give your family money because
money was symbolically meant to say,
"I'm sorry I killed you. This is a debt
that can never be repaid."
Right? That's what money was used for in
most circumstances throughout human
history. There was no actually real use
for money. It was symbolic.
But with the rise of trade with
merchants, they needed money in order to
facilitate the trade. But these
merchants all knew each other. So they
trusted each other anyway. So money was
a mechanism for them to
um trade easier. Okay. Does that make
sense? All right. Okay. So let's go back
to the question.
This system looks great. I can print
money out nothing. But there's a problem
with the system. What is the problem?
There's a problem here. >> H
>> H
>> you can forge the receipts
the money.
>> Okay, that's actually a great question.
Okay, so yeah, is it possible to forge
the contract? Okay, so um that's a
really good point. The problem is so the
the the answer is that they all knew
each other anyway.
Okay, because it's a very small circle.
Again, we have not reached the modern
period where um it's a lot of people
using money. If that's the case, then
fortune becomes a problem. We'll discuss
this in future classes, okay?
Counterfeiting. But at this point in
history, forgery is actually not a big
issue. There's actually a bigger issue
and it's a huge issue. What's the issue?
I have $5 million of gold, right?
There's about $10 million
of gold out there in receipts. What's
The problem is that if everyone wants to
go at the same time,
I go bankrupt, right? Because I lose my
reputation. The contract says that at
any time you want the gold, I must give
it to you.
But if I have like if there's $100 million
million
in gold contracts, but I only have $10
million in gold. Only if 15 million
wants the gold back, then I'm screwed.
This is what we call a bank run.
Okay, a bank run.
And this is a huge problem for
merchants. Okay,
there's also another problem with the
system. The problem is this.
Who do I usually lend my money to? Do
you guys know? If I'm a bank, if I'm a
merchant, who do I usually lend my money to?
>> Okay, guys. Um, today we lend the money
to entrepreneurs. But back then, there
really weren't entrepreneurs. There were kings
kings
>> and noble people. And what do they do
all the time? Why do they need money?
>> To fight wars. Okay, that's why that's
why there's a demand for gold. Because
if I'm a king, I need to fight a war,
usually against my brother or someone
else to control this territory. Right
now, the problem with this is I could
get killed, in which case, oops. But
also, what's much more common is
the king would be like, screw you bank,
I don't need to pay you back. Okay? So,
there's actually a lot of risks with
this system. So over time develop a
system to mitigate or reduce this risk.
Okay. What would they do? What what they
would do is they would create cartels.
Cartels are just partnerships. So maybe
this bank works with another bank works
with another bank throughout Europe.
They and the way they establish these
cartels is usually through inner
marriage, right? They would marry each
other. um they would combine together
and that way
let's say this say 15 million uh of
receipts wants back the gold but there's
only 10 million well guess what you just
go another bank
okay and let's just say a king
decides I'm not going to pay you back
bank well your bank works with other
banks to establish a new enemy to kill
the king to get the money back you
understand And this system is what we
And what you will learn in this class is
central banking controls the world today.
today. Okay.
Now, what's really important about this
right? And what power is, it can turn
nothing, money,
the contract, into everything.
Okay? So we live in a world in which
banks can print out money, right? So now
let's ask ourselves a question. Wait a
minute here.
If the banks can print as much money as possible,
possible,
Right? Because we can just give money to
poor people and they wouldn't be poor anymore.
Why do we have poverty?
If there's all the food in the world
that we want, why are people starving still?
still? Why?
Why?
>> Because we don't have resources.
resources.
>> Okay? So, we don't have limited
resources. We have scarcity. Okay?
Right? So, that is the common answer.
Scarcity. We have poverty because of
scarcity. But I already told you this.
They can print money out of nothing. So
money is infinite. Money is infinite
resource. So why are we why do we have
poor people then?
That's kind of strange.
>> But money aren't money just you know
useful trade. they still have limited
resources and you know the actual the
like the the actual main
>> okay you you see what's happening is
this you all believe money is scarce
okay but I just spent the past 10 20
minutes explaining to you it's not
scarce it's infinite okay it's just a
number we can at any time print out as
much money as we need okay so that's how
power works power has brainwashed you
into thinking something that is not
True. You've been taught from the first day
day
that money is scarce.
But it's not scarce. It's infinite. And
no matter what I say to you, you still
believe this. Okay? So, you have to get
that out of your head. Money is not
scarce. It is infinite. So, let's go
back to the question. Why is there
poverty in this world? Why do people starve?
starve?
Why is there inequality in this world?
Why are there poor people? Why are there
>> Because they don't print infinite money.
>> Okay, because it's scarce. I So guys,
this is amazing. Okay, you guys can't
get out of your head. You think money is
scarce. You think it is not possible to
print infinite money when I already told
you it is possible to print infinite
money because they do this all the time. Yeah.
Yeah.
uh the one who has the power don't want
>> because we don't want people to all have
money. The powerful people don't want
that. That's exactly the answer. And
why? Because otherwise no one would
work. Do you understand? The point of
putting money is not to give you money.
The point of putting money is to create
the illusion that money is valuable and
therefore you work hard in order to
obtain it. But in order for me to make
you want to get money, I need to create artificial
artificial misery.
misery.
Do you understand?
Right? If there weren't poor people, you
wouldn't want to be rich. It's only by
because you see people suffer that you
would want to go make money for
yourself. Your what do your parents tell
you? Your parents tell you work hard in
school, make a lot of money. Otherwise,
you're going to end up like a poor
person, right? Well, guess what? If
there's no poor people, your parents
couldn't say that to you and you
wouldn't want to work hard in school, right?
right?
That's why we have poverty because
poverty creates the illusion that money
In other words, poverty isn't what you
do to yourself, it is what the powerful
Now, let me ask you another question.
You guys have studied some economics.
Why do you have like crisis? Crisis
Crisis
For example, there's a stock market
crash or for example, the economy goes
down and people lose their jobs. Why do
>> Exactly. You're not taught this in
economics class. That's kind of weird,
right? The point of crisis is destroy
money. Why do we need to destroy money?
Because if there's too much money in the
system, people don't have to work. So
you have to destroy this money in order
Okay, does that make sense?
So why do you have wars?
Right? Why are there wars in the world then?
then?
Because they're fighting over scarce
resources, right? I already told you
scarcity is a lie. The real reason is
war is meant to destroy wealth.
In order to make you think money is
valuable. Do you understand?
You you guys play World of Warcraft or
these games, right? Guess what, guys?
World of Warcraft in our world, there's
actually no difference. You just run
around pointlessly working hard to
obtain credits in order to buy stuff. If
credits just flew out of the sky,
because they could do that, right? they
can actually program the engine to just
put money out of nothing. You wouldn't
do nothing every day. You wouldn't play
the game.
Okay? It's only because you believe that
there's scarcity in the world and that
you must work hard to obtain wealth that
you do any work.
Do you understand this? Okay. So this
world that we live in, it's a complete
illusion created by central banking in
order to make us work as hard as
possible because the real value is not
Okay. Does that make sense, guys? All
right. Yeah.
>> You said scarcity is an illusion, right?
But uh I understand that money can be
printed infinitely but resources such as
food and land you know they aren't
technically unlimited. So
uh scarcity does scarcity still exist in
other resources?
>> Okay that that's a great question. Okay
so question is isn't food scarce because
food is a finite resource right? Do
yourself a favor. Okay, go to the
garbage dump somewhere anywhere in
Beijing and see the amount of food that
is wasted every single day. If food was
scarce, why do we have food waste?
Okay, so if you just do the mathematics,
what you will discover is there's enough
food to feed everyone.
Okay, there doesn't have to be hunger
and starvation. It's an artificial crisis.
crisis.
Okay. Does that make sense? So, you're
right in that. Yeah. Food's not
infinite, but it's abundant. There's a
lot of it, enough to feed people. Okay.
Okay.
>> On the land, uh, oil resources, you
>> Okay. All right. Um, so again, you guys
are stuck in the scarcity mindset. Um,
and it's very convincing. So
let's move on. Okay. So this is this is
something that we'll go back to later
on. Okay. Because I cannot convince you
today this morning that everything you
believed about the world and about
yourself is wrong. Okay. You're still
stuck there like okay there's scarcity.
Uh and you're right there's scarcity.
But we also live in a world of
abundance. And a lot of things that you
believe are just misconceptions about
the world. Okay. So, so we'll go back
there, okay? Later on. All right. So,
let's move on. Okay. So, we've done
money now, right? Now, let's do another
question. Let's do a question of happiness.
The question for us today is what makes
us happy?
Come on. What makes you happy? How can
Well, obviously
money, right?
If you have a lot of money, that's going
to make you happy. What else? >> Power.
>> Power.
>> Exactly. Power. Right. Sure. Power.
>> Excuse me. >> Freedom.
>> Freedom.
>> Okay. Good. Freedom. Yeah.
Yeah.
What else? >> Relationships.
>> Relationships.
>> Relationships. Yep. Sure.
If you have good friends, right? Like
Romantic relations.
>> Okay. Love, right? Love. Sure. What
else? Like video games, I guess.
Vacations. Okay. Lots and lots of
things. Okay. What you will discover
about this list is this.
You are think about individual happiness.
And this is actually unique in human
history. If you look if you go back in
time to five five years ago and you ask people
people
how can you be happy?
They would focus more on collective happiness.
happiness.
In other words, if your community were
So the very idea of the individual is
new in human history.
Before we understood that if you want to
live a happy life, you need to take care
of your family. You need to take care of
your community.
For them, for us, throughout most of of
human history, happiness meant helping
others, being generous to others.
So, for example, let's just say that I
go off
and I wonder and then I find a lot of
gold, right? I come back and what what's
the first thing I do with all this gold?
Do you guys know? And this is like the
ancient past.
>> Dig a hole and put them inside.
>> Okay. Yeah. Good. Right. We're going to
dig a hole and put that money inside
because we want to give it to our
children. That's a modern mindset. But
what did they do before you? And this
happened throughout every society. If I
became rich one day, what's the first
thing I would do?
>> Show up. >> H
>> H
>> show off.
>> No. Okay. So, so we'll learn this. Okay.
But the first thing that people did was
they had a big feast for everyone.
>> They spent all the money on a big feast
because what mattered was your
reputation within the community. What
mattered was your generosity.
If you got rich one day, you made sure
that everyone in community benefited
from your wealth, usually by holding a
big feast.
And guess what guys, this was true in
China for most of Chinese history,
right? If you are, if you come from a
Chinese village, come you come to
Beijing, you open a restaurant, you make
a lot of money, you go, you go out to
your village, what's the first thing you
do? Come on, guys.
>> You have a big feast for everyone. Okay.
So this is in ingrained in us. Okay. But
as you say today what we believe is if
you have a lot of money put it
underground or put in the bank. Okay.
But back then for for most of human
history we would just spend it all on a
big feast.
We want everyone to share in happiness
Okay.
Are are any questions?
>> Yeah. I I was wondering
you mentioned that uh it was for
reputation on some levels that would
that count into as you know your
individual happiness because after you
get rich you care about your reputation.
>> Yeah. So, so you're you're asking, isn't
this about individual reputation? And
again, I mean, this is hard. Okay. But
the individual, the concept of
individual did not exist before. We just
we just created it. The idea that I'm a
person independent of my family,
independent of my community, independent
of the world around me, makes no sense.
What was the worst punishment that could
be inflicted on you in the past?
Let's just say that we're going to
fight, I kill you, right? Like you're
they said you're no longer belong to this.
this.
>> Exactly. Banishment, exile, not death.
Right. And today if I killed you, the
police would come catch me and then kill
me. But before we didn't do that because
the worst thing that we could do was
exile you. Says you're no longer part of
us. Do you understand? So the concept of
the individual did not exist. Right?
Okay. So let's move on. All right. So
now I'm going to present two
understandings of the world and you're
going to tell me which understanding you
think is correct. And the first understanding
understanding
we humans
don't have agency. We don't have really
control. Why? Because there are powerful
gods out there. Okay? There are these
powerful gods like Apollo, Dianesis.
Dianesis.
Oh, the problem though is that
they are also controlled by other gods
that are more powerful like for example fate,
fate, fortune.
fortune.
And then there are these
really ancient gods that control the
structure of the universe. For example,
maybe anger
and pride.
So you absolutely have no individual
agency because there's always a god
screwing with you. Okay? You might get
rich, but then the god of pride looks at
you and says, "No, no, no. I need I need
to teach this more a lesson." So the god
comes into me, makes me too arrogant,
and I screw up.
Okay? So we're always being controlled
by these forces beyond our understanding.
understanding.
Okay? So that's a first world view.
Second rule of view is this. We are synapses
Okay, we are memories. Our understand
the world comes from our experience that
is controlled by synapses. Synapses come
from a combination of DNA
and environment.
our genes and our interaction with the
environment, our experiences.
And what this means is that we can now
have control over our own individual
fate. If you're angry, it's because
some experience or some genes made you angry.
angry.
And this anger becomes reinforced in
your memories. And therefore if you do
proper therapy, if you do proper
reflection, if you do some exercises,
you can better control your anger and
therefore control your fate. Okay. So in
the first world view, there are lots and
lots of gods. They're evil and they're random
random
and we have absolutely no control over
our fate. We can only hope to get lucky
in life and not piss off the gods. In
the second world view, we are only a
collection of our memories and of and we
are only synapses. So, we're able to
manipulate the memories and the synapses
in a proper way. We can be free of all
problems. We can be free of anger. We
can be free of h of of depression. We
can be free of misery.
All right. Let me let me ask you this
question. Which world view is a more
accurate reflection of reality?
>> Second one.
>> Obviously second one, right? Because
this is um neuroscience, science
science
or psychology or psychiatry. This is
what you've been taught in school. This
is what you all believe. Our entire
society structured around this very
idea. And what you will learn in this
class is it is completely wrong.
It is the sec it is the first one that
is more accurate reflection of reality.
The first one gives you more information
gives you gives you a more accurate
assessment of how the world really works.
Okay.
So now let me ask you this question.
If the first worldview and this this
call we call polytheism and polytheism
for most of human history was the
dominant religion. Okay.
Now we live in a world where the
religion is science. Science is
basically religion.
So why did we make the transition?
What's the benefit? If you're a powerful
person, why would you prefer the second
one as opposed to the first one?
>> Second one.
Why? What's the benefits to powerful
people? What why does power want to
believe the second one but not the first one?
>> Yeah. Okay. Um so the idea of individual responsibility.
responsibility. Okay.
Okay.
So then there's more control.
Okay. It's easier to control people in
the system,
right? That's the first benefit. What
what's the second benefit?
The second benefit is you will work
Because in the first system, you're
like, you know what? I don't need to go
make a lot of money because
if I make a lot of money, the gods will
punish me and make me pr proud. So I'm
just going to like enjoy life and take
it easy,
right? So in the first in the second
system, no, no, I have control over my
own life. So I need to work hard.
Okay? So and again the entire point of
of the system is to make you work as
hard as possible because when you work
hard that generates well real wealth for
the powerful people. Money doesn't does
nothing. Okay? Money just incentivizes
you to work hard. So this exists in
order to make you work harder. There's
one more benefit or there's more
benefits but but but what's what's
Okay. The other benefit is this powerlessness.
It makes you powerless. Why?
This system is designed to make you
absolutely powerless. Why? You can't
control anything. >> Why?
>> Why?
>> Uh everything is controlled by gods and faith.
faith.
>> No, no, no, no, no, no, no. See, see
again again this is how you're brainwashed.
brainwashed.
>> You believe one makes you powerless but
not that's a correct two makes you
powerless. Why? What's the difference
between one and two? Why is it in number
two you are powerless?
>> You're playing the in the game that the
uh who had the power wanted.
>> Okay. So the problem with number two is
you are incapable of collective action
because you think all the source of your
problems is the individual in you and
not society but number one you are
capable of collective action and the
only way to change the world is through
collective action. Does it make sense?
This is a really important point.
Two is designed to make you think the
source of all your problems is within you.
So you should ignore what other people
do and think. Doesn't matter to you. [Music]
[Music]
And therefore, you're incapable of
identifying with other people. You're
not capable of collective action. If
you're not capable of collective action
and you feel really miserable,
what you will do is play video games or
watch porn all day. Okay? And that's
what's happening in society today. Yeah.
>> But number two, like from experience, we
would know that you should listen to the
others advice or you know, you should
take others perspect perspectives
So in number two, who has authority? Who
do you listen to? You listen to
scientists, right?
scientists because this system was
created by scientists to trick you.
Okay, this system you think, oh, it's
science, therefore it must be real.
Guys, let me give you a piece of advice.
Okay, if you're ever feeling sad
and you are depressed, what should you do?
What should you do? What have you been
taught to do? You feel sad, you're
depressed, what should you do?
>> Go to the nature.
>> H walk around.
>> Okay. Yeah, the correct answer is walk
around. But that's not what you've been
taught, right? What have you been taught
to do?
>> Tell your friend.
>> Okay. Telling your friend, tell your
parent, that's that's actually really
good, right? So, walking around, exercising,
exercising,
resting, talking to a friend about your
problems. That's all really good. But
what have you been taught to do in
school? Really, if you if you are
feeling really really sad, what should
you do?
You should go talk to a psychiatrist, right?
right?
>> You should talk to a psychologist. And
what will he do? What will he or she do?
>> Okay. Well, let me give you a piece of
advice, okay? And you can test it out
for yourself. But if you're feeling sad
and you are feeling depressed and you
feel you have to talk to a psychiatrist
and you do so, I will make you bet that
the psych psychiatrist will make it a
lot worse. You will feel worse after
talking to psychiatrist. Okay.
Okay.
And the reason why is the system is not
designed to cure you of any problems.
The system is to make you dependent on authority.
authority.
You know that if you feel sad, well, you
know what? Just go for a walk, talk to a
friend. You'll feel better over time.
But this system teaches you, no, you
feel sad, go talk to a psychiatrist
who'll give you drugs.
It's designed to make you dependent on
authority. Yeah.
>> Um I want to ask like in scenario one uh
involve number one wouldn't go also be
an authority like God would also be authority.
authority.
>> That's actually a great question. Okay.
God is authority.
Okay. That's actually a great question.
Thank you so much. Um so I have to spend
time to explain to you both systems and
I will do so. But what's really
important about number one is
the gods
are really
bad people. Okay, the gods in number one
the polyphasic system they fight all the
time. They're vengeful. They're angry.
They're proud. But because they're gods,
they they can they can get away with it.
And that's the difference between humans
and gods. We're all the same. We're all
angry. We're all uh
jealous. We all fight. Okay. But the
gods can get away with it. The humans
cannot. Gods can do hubris. We cannot do hubris.
hubris.
Okay? Do you understand? So the idea
that oh the people in power are
benevolent, the people in power are
authority figures who are after our best
interest. That is a new modern concept.
Before it was assumed that the king is a
king. Why? Because he's favored by the
gods. It's not because he's a good
person. It's not because he's a just
ruler. It's just because the gods like
him for whatever reason. But guess what?
The gods give and the gods take. Maybe
today the king will uh rule us, but
maybe five years from now he gets
unlucky and the gods kill him. Too bad.
If you read Greek mythology, and we will
do so in this class, okay? We'll go over
into Greek civilization. We'll look at
Edypus. We'll look at Homer, the Iliad.
Okay, they talk about this all the time.
Fate is something that you cannot
control. It's something that happens to
you. And therefore,
you must live life to your best.
All right. So, the difference is this.
The difference is
in number one, they have a concept
If you have no control
over your fate, if things can happen to
you tomorrow that kill you, then live
your life to the best of your ability
today. Seize the day. Be the best that
you can be today. And that's how you win
favor from the gods. youmonia what we
call flourishing
the point of life is to live it to the
best of your ability and that's why
guess what guys the ancients the Greeks
they were superior to us if you read
Greek literature if you read Greek
philosophy Plato Homerish
Uites they were the best today we suck
why because instead of ulimmonia we have pleasure
rather than flourish
as creative people, we're like, "How do
I enjoy my life today?
How do I not feel sad?"
Okay, so in the first system, even
though it sounds like we have no
control, we have no agency, but it it
inspires us to live to the best of our
ability. In the second system, we're
like, "Oh, you have control, complete
Okay. All right.
Now, let's move on to the third and
final example.
Okay. And I know this is shocking. I
know this is surprising, but over the
course of the semester, I will give you
enough evidence to convince you that
this is all true. Okay? I'm just set up
the structure and the framework today.
All right? Let's let's let's do now do
school, guys.
Why do we have school? Why are we in
school? Why?
>> Why are you here? What?
>> Some place learn and teach.
What else?
>> H Yeah. To get to get the degree. Okay.
>> Yeah.
>> The power a chance to brainwash the students.
students.
>> Excuse me.
>> I feel like give the power a chance to brainwash.
brainwash.
>> Brainwashing. Okay. Guess what, guys?
The correct answer is brainwashing.
Everything else is a lie. Okay. All
right. What do you do in school? You
come to class, you listen to a lecture,
you read books, right? And then you and
then you have to do a test and you have
to write a paper and then and then the
teacher gives you a grade.
That's how you learn, right? Let me ask
you this question then. Throughout most
of human history, how did we learn? If
you want to become a doctor, what did
you do?
>> Uh to be a good the best I want.
>> The answer is experience. Do it right.
Let's say you're 12 years old. You're
going to be a doctor. Okay, there are
two paths ahead of you. The first path
is you know what? I'm going to put you
in a hospital and you're going to learn
there for like 10 years. Someone's going
to mentor you. Someone's you're you're
going to be that person's apprentice.
Maybe the first year all you do is like
wash the floor, okay? But you're going
to observe the doctor and then
eventually the doctor is going to tell
you how to um treat patients. Okay,
that's the first system. Second system
is you go to the best school in the
world. Then you go to Harvard for
undergraduate. Then you go to Harvard
Medical School, the best medical school
in the world. Okay. At age 30, who's the
better doctor? Number one or number two?
>> First one. Obviously the first one,
right? Because the second person, the
person who went to Harvard and Harvard
Medical School did not ever work in a hospital.
hospital.
Now, let me ask you another question. In
the first system,
do you have to be really, really smart
to be a good doctor? >> No,
>> No,
>> you don't. Actually,
>> anyone can be a doctor in the first system.
system. anyone.
anyone.
We human beings are all born with the
capacity to learn anything if you wanted
to learn it. Right? You want to be an
engineer, you be a lawyer, if you want
to be a doctor, if you want to be a
scientist, you'll be anything. Okay?
Just go find a mentor
who can teach you how to do so. And I I
guarantee you that you will learn how to
do it well. And anyone can do this. But
instead we have a system in which
we tell students you're smart you're
stupid. Smart students go to good
schools and good universities and they
get good jobs. Stupid students go wash dishes.
dishes.
Okay. And that was not true for most of
human history. It's true today. But
throughout most of of human history you
want to go learn something. All you had
to do was go find a teacher
and that teacher would teach you and
So school is not is not a place to
teach you how to learn. A school doesn't
teach you knowledge. It doesn't do that.
A school is a place that brainwashes
you. Okay. Now the question then is what
does it brainwash you in? Why would it
brainwash you? Okay. All right. To
answer that, I'm going to give you some
history. Okay. We we will do a lot of
history in this class. But I'm going to
tell you the three societies that first introduced
introduced mandatory
mandatory free
free
public schooling
in the world. Okay. The first is called Sparta.
Okay. Sparta was a small city state in
Greece like 3 4 thousand years ago,
3,000 years ago. And they had a new
system in which children as early as 5
or 6 years old, they were put into a school.
school.
And in the school, they were beaten up
by older kids who were like nine or 10.
Okay. That's Sparta.
The second society was called the Azteex.
Azteex. Aztecs
and they also provided free compulsory
education to all its children. Really
good, right? And the third society is
called Prussia.
And actually Prussia is a system that
everyone uses today. Do you guys know
any history? Okay. What is common about
all three society? Sparta, Aztecs and Prussia.
Prussia. >> H
>> H
>> what is common to all three? >> Okay.
War.
All three societies are fundamentally
war societies
dedicated to defeating their neighbors.
Sparta was one of thousands of
citystates in Greece.
The only society all these thousands
that had compulsory education. Why?
Because Sparta was first and foremost
engaged in war making. Sparta, you've
heard of Spartans, right? It's the
Spartan warrior.
Okay? The Aztecs
were the greatest war society in Central
America before they rivaled the
Europeans. They defeated everyone. They
were engaged in war. They also did a lot
of human sacrifices. Well, okay, we
learn about aspects later on. Prussia,
the Prussians, the greatest military in
Europe for centuries,
they were engaged in war making as well.
Okay, do you understand this?
Why we have schools is because schools
are really good at preparing people for
war. Why?
>> Because they have people,
>> excuse me,
>> they have people and they have they
teach some kids how to do with the world.
world.
>> Um, what is what is why why let me ask
you this question. Why did not they not
they did not have schools before? Why is
it that people like we don't want
schools? Why?
Again, the Sparta, Aztecs, and Prussia
were the few societies that had free
public schooling.
Why didn't other societies just copy
them? Why?
>> Knowledge should be trade with
>> Okay, let me ask you this question.
Let's just say you're a mother or
father. What's the And you have a ch
child, right? What's the worst thing
>> Hm.
>> Your parents?
>> No. No. Your mother or your father.
>> You You have a child, right? What's the
worst thing that can happen to you in
>> Your child is taken away from you, right?
right? >> Oh,
>> Oh,
School is designed to take your child
away from you. Okay?
>> Let me ask you this question.
If school was about learning, why don't
parents and children go to school together?
together?
>> Yeah. Why not? Why?
>> Because they have to work to make money survive.
survive.
>> Because parents have to work to survive,
right? There's actually a better reason why.
why.
>> School is compromise is the social. They
must have two people to do something.
>> Yeah. It's about brainwashing, right? Because how do you brainwash someone?
>> Yeah. Yeah. >> Right. If you're with your parent, are
>> Right. If you're with your parent, are you going to be brainwashed?
you going to be brainwashed? >> No.
>> No. >> No. Cuz you feel loved. You feel secure.
>> No. Cuz you feel loved. You feel secure. Your parents going to protect you.
Your parents going to protect you. You're going to ask your parent, "Hey,
You're going to ask your parent, "Hey, is this teacher is is he or she lying to
is this teacher is is he or she lying to me?" And the parents like, "Yeah, she's
me?" And the parents like, "Yeah, she's he's lying to you." Okay? It's only
he's lying to you." Okay? It's only because you've been taken away from your
because you've been taken away from your from your parent
from your parent >> that you are now willing to be
>> that you are now willing to be brainwashed. Why? Because what happens
brainwashed. Why? Because what happens if you if you leave your parents? How do
if you if you leave your parents? How do you feel?
What I will show you later on is it's basically the same religion.
basically the same religion. Yep. All right. Okay. So I I I don't
Yep. All right. Okay. So I I I don't want to give you too much information,
want to give you too much information, okay? Because it was a lot to process.
okay? Because it was a lot to process. But I want you guys to remember the
But I want you guys to remember the concepts money, individual initial state
concepts money, individual initial state are all powerful concepts that are
are all powerful concepts that are embedded into everyday life. You cannot
embedded into everyday life. You cannot escape it. Okay? You've been brainwashed
escape it. Okay? You've been brainwashed into thinking that they all exist when
into thinking that they all exist when in fact they actually they actually
in fact they actually they actually don't exist. And that's how power works.
don't exist. And that's how power works. What power is, okay?
What power is, okay? What power truly is
What power truly is is what call
Alchemy throughout human history was the pursuit
throughout human history was the pursuit of turning lead into gold.
of turning lead into gold. Okay? Lead into gold.
Okay? Nothing into everything. That's what alchemy
into everything. That's what alchemy was. And maybe in science class, you're
was. And maybe in science class, you're taught that alchemy is this fake
taught that alchemy is this fake science. It's a pseudocience and it did
science. It's a pseudocience and it did not work. What what what you will learn
not work. What what what you will learn this class is we achieve alchemy.
this class is we achieve alchemy. Okay? We turn nothing into everything.
Okay? We turn nothing into everything. We turn lead into gold or that's what
We turn lead into gold or that's what power is. Power is the capacity to turn
power is. Power is the capacity to turn nothing into everything. Power is the
nothing into everything. Power is the capacity to make you believe that money
capacity to make you believe that money is valuable.
is valuable. That the individual can lead to
That the individual can lead to happiness. That the nation state exists.
happiness. That the nation state exists. That's what power is.
That's what power is. Okay? And as a result,
Okay? And as a result, today we live extremely miserable
today we live extremely miserable lives.
lives. Okay.
Okay. So, so you've been taught to think that,
So, so you've been taught to think that, oh,
oh, life just gets better and better. What
life just gets better and better. What you will learn in this class is actually
you will learn in this class is actually um nope. Okay.
um nope. Okay. And what's what's really important is
And what's what's really important is you will also learn in this class that
you will also learn in this class that this was an accident.
Okay? This is an accident. It's an accident of the human imagination.
accident of the human imagination. It's because we didn't know what we were
It's because we didn't know what we were doing that we created this system. So
doing that we created this system. So you what you also learn is that you're
you what you also learn is that you're able to control the human imagination.
able to control the human imagination. You can use it to create a new system
You can use it to create a new system that allows for udeimmonia or the
that allows for udeimmonia or the flourishing
flourishing of the human intellect.
of the human intellect. Okay. All right. Any questions?
Okay. So, um that's it for uh today. Okay, I'll see you guys next
uh today. Okay, I'll see you guys next class.
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