Nordic Ideology: A Metamodern Guide to Politics, Book Two

by Hanzi Freinacht

is to be considered a “loser” can be changed, for instance by making it okay to be poor or uneducated. Evolve the game by increasing cognitive capacity for social perspective taking (higher cognitive stage and value meme, as described in Book One). This makes the whole game fairer, where people at higher cognitive stages accept John Rawls’ “veil of ignorance” (not knowing who in society you will be). Yet higher levels of complexity breed even more refined games, like accepting solidarity with all sentient beings and making room for different kinds of consciousness in the public. Amassing stronger and wider monopolies of violence (states can uphold the rule of law, but the lack of global polity or transnational governance sets limits for how far solidarity through rule of law can reach). A big and strong monopoly of violence stuck in a crude game can of course cause a lot of relative suffering (Fascist states caused more suffering than representative republican, capitalist, meat-eating societies, even if they managed to amass considerable monopolies of violence). But a strong state simply makes it more likely that interpersonal misdeeds are penalized, that people’s lives and property are protected, and hence that losing in the games of everyday life doesn’t entail death or absolute poverty. And last but not least, changing the lived relationship to life and death through increasing contemplative insight, hence changing the needs and wants the games are played for. This chan...