Eisel Mazard, author review.

[vishnusavestheday]

I've been re-reading "No More Manifestos" by Eisel Mazard and I've found it to have many appealing qualities. I've found many insights meaningful, as I'm going over it in pen upon this second read. For precisely the reasons that many of you may find yourselves disillusioned by social movements, politics, and philosophy, this critical writing examines how people should create actual change -- not to something knowable, but to a future that is unknowable. Mazard is an atypical nihilistic atheist who takes a strong Aristotelian stance towards government and positive change. His point of view at first seems semantic, but through his book, he begins to illustrate problems with modern idealism in the university system, the mythology of government, and a realistic view of humanity stumbling through history without clear victories. 

 

Mazard describes himself as an elitist, dissident intellectual after spending a lifetime studying ancient Buddhism, political science, and Asian history. 

 

Aside from history, "No More Manifestos" also examines police brutality, idealistic sentiments today surrounding the rule of law, and disillusionment of erroneous attitudes towards solutions. I can't recommend the book enough because it spends time separating the reader from abstractions. I most appreciate that he makes the point to show readers that living with one's worldview necessarily involves making excuses to defend it. One of the most challenging questions we can ask ourselves is as follows: What am I going to accomplish in the next 5, 10, 20 years? What sacrifices will I have to make? What excuses will follow? What conditions am I preparing to tolerate?

 

Amazon Page

 

He has profoundly shaped my worldview in my time away from spirituality and religion.

 

Mazard. has a separate smaller book titled, "Veganism: A Future of an Illusion" which illustrates the failures of veganism as a social movement over the past 15 years. He writes that veganism "wraps the scarf of the revolutionary around the neck of a bureaucrat" in order to point out the uncritical attempts vegan internet influencers have made to achieve careerism instead of social change. Veganism has not accomplished anything in the last 15 years compared to what the French Revolution did in 7.

 

He also has a number of podcasts up on Spotify. He used to have a Youtube channel with many lectures-- now defunct.