The Retarded Ideology

Book 3: Origin of the Philosophical State

"The philosophy students of second century Rome, be they Stoic or Epicurean, usually came out of the upper classes - men with the means to indulge their peculiar habits. But, not all of them were rich and educated. One of my favorite groups of people, and no doubt one of the least popular groups in their own time, were the poor philosophers. Lampooned off and on over the years, these were men who often had no prospects and no hope of any work beyond dull manual labor, who suddenly became enamored with philosophy, grew their beards long, and wandered the streets criticizng the material obsessions of their fellow citizens, in between requests for handouts. These street gurus, who assured anyone who would listen that their poverty was not only a chosen state, but also of the highest virtue, combined effortlessly the roles of crazy bum and freeloading artist, to produce a character unique to the Classical world - the panhandling philosopher."

- Mike Duncan, The History of Rome podcast, Episode 87 - "Thinking and Feeling" (March 2010)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Chapter 1
Introduction
THE IMPULSE OF LIFE and KNOWLEDGE DEVELOPED FROM IT
Chapter 2
The Concept of the Political
Chapter 3
The Concept of the Status Quo, the Polity, or the State
Chapter 4
The So-Called State of Nature
Chapter 5
The Politicized Circle of Life, or What Calls Itself as Such
Chapter 6
Aristocracy and the Great Conspiracy
Chapter 7
Education and the Germ of Social Distinction
CONSTRUCTION OF THE STATE
Chapter 8
Precursors to the Philosophical State
Chapter 9
The Philosophical State
Chapter 10
The Empire and Imperium
Chapter 11
Law as an Instrument
Chapter 12
The State Proper as Institutions and Interests
Chapter 13
The Interests of the World and the Conditions of the Ruling Idea
SPIRITUAL AUTHORITY AS IT PERTAINS TO POLITIES and
THE ORIGIN OF THE STRUGGLE OF CLASSES IN LIFE
Chapter 14
Religion of the Spiritual Animal and the Machine
Chapter 15
The Principle of the Satan
Chapter 16
The Mandate of Heaven and the Godhead
Chapter 17
Mass Religion and the Origin of Mass Politics
Chapter 18
Class Warfare and Idolatry
THE NATION and ARISTOCRACY'S PERNICIOUS INFULENCE
UPON IT TO CREATE CONDITIONS OF CLASS SOCIETY
Chapter 19
The Assembly of Tribes in the City
Chapter 20
The Nation
Chapter 21
Labor and the Suffering Class
Chapter 22
The Ruling Ideas and the Retarded Ideology
Chapter 23
Propaganda from On High, Below, and Within the Classes
Chapter 24
Emergence of the New and the Failure to Arrest History
THE END OF POLITICS and THE BEGINNING OF HISTORY
Chapter 25
Eschatology and the End of the Political