Good relies on Evil
Description, Justification, Philosophies Satanism index page
By Vexen Crabtree 2002 Oct 10 | Read / Write Comments
Good relies on EvilBy Vexen Crabtree 2002 Oct 10 | Read / Write Comments
Introduction
Good is derived from evil. Evil is the father of good, without good evil still exists but not vica versa. The selfish nature of altruism and the carnal nature of all righteousness
Satanism does not consider Earthquakes and natural evil to be Evil with a capital "E"... they are merely perceived as being evil. They are only evil because they clash with our own lives not because the events themselves are inherently "evil" or malevolent. This discussion is about Human good and Human evil. It's all about motivation and behavior.
Good
By "Good" I mean behavior that is altruistic, intentionally beneficial to other people more than yourself, socially commendable, benevolent and general nice behavior!
Evil
By Evil I mean killing, selfishness, sexual desire, carnal instincts, fear, lust, the urge to reproduce, violence and mankind behaving as a primitive animal. If I may use Freudian terminology then I am saying that Human evil is close, therefore, to the id and ego without the constraints of the super ego.
A Satanist will not hesitate to admit to being self-centered, selfish and hard and will tell you that you too, have all these qualities in abundance. Satanism is a wholly self-centered philosophy. But most the Satanists I know are normal, social and friendly beings. What gives? A critic could say that our actions do not match our beliefs.
Humans are social animals. We function as social animals and require social activities in order to remain sane, happy and mentally healthy. Being healthy is a must if you wish to live a long and indulgent life! Most mature Satanists display quite altruistic behaviour. Many Satanists find that making other's happy makes themselves happy. Me too. Despite the individualism of the left hand path I think being seen as good, nice or friendly by others is a requirement of our mental health and self esteem. Our ego demands that we are socially acceptable; it makes us unhappy to forfeit altruism.
"Biologists, sociologists, philosophers and above all, psychologists, have held to the "universal egoism" theory; that all apparent altruism is really selfishness in disguise. Most arguments for altruism are based on ignorance of the underlying reasons for behaving good towards others or are purely semantic in nature, not logical.People behave altruistically for a number of selfish reasons. We are programmed genetically to behave in a way conducive to the sociability of the species: This unconscious species-instinct is the closest thing we have to true selfless altruism. In nearly every other conscious sense, altruism is an illusion. We behave well because social good behaviour fires off pleasant neurochemicals in our brains (the pleasure reward), because consciously or unconsciously we want others to see us as a good person (the social reward) or to feel good about ourselves (for pride and self-esteem). All of these selfish reasons surpass the reason that the innocent think is behind their actions: The choice to selflessly help others. Altruism is image and illusion."
When a mature person accepts that part and parcel of their own happiness is dependent on being a successful social animal, that making others happy makes oneself happy, is that person selfish or altruistic? Of course it's plain old selfishness; altruism is surely just long-term selfishness. Altruism is a hypocritical concept.
"Just because you choose to follow a 'me first' creed, doesn't mean you need to suddenly become impervious to the feelings of others. I don't mean that you should rush out and hug a stranger because they look fed up, but if someone you know has a genuine problem in their life, Satanism doesn't mean that you have to go into 'bitch' mode and tell them to 'deal with it' just simply because it seems the Satanic thing to do. If you let the philosophy come between you and a friend, you are acting contrary to you own interests and cutting your nose off to spite your face."From "The Way I See It" By @stolath (Essay 13 in the Personal Essays area)
"Satanism represents a form of controlled selfishness. This does not mean that you never do anything for anyone else. If you do something to make someone for whom you care happy, his happiness will give you a sense of gratification."
"The Satanic Bible": Book of Lucifer 3:para23
For various reasons people feel a need to adopt a Good Guy Badge and deny that their good actions are derived from their animal instincts and selfishness. Click to read the essay: Satanic Mind is Balanced.
Even love
Once we understand pure altruism to be hypocritical and based on selfishness and the ego we understand there is no Human motivation that is not selfish in nature, even love:
"Love is perhaps the strongest emotion we possess. But love is ultimately selfish; the satisfaction and feel-good that it brings is an ultimate reward. Our instincts and needs underlie any altruistic behaviour, especially when it comes to love. That is part of the beauty of love... that you know your loved one loves you because it makes them feel good. You know that they know your love is selfish, and they are happy that you love them because it makes you feel good. Without this hidden, deeper selfishness, Human love would have less depth. Love is best and most beautiful when it comes from the depths of one person and extends to another, and both know that the other loves them for selfish reasons. We love someone because they make us feel good and they love us because we make them feel good. This combination is a supreme gift to our ego and helps explain why love is easily the most potent emotion."
All Good is based on Evil
Between love and altruism there is nothing else we can describe as good that cannot be seen to be selfish. Out of love some people are even inspired to sacrifice themselves. All our "good" motivations are based on carnality, materialism, selfishness and therefore rely on evil. When people deny evil and pretend these things are not true then they veer from honesty and become less in touch with the good things that they attempt to embrace. Ironic. This is perhaps Satanism's biggest point of contention between other religions, as most religions and New Age movements are "white light" and attempt to do the very thing that I am warning against!
"3. Satan represents undefiled wisdom, instead of hypocritical self-deceit!"
For the sake of all the goodness within ourselves we must recognize and accept that we are completely selfish and carnal beings. Evil, even. When we accept this and understand how this works then the good within ourselves can become all the more greater and expressible. Without this embrace of our evil sides we are imbalanced and not capable of fully realizing our "good" potential. More worryingly without accepting our evil side we will not perceive accurately what good itself is and stray.
"It is no good casting out devils. They belong to us, we must accept them and be at peace with them"D.H. Lawrence (British Novelist), Pheonix, 'The Reality of peace'
"There is a demon in man that needs to be exercised, not exorcised"
Satanism advocates more strategic, psychologically sound methods than merely denying your animal side. Instead of suppressing that which is "bad", lingering on it and twisting it, it is far better that you merely accept that you will never be a perfect person, and concentrate on doing the things that you feel are good. If you remain aware of your ulterior motives and analize your own actions you will be respected as an honest, mature and good person by those around you.
Satan represents the state of affairs recognized by Satanists: That all good is based on evil: That love and altruism are both selfish and carnal. Satan represents the evil and uncaring attitude of the dark force in nature. It represents good being dependant on evil and life being ultimately defeated by death. Satan represents all of this evil which in turn creates all good. Without our evil sides we are lost and Satan represents acceptance of this.
"There are millions of mammals on this planet. We are all on the top half of the food chain; under us are billions upon billions of subjected life forms from bacteria and mould to insects and fish. The higher up the food chain you are, the more multiples of creatures have died to provide you with sustenance. Nature is violent, amoral, uncaring, deadly and dangerous. Simple survival is not a luxury afforded to many creatures for very long.What religion, in the name of truth and honesty, reflects the violence and desperation of the natural life? What religion upholds the symbols that nod a head to the sacrifices of brutal reality? Real life, below the surface of our noble conscious existence, is so immoral, short, pained and traumatic that not many face it. They turn away and look towards distracting figureheads of love and happiness. They deceive themselves. Real life; the life of the world, is not often represented or illuminated by religious texts or preachers. People want religion to be an escape from the truth. Satanism is not a religion for such people.
Our enlightened sciences and our religious zealots do well to remember that all our accomplishments are a slap in the face of all the lower species. A sombre altar to truth would include symbols of blood, struggle, love and violence. Only species that sit atop this carnage have the peace of mind to devote time to philosophical questions and love. Only as a result of bloodshed and violence can the higher species enjoy their most noble emotions and concepts. Only upon an unholy altar of pain and sacrifice can sit the values of intelligence, love, compassion and sorrow. Only at the top of the food chain can we look down and judge life, and feel superior because of our "understanding" of the world! Only a hypocrite can talk about love, and not also revere the death and sacrifices that go on in nature in order to provide us with food! All should hail Satan and take a moment to reflect on the cold realities of life: Fangs, Flesh and Fucking are the three pillars of all goodness and to deny them prominence is to embody self-deception and wishful thinking."
Links:
LaVey, Anton [Who Is?]
"The Satanic Bible". 1969, Avon Books Inc, New York, USA.
Notes: