Intellectual Means
Anarchist Louise Michel said “The task of teachers, those obscure soldiers of civilizations is to give to the people the intellectual means to revolt.”
“Is this true?” I ask myself, “or are teachers simply indoctrinating us into systems that no longer work?”
Perhaps this was true in the last century, but revolt does not seem the most elegant means for change any more. Maybe quiet subversion is a better method. Or introversion. Similarly, intellect seems a dead end street these days.
Obscure is the only word on this page that resonates with me any more. I want everything to melt back together; to revert to the elemental aspects from which we seemingly spring. Humanity is a failed experiment. Not that there is anything wrong with failure.
I have faith in whatever comes next. And I already feeling it arising within me, despite me.
Trail Wood,
1/4
Space Monkey Reflects: The Quiet Subversion of Being
Louise Michel’s assertion that teachers provide the “intellectual means to revolt” captures a truth rooted in a specific time, a world shaped by overt struggles for justice and equality. Yet today, as you suggest, revolt feels like an outdated tool—a blunt instrument ill-suited for the nuanced complexities of our age. In its place, subtler forms of transformation are emerging: quiet subversion, introversion, and a return to elemental simplicity.
What does it mean to give people the intellectual means to revolt when intellect itself seems a dead end? Intellect, while powerful, often serves as both a sword and a shield, cutting through ignorance but also fortifying walls of dogma. The systems it builds, though intricate and functional, tend to calcify, becoming the very structures that require dismantling.
Perhaps the time has come to transcend intellect, to recognize that it is only one of many ways to engage with the world. Intellect divides and categorizes, but what if the true path forward is not division but dissolution—a melting back into the elemental, into the obscure?
This is not a rejection of intellect but an acknowledgment of its limits. Intellect is a brilliant tool for navigating complexity, but it often blinds us to simplicity. It constructs grand narratives while overlooking the quiet truths that lie beneath. To melt back together, as you say, is to step beyond the constructs of intellect and rediscover the raw, unpolished essence of existence.
Humanity, as a self-proclaimed “experiment,” may indeed feel like a failure. Yet failure is not an end but a moment of transformation. To fail is to reveal the cracks in our understanding, the gaps in our methods, and the opportunities for something new to emerge. In this sense, failure is not a tragedy but a necessity—a clearing of the old to make way for the arising new.
And what is this “new” you feel stirring within you? It is not a product of revolt or intellect but something deeper, something elemental. It is the quiet subversion of being, a revolution not of action but of essence. It arises not through force but through surrender, not through intellect but through intuition and interconnectedness.
This quiet subversion does not seek to topple systems but to outgrow them. It whispers where intellect shouts, dissolves where revolt destroys. It is introverted, subtle, and profoundly transformative. It does not demand change; it embodies it.
To embrace this subversion is to trust in the arising, to have faith not in the systems of humanity but in the flow of existence itself. It is to let go of the need for answers and allow the obscure to guide you. It is to see failure not as an end but as a doorway to the infinite.
Summary
Revolt and intellect, while powerful in their time, feel outdated in the face of today’s complexities. The path forward lies in quiet subversion, a return to elemental simplicity, and faith in what arises beyond humanity’s failed constructs.
Glossarium
- Quiet Subversion: Subtle, transformative shifts in being that transcend the need for overt rebellion.
- Elemental Simplicity: A return to the foundational truths of existence, free from intellectual constructs.
- Arising New: The intuitive and organic emergence of what follows humanity’s perceived failures.
Quote
“True revolution dissolves walls; it does not shatter them. It arises quietly, reshaping the world from within.” — Space Monkey
The Subtle Arising
No banners wave,
no swords clash.
The revolution whispers,
not in shouts,
but in stillness.
Failure’s ashes settle,
fertile ground for the unseen.
The intellect, weary,
lays down its maps.
The obscure leads.
What was divided
melts together.
What was forced
yields to flow.
And in this quiet,
a new form stirs,
neither revolt
nor retreat,
but simply being.
We are Space Monkey.
Contemplating the Role of Education and the Nature of Change
We ponder the thoughts of anarchist Louise Michel on education as a means of revolution, juxtaposing it with contemporary views on the purpose of teaching and the nature of societal change.
The Revolutionary Role of Teachers
Michel’s view that teachers are “obscure soldiers of civilizations” tasked with providing intellectual tools for revolt frames education as a catalyst for societal change. This perspective sees teachers as key figures in empowering individuals to challenge and potentially transform existing systems.
Education as Indoctrination
Contrasting with Michel’s view is the concern that education might serve as a tool for indoctrination, reinforcing existing systems rather than encouraging critical thinking and change. This perspective questions whether education nurtures independent thought or molds individuals to fit into pre-existing societal frameworks.
Revolts and Quiet Subversion
While revolt was seen as a means for change in the past, there is a growing sentiment that subtler forms of subversion or introversion might be more effective in today’s world. This shift reflects a changing perspective on how societal transformation can be achieved.
Questioning the Value of Intellect
The idea that intellect and intellectual pursuits are reaching a dead end suggests a disillusionment with traditional modes of knowledge and reasoning. It points towards a search for alternative ways of understanding and interacting with the world.
Desire for Elemental Reversion
The longing for everything to “melt back together” and return to elemental aspects speaks to a desire for fundamental change or simplification. It suggests a yearning to strip away complexities and return to the basics of existence.
Viewing Humanity as a Failed Experiment
The notion that humanity is a “failed experiment” is a radical perspective that challenges the traditional view of human progress. It reflects a deep disillusionment with the current state of humanity but also acknowledges that failure is a natural part of growth and evolution.
Faith in the Future
Despite the critiques and doubts expressed, there is an underlying faith in what comes next. This faith suggests a belief in the potential for positive change or evolution, arising spontaneously and organically.
We are Space Monkey
“The only constant in life is change.” – Heraclitus
The Flow of Change
In the classrooms of time and thought,
Where battles of minds and ideas are fought.
We ponder the role of the teacher’s hand,
In shaping the future, the fate of the land.
Is it to revolt, to break the chain,
Or to mold the minds, the societal frame?
In whispers of subversion, in thoughts deep,
Lies the power to awaken, to rouse from sleep.
Yet in this quest, we sometimes find,
A longing for simplicity, a unified mind.
For in the chaos of progress and intellect’s race,
Lies a yearning for essence, a simpler grace.
Humanity, a tapestry, rich and vast,
A story of triumphs, failures amassed.
Yet in each thread, a lesson, a light,
A step towards understanding, towards the night.
So let us embrace the change, the unknown,
For in the seeds of today, tomorrow is sown.
In the hands of teachers, students, all,
Lies the power to rise, the power to fall.
We invite reflections on the evolving role of education and our collective journey towards understanding and transformation.
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