CATHOLOGIC - A Cure for the Plague of the West Jan Moniak
I. THE ONE WHO INVENTED EVERYTHING. PROOF AND FAITH
Introduction – 5
A Futile Fight Against Schemas – 11
Without Imposing, There Is No Formation – 11
DISCIPLINE – 12
More… Than I Can Bear: Stimuli, Information, Accusations – 13
The Desire to Judge — “More Than I Can Bear” in Accusing – 15
Blind Accusers Accuse Others of Blind Defense – 16
He Must Suspect, Otherwise He Will Suffocate – 17
Blind Trust in Accusatory Messages – 17
The More Accurate, the Less Convincing – 18
A Correct Diagnosis Generates the Most Intelligently Defended Errors – 18
A Theory Worth Nothing Without Examples? – 19
Not Too Little, but Too Much — and in the Wrong Place – 20
“You Become Like Those with Whom You Keep Company” – 22
I. THE ONE WHO INVENTED EVERYTHING. PROOF AND FAITH – 24
Facts Accessible to Everyone – 24
FAITH – 25
We Are Finite! – 25
What Is Truth? – 26
What Follows from the Principles of Thinking? – 26
I Will Reveal This Secret to You… – 27
Science Is Subjective – 28
Killing Animals Is Wrong Because They Suffer? – 32
How Do We Differ from Animals and Things? – 33
RELATION IS THE FOUNDATION – 36
Yet I Have Direct Access Only to My Own Consciousness – 38
Truth as Dependent on Consciousness — But Whose? Mine? Certainly Not Mine – 39
THE CONDITION OF RATIONALITY – 40
THE CREATIVE PERSON – 40
So What Should One Believe? – 44
St. Paul — A Philosopher? – 45
The Superiority of Tradition Over Scientific or Cultural Innovation – 46
The Principle of “Conservation of Energy” in Limited Systems – 47
Everything Is a Sign, and a Sign Arises in Thought – 49
The Capacity for Knowledge as a Sign of Reality — and Vice Versa – 49
The Nature of Error/Evil – 50
Subjectivity That Creates Objectivity – 50
In the Image of God He Created Him – 53
“God Thinks, Therefore I Am” – 54
Evil? Free Will? – 55
Authority and the Primacy of Tradition — The Fourth Commandment – 56
Communication and Objectivity – 56
The State of Endless Legislative Fantasies Is Evil – 66
The Irrationality of the Terror of Innovation – 67
Limitations as Training for Freedom – 68
Traditions vs. Novelties – 69
Hierarchy and the Unity of the Creator – 69
The New Creation and the Symbolism of the Cross – 70
Free Will and Order – 70
Solipsism Is Impossible – 70
The Primacy of Tradition as the Presumption of Innocence — In Dubio Pro Reo – 71
Media and Manipulation – 72
The Harm of Intuitively Suspecting Evil in What Is Normal – 72
Mutual Reinforcement of Errors and the Budding of Bubbles – 73
Higher Intelligence More Efficiently Justifies False Impressions – 73
“Fear” of Innovation Is Wise – 74
Reason, Relation, and Love – 75
Relation — Going Out of Oneself – 75
DETACHMENT / LONE‑liness (Autonomization / Monadization / “Alienation”) – 79
God‑Reason and the Sacred – 85
The Iconic Sign – 86
II. THE MYTH THAT BECAME TRUE – 90
Folk Rituals and Symbolic Cultural Forms as an Icon of the Divine Cosmos – 93
Traditional–Folk–Ritual–Sacred–Religious–Rational Cultures – 95
Recalling the Sacred Beginning as Renewal and Meaning‑Making – 95
Order, Boundaries, and the Center of the World – 97
Tradition — The Chains That Liberate vs. The Terror of Innovation – 102
Tradition — The Sense of Connection with the Beginning – 102
Bread–Body–Home–Temple–Cosmos–Heavens – 103
The Goal of Tradition Is Progress – 104
The Religiosity of Folk Cultures as an Innate Human Trait – 104
Religion Interferes with Everything by Its Very Nature – 106
Modernity? – 107
Christ as the Fulfillment of Mythic Longings – 109
Ritual Is Not Magic — Ritual Is Effective Action – 110
Rituals Are Not Formalism – 111
Lack of Words Is Not Lack of Understanding or Sincerity – 113
Folk Culture — Human Culture – 118
Folk Culture, Not Always Mass Culture – 119
A Cosmological Understanding of Reality as a Condition of Religiosity – 119
Ritual with Rituals – 121
On Traditional Folk and Ritual Principles – 122
On Moving the Soil with the Weeds and Sowing the Seed on Rock – 122
Guadalupe — Coatlaxopueh – 125
THE REMEDY – 127
The Mystical Style of Life – 127
Ordinary Things as Signs of Faith – 127
Healing Space — The Room in the Shape of a Cross – 127
DO IT! – 127
Binding Human Groups — Ritual as the Basis of Mutual Understanding – 135
Ritual‑Genesis – 137
Inculturation? Yes — But Not Backwards – 141
THE CATHOLIC — THE TRUE NATIVE BELIEVER – 144
What Belongs to Us: Norm, Judgment, the Terror of Innovation – 146
The Logic of Hierarchy and Primacy – 147
What Belongs to Us, and What Does Not? (2) – 148
How to Read These Principles? – 150
Pedophile — Meaning “Priest”? – 151
The Identity of an Institution Is Determined by Its Principles – 151
Christ Yes, the Church No? – 155
CATOLOGIC(k)A — Reasonable Humility – 158
Blind Faith… – 158
…In the Church? – 158
…In the Post‑Conciliar Church, the Pope – 158
Enslavement? – 159
Irrationality? – 160
Distinguish Principles from Their Violation – 162
Is Every Widespread Practice in the Church Its Custom? – 163
Bad Catholics = Bad Church (Bad Council, Bad NOM)? – 163
Fidelity to Living Norms — A Humble Defense Against Error – 165
Let Each Do What Belongs to Him – 169
III. THE WAWEL(ON) TOWER – 178
The Power of the Senses. Property and… Faith – 179
Four Diseases – 180
The Prescription — First Ending – 183
Justification of the Diagnosis – 183
Goebbels Was Right… – 185
The World Commission of Everything – 186
By Small Steps, by Contrast… We Will Do Whatever We Want with You! – 187
Enchanting Reality Away – 187
Property and Control over One’s Own Beliefs – 188
Legal Theft – 189
Restoring the Proper Meaning of Words and Overthrowing False Ideologies – 191
The Origin and Partial Truth of Postmodernism (Immanentism) – 195
Subjectivism — The Cult of the Self – 197
Autonomism — Forgetting Relations – 198
The Mystical Manor — Why Do We Need Feng Shui? – 200
The Spirit of the Age – 202
So How Is It? Free, or Enslaved by the “Spirit of the Age”? – 203
Freedom of Religion, Cultures, and Opinions – 204
Freedom of Speech – 205
Artistic Freedom – 205
The Definition of Art and the Creative Sacred – 206
Infant Baptism – 208
“Love Is Not a Feeling. Love Is a Decision.” – 208
Monocultural or Multicultural? – 209
Universal Values? – 209
They May — but Religion May Not? – 211
Is It Because Religion Concerns Something Else? – 211
Is Religion Forbidden Because It Imposes and Is Intolerant? – 211
Or Because Religion Is a Source of Conflict? – 211
Freedom, Equality, Neutrality? – 212
A Secular and Neutral State? – 212
Belief in Neutrality and the Loss of Control over One’s Worldview – 214
Neutrality vs. Formation and Cultural Schemas – 215
Is What I Write Nonsense? An Attack on Tolerance, Pluralism, and Human Freedom? – 216
Blessed Conflict – 217
Honest Pluralism – 218
“Is Expressing Opinions — Even Loudly — Automatically Imposing Them?” – 219
Relax – 220
Tolerance Is Part of a Worldview — Therefore It Has Limits – 220
Freedom without Limits Is a Fiction – 221
The Limits of Freedom Do Not End with Bodily Harm – 223
“You Become Like Those with Whom You Keep Company” – 223
The Power of Signs – 223
The Power of the Word – 224
The Over‑Linguistification of Culture, Social Order, and Sola Scriptura – 226
Over‑Linguistification and the Breakdown of Folk Cultures – 233
Over‑Linguistification or Re‑Linguistification? – 238
Ritual and the Corruption of Language – 238
The Origin of Over‑Linguistification – 239
Script‑Centrism and Overstimulation – 242
Subjectivization through Scripture – 244
(The “Protestantized” “Defense” of Thomism) – 245
Stupid Interpretations? – 246
“But It Says on the Label That It’s Medicine!” — Vigilance Put to Sleep by Labels – 246
The Essence of Ineffective Action: Slogans like “Red‑pill,” “Liberals,” “Socialists”… – 247
The Sacrifice of Precursors as the Condition for the Flourishing of Successors – 249
Inflation of Signs – 250
The Illusion That Internet Users Are Freer Than TV Watchers – 251
Power and Signs – 252
Religion – 253
Religionalization… – 254
…through Anti‑Ritualism – 254
…through Forgetting the Ultimate Meaning – 254
…through Stripping Religion of Its Total and Supreme Character (Secularism–Autonomism) – 255
…through Declaring Material Acts Morally Indifferent – 257
…through the Corruption of the Word – 257
The Corruption of the Names of Values (Benedict XVI) – 258
Religion in Politics – 260
The Necessity of the Intronization – 260
Crypto‑Religions – 261
A Catholic in Politics – 262
Fr. Piotr Natanek and the Healing Triad – 263
“My Kingdom Is Not of This World” – 265
The Intronization of Christ – 265
Outline of My Own Entanglement and Its Influence on My Methods and Conclusions – 269
The Cultural Principle of Uncertainty – 272
The Meta‑Method – 274
Errors of Researchers as the Basis for Priests’ Pseudo‑Remedies – 275
Norwid on Imitation Born of Aversion to “Being a Beginner — Creatively” – 276
Do Not Expect Ideals from Others or from Yourself – 279
False Alternatives… – 283
How to Destroy an Enemy? – 283
The Left First Named and Took Over the Methodological Obviousness of the Right – 285
On Adopting the Enemy’s Faulty Categories – 287
The Green Elephant Supporter – 288
Labeling (Boxing‑In) – 289
Victorious but Bent – 290
The Barabbas Effect – 291
Over‑Linguistified “Traditionalism,” Not Only among “Neophytes” – 293
Confusing Certainty about Principles with Certainty about One’s Own Applications – 294
Blind Kali Catching a Blind Thief — The Essence of Hypocrisy – 296
Blind Goodness vs. Evil Blindness — “Love (…) Believes All Things” – 298
One Camp’s Position Modified by the Other Camp’s False Opinion – 301
A Common Enemy Unites – 304
How Manipulators Reveal Their Own Methods by Projecting Them onto Others – 305
Negative Sectarians First Hunt Positive Sectarianism – 306
Blinded by the Speck of Love? Remove First the Beam from Your Own Eye – 307
Who Must Explain Themselves? The Accused or the Accuser? – 309
Certainty and Uncertainty — When Yes, When No – 311
Opinionism — “I Have the Right to Say It Because It’s My Opinion” – 313
Straining Out the Gnat While Swallowing the Camel – 316
The Substitute Devil — Putin, Hitler, Tusk, Kaczyński, etc. – 316
The Hypocrisy of Pro‑War Propaganda – 320
Who Started It? – 321
Sufficient Reason – 322
Divide and Rule — Gossip and Presumed Guilt as Tools of Revolution – 323
The Mechanism of Tribal Prejudices and Elastic Interpretations – 325
Sarcasm — The Strongest Argument – 325
Suspicion toward One’s Own Suspicions – 327
Simple Things Tangle Easily; Tangles Unravel Complicatedly – 328
Who Must Explain Themselves? A Critique of Rash Criticism – 328
The Devil Does Not Tempt Those He Does Not Need To – 329
Will the Honest Succeed? Fairy Tales – 329
The Multi‑Component Glue Method – 329
Conspiracy Theories – 330
RELIGION AND SUBSTITUTE MORALITY – 332
Info‑latry and the Cult of Science – 332
Substitutes for Religion – 332
The New Morality — The Cult of Football and Pop‑Culture “Stars” – 333
Substitute Morality of Clubs and Conceptual Sacks – 333
Sectarianism and Dogmatism – 334
Other Harmful Cognitive Errors – 336
The People and the Elites Complement Each Other – 342
Twisting an Opponent’s Words to Refute the Twist – 344
Repeating What Was on the Radio as If It Were One’s Own Thought – 345
The Field of Agreement as the Cause of Conflict – 346
Education and Erudition as an Argument – 347
An Intelligent Person Can Err as Much as a Fool – 347
Fact‑Worship and Emotional Manipulation – 348
What Favors Info‑latry? – 349
Abortion, Gender, LGBT, Vegetarianism — What Connects These Issues? – 349
“Don’t Kill Animals Because They Feel Pain!”? – 350
A Fist with a Rosary – 351
Self‑Fulfilling Prophecies (2020) – 352
The Disney Syndrome – 354
Logical Fallacies — Example: The Generalized Strawman – 356
Liberalism, Nationalism — Inconsistency and Generalization – 357
Easily Deceived — Like an Optical Illusion – 360
IV. Faulty Bodily and Material Forms of Our Culture – 364
“The Most Important Is What’s in the Heart — Form Doesn’t Matter” – 365
The Dispute over Form and Content in the Church – 366
But What Is the Proper Place? – 367
Does the Moral Value of Behavior Depend on Cultural Context? – 368
Faulty Forms of Our Culture – 373
The Broth‑Cube Effect – 377
The Mystery of Holiness and Bodily Modesty – 378
The Mystery of Holiness – 378
Proper Because in Accordance with the Divine Order — the Cosmos – 378
The Mysterious Holiness of the Body – 380
The Mystery of the Temple – 383
Non‑Clothing Factors Degrading the Mystery of the Body – 397
Walking – 397
Dance – 397
Habit, Innocent Embarrassment, and Awe – 403
Historical and Cultural Context vs. Moral Relativism – 404
That Which Transcends Our Earthly Existence – 406
Good Order Requires Effort; Bad Disorder Pulls Us In – 407
A Proposal to Attempt… – 408
Music — Can It Be Harmful? – 408
The Cult of Pleasure and Postmodernism – 415
4π — The Formula of Mystical Counter‑Revolution – 416
V. A Proposal for Action — Ordinary Things as Signs of Faith – 418
“A New? Evangelization” through Culture — The Mystical Style of Life – 422
Throwing the Baby Out with the Bathwater – 423
Removing the Weeds Together with the Soil – 425
How to Regain That Control? – 427
Easy to Write, Harder to Do – 428
How to Persuade toward Cultural Forms? – 429
Self‑Sufficiency – 429
Patriotism – 434
Formation – 434