Here’s something to consider:

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  The idea of a “Golden Age”, I submit to you, is an extended period of time when things, generally, are done in a society (by the people of that society, in general, of course) as they should do them (and the people are ambitious, greatly flourish, and are happy as a result).  That’s all it is, when you think about it…  … that is, if you know how Golden Ages go.  (If you’re American, or are somehow as ignorant as a young child, and don’t know how Golden Ages go; look up some of the most obvious examples, such as the Islamic Golden Age; the Belle Epoch of France, in particular, though it was also spread among the many European countries of that period; or the Golden Age of Ancient Athens that was orchestrated by Pericles—btw, this was the O.G. “Golden Age”.)

  

  Now that we have, in our pocket, this definition about what a ‘Golden Age’ is, what about the intersection of this concept with the quite uncontroversial concept that ‘sometimes philosophies have effects on people’?  (I’m building to something here—something which you shouldn’t be able to deny.)  And what about the further idea that ‘the effects that philosophies have on people can cause them to see the patterns of life in such a way—and to see their own choices in such a way—that their philosophies guide them toward choices that are beneficial for all of society, and in turn they do do things the ways they should be done’?  I’ll now repeat myself for the benefit of those more used to corporate-speak than clarity: I’m saying that there exists a topic about ‘the philosophies that guide people toward making all the socially-beneficial choices’, which topic we can study and even utilize, and I'm also saying that this topic intersects greatly with the idea of a Golden Age.  

Of course, I wouldn’t be making much ado about any old philosophies, but only the ones that are quite crucial, like keystone species in an ecology, or are of startlingly high quality that do the best of what philosophy can do for a person or society.

 

Now, realize that I’m trying to get almost absolutely everyone on the same page when making these arguments—this is my natural propensity.  So I want you to voice it in your mind right now and agree that, obviously, when you examine these two rudimentary concepts that I put forward together, they are immensely interrelated.  And so there’s a lot to talk about.  

But where does one go to talk about or read about this topic and all the places it goes?  

 

And where do I go to point out that Golden Ages don’t cost anything?  Civilizations poorer than ours have had Golden Ages.  But then why don’t we?  Where do we go to talk about how a Golden Age is something that we can pick up; like a video game character’s treasurous, multi-level-up-item that is sitting right there, next to us?  And it’s not just a +2 or +3 bonus; it’s metaphorically +1000+ (…depending on the game): in real life, it’s just about as big a bonus as is conceivable—maybe more.  If one were to even remotely comprehend it, it would rightly seem that a lot is on the line, right?  And there’s practically nothing to risk.  Maybe a little time, to read and think?  …And also to talk to your friends, which you were going to do anyway.  Let’s face it, you were looking for a topic of conversation anyway!  The benefits-to-risks ratio is unlike anything else in the whole universe—there’s practically nothing to risk and something akin to paradise to gain.  So reset the dials in your mind about what’s important—recalibrate your moral compasses if you have to… from scratch, if you have to—to wrap your head around some degree of duty you probably actually have, to take that little risk and learn and talk about the intersection of Golden Ages and what golden philosophies facilitate them.

 

Many people in our society are now so cynical that they will not even be able to stand to comprehend the aspirational ideas that I’m communicating; their cynicism is embedded so deep as to corrupt them, and they, in turn, become a stumbling block for civilization to right itself.  It makes sense though.  Harmed and continually disappointed people will adapt to the society they’re in, and this will instruct others as well as make improvement more difficult in turn.  But think about this: when society is spinning in a bad direction, and people are becoming more cynical and hopeless for turning all aspects of their society around, does it just mean that there will be an endless spiral towards dark age and, ultimately, extinction?  NO, certainly not.  At some point before they get to a total dark age, people will likely stand up and decide to break the cycle of cynicism and lowered expectations; they’ll demand that our civilization do much better in all ways, as happened during The Enlightenment.  And wouldn’t it be shameful for you to know ahead of time that a new Enlightenment Age and Golden Age were to be just around the corner, but would be founded and enjoyed not by you at all, even though it could’ve been had by you in your generation if you had only signed up for the project?  That’s a sad story besides.  We must in all things avoid tragedy, you will agree, and so?  What say you?

Your particular flavor of harm and history doesn’t matter; and how tired you are when you get back from work doesn’t matter either.  The wind chill that a man feels when rising from a freezing lake should not dissuade him from leaving it.  So.  Leave your cynicism behind, and agree that we—and you—should make it a point to study what leads to Golden Ages, and we should do our best to have one NOW.

 

If I were to tell you that the body of all knowledge required to start a Golden Age is a topic I know 80% of, or 90% of (I’m trying to be modest here about my ability to know what I do and don’t know, but it could actually even be 100%); then what would you do?  

Hopefully, you’d want to know it too.  

 

For starters, I wrote an article in my Substack about the real essence of the Enlightenment.  The core idea(/s) that I identified goes for ANY Enlightened Age.  Check out that article, please.  The double-sided core idea that I identify is not only the wellspring that leads to an Enlightened Age, but I now, to you, posit that if we were to enter such an age, that’s most of the way toward a Golden Age.  Hear it out, and see if you can find a better way to encapsulate The Enlightenment of the 1800’s.

In fact, please subscribe to my Substack, “Being on the Side of Good”, since it will not only touch on topics like this, but update you on my work on Logic and moral philosophy, among many other things, and many of these concepts and philosophies are the golden philosophies that I was speaking about earlier, that guide people to doing what they ought in their civilization, which can lead to a Golden Age.  

If you stick with me, eventually, I’ll also talk about how the Sides of Good and Evil ACTUALLY exist in the universe—exist to the same concrete degree that humans exist—and I’m of the impression that I’m the only analytic philosopher (at this date) who asserts such a thing.  However, I foresee this little philosophy to inevitably conquer the rest, eventually, once I simply explain it.  

The Substack blog is going to give you the latest updates, and they will be related to this whole thing, but feel free to explore this website, since the content is different.  And let’s try to organize together!  A Golden Age isn’t built in a day.

 

If you want to help support my work, I do have a Patreon (here).