Male incels (involuntary celibates) have become synonymous with misogyny. They are, we’re told, bitter and angry that no one wants them. But, from what I’ve observed, the problem of misogyny is way more pronounced in the vol-cel community; that is, among voluntary celibates — and the reason why may surprise…

In Erich Neumann’s Origins of Consciousness, Neumann describes the moment in human history, and in the history of every individual, where the primordial unity (represented by the ouroboros depicted below) splits into opposites. In mythologies around the world, this moment is known as a cosmogony; i.e. ‘the separation of the…

After decades convincing women that they will find fulfilment in work, there is now a new trend, encouraging women to seek a ‘soft life’ — a life free of stress and exertion — all in the name of ‘natural’, ‘divine’ feminine energy. The problem is: this natural feminine energy is…

Sometimes, great art emerges not because of an artist, but in spite of them. This is the case with Kleist’s dramatic tragedy: Penthesilea. The play is based on the classic Trojan battle between Achilles and the Amazon Queen, Penthesilea. However, in Kleist’s version, the ending is reversed. Instead of Achilles…

Today, we take for granted that our thoughts and actions originate in our minds — but this was not always the case. In Book I of The Iliad — the oldest extant piece of Western literature — Achilles, the world’s greatest warrior, argues with Agamemnon, the Greek King of Kings…

Michel Houellebecq — who is arguably the most important author alive — is a figurative descendant of Schopenhauer. As many have already pointed out, the whole of Houellebecq’s work can be read through the filter of Schopenhauer’s philosophy: In both cases, suffering is taken for granted, and there is the…