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The forgotten existentialist
Colin Wilson was known for writing about diverse subjects like crime, human consciousness, and existentialism in a way that was ambitious but also attracted harsh criticism. His first major work, The Outsider, analyzed philosophical and psychological alienation in the 20th century and won him fame, but subsequent works faced backlash. Wilson believed existentialism had gone wrong since Heidegger and sought to build a new, more optimistic type of existentialism focused on reaching higher states of consciousness through mental discipline rather than drugs or illusion. Though controversial, Wilson's works provide evidence that his revolutionary philosophical ideas deserve more appreciation and study.
The forgotten existentialist
- 1. The ForgottenExistentialist/ColinWilson - Matthew Conniam https://oke.io/lnSci Translation:LotfiAl-Dulaimi ColinWilsonhasalwaysrepresentedinthe popularimaginationthatwriterwhodealtwitha numberof divergentsubjects - sometimeseven dissonant- inhismanywritings:crime and behavioral perversion,phenomenaof normal humanconsciousness,fossilsof knowledge, newexistentialismandthe psychologyof humanexistence ,,,andHowever,awide range of olderreadersstill rememberhimin the formof thatambitioustwenty-six-year-oldauthorof the book"The Non-Affiliate"publishedin1956 and whichwonwide acceptance among philosophical circlesandothersandwaspraisedbymanyof the greatcritics andbook reviewers.Theysawinthe bookan excellentanalysisof the philosophical,psychological,and mental alienationprevailinginthe twentiethcentury,withacomprehensivereview of the manytypesof importantfiguresthatWilsonconsideredasstandardmodelsof philosophical alienationanddisassociation.Tossing"notbelonging"Wilson,withhisauthor,inthe embrace of fame and the spotlightearlyon,hasbecome astandard iconfor the angry and indignantyoungmanoverhissociety.Unfortunately,however,the resultof the broadfame and the brightlightsthatshone uponWilson'swork,alongwiththe accompanyingcrude superficialityindealingwithhisworkbythe journalisticcirclesthatseekimmediate gains, constitutedanapostasythatmay have greatlyaffectedWilson'ssubsequentwork,which appearedin1957 underthe title "Religion."Religionandthe Rebel“wastranslatedinour Arab worldandappearedinthe marketwiththe title The Fall of Civilization,translated”:the workwas metwithoutrageousandextremelyharshcriticismfromthe same criticswho praisedWilson’sfirstwork,andsince thenitwasabandoned.Wilsoninthe wildernessto raise hisoudand fightmonstershimself withoutahelper!!Positivism, linguisticanalysis, empirical,andthe manarguedthat Descartesdidnotrepresentthe startingpointinthe launchof modernphilosophy,butratherledittoa deadend,and he didnot holda high appreciationforthe workof BertrandRussell andconsideredhimanoutstandingschool studentwitharistocraticorigins!!!.Wilsonpartneredwiththe famousphilosopherI.C.AJ Ayerfor a while playinganentertaininggame forbothof themrequiringeachof themto write a harshcritical reviewwheneverone of thempublishedabookandcontinuedthis game until Wilson stoppedwritingthese reviewssoAyerhadtostop writingthemtoo . The hallmarkcharacteristicof Wilson'sworkandideassince hisearliestworkswashis steadfastaversiontothe existentialismof murderousnihilismthatbothSartre and Camus were promotingonthe Francophone bankoff the Englishcoast,althoughhe was sympathetictothe extreme withtheirphilosophical preoccupationsandtheirmethodsof thoughtand Analysis.ExistentialismwasforWilsonthe mostimportantphilosophical movementof the twentiethcentury,buthe saw thatit haddeviatedfromitscourse since 1927 at the handsof Martin Heideggerinhisbook,BeingandTime,whenhe departedfrom itsinitial ideabasedonHusserl phenomena,Andhere Wilsonhadtoreturnto the phenomenal originof Husserl'sthoughtand,accordingly,setouttobuilda new structure for
- 2. existentialism:anewexistentialismthatisqualitativelydifferentfromthatof Sartre and Camus,thentheman wentonto introduce thisnew structure of existentialisminhisbook . The secondfeature thatdefinesWilson'sworkishisfascinationandfascinationwiththe rangesthat humanabilitycanreach, andthat is one of the earlymanifestationsthatwas reflectedinhisapparentpassionforthe unusual phenomena prevalentinordinarylife,even as if the man seemedtoalwaysbe touchedbythe ideathat ordinaryeveryday consciousnessoperatesata muchlowerlevel.Whatiscreatedbyhismaturity,andthat the originof the existential absurditythatsome advocate andpromote withenduringresidesin the natural tendencyof the humanmindto slide intoastate of mental lazinessandlethargic relaxationwhenitisnotalwaysinvokedbystimuli thatdifferqualitativelyfromthose prevalentinourdailylife.The lazinessthatWilsonmasteredwhenhe describeditasbeing akinto the autopilotinan airplane:astate of dullnessandboredomthatextendsendlessly. Wilsonwrote aboutthe abilityof the humanmind,throughdisciplinedtraining,toreacha state of complete consciousness:Thatawarenesssimilartothatof a childonthe night before ChristmasEve whenhe isoverwhelmedwiththe feelingthatlife isrichandfull of the bestof thingsandpromisessomanyjoyful hopesandexpectationsthatthe foundingfathers of existentialismalongwiththe romanticistshave alwayscalledtoexpelitandthrow it into the trash as a fake.Sincere andmental illusion.ButforWilson,the pessimisticview of the worldisthe same thatdeservesinall meritandfairnessto be describedaspure falsehood, and that the statesof complete consciousnessassociatedwithpeakexperiencesare the only onesthat deserve tobe anhonestwitnessof the truthinthisworld,so he refusedWilson, Sartre's worktitled"Nausea,"andCamus'sbook,"The Absurd."He consideredthemworks that betraymental laziness,justaswriterslike Sartre andBeckettaccusedinone of hisrare textsof hiswritingsthattheypoisonthe collectiveculture of societyinacynical and abominable way,asif someone werepoisoningthe source of waterfromwhicheveryone drinks!! Anditmust be pointedouthere thatWilsonwouldnothave calledforexpanding the frontiersof humanconsciousnessthroughthe creationof psychotic,auditoryorvisual illusionscausedbymental conditionersstartingwithalcohol anduptothe last listof dangerousdrugsthat distortthe mental moodandpushthe individual intoanabyssafter destroyinghismental activitiesAnd,ashe hasnevercalledonthe man to violate the prevailingrespectable cultural traditions,onthe contrary,he ispushingusto plunge intothe midstof a seriousmental processbasedonstrictmental discipline . Whetherwe agree or not,Wilson’s“non-affiliated”workandthe subsequentseriesof works that he carved into,aswell asWilson’smonumental anddramaticworkentitled“A Criminal Historyof Mankind,”publishedin1975, all provide sufficientevidence totake seriously Wilson'stalkof hisrevolution.Smallinthe prevailingphilosophical context,becausehe was able to impartan optimistichumancharactertothe prevailingnihilisticexistential tendencies,andthe manwill prove withthe daysthathisworks - especiallythose thatwe referredtoabove - deserve the full praise andthe deserved appreciationof mysingular Englishpresence whohasbecome aniconworthyof the burdenof in-depthresearchand readingAvenue .
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