Love, Law and Will: Thelema for the Confused

In the category of "wildly misinterpreted aphorisms", there are a few sources who could be considered masters of the craft ambiguous. Wittgenstein, Nietzsche, Hassan i-Sabbah; the list goes on. But today, I would like to discuss Aleister Crowley's most-quoted maxim:

"Do as Thou Wilt shall be all of the Law... Love is the Law, Love under Will"

These words, taken as the foundational principle of the religion/ethical system/weird sex cult of Thelema, are taken from Crowley's Liber AL vel Legis, better known as "The Book of the Law". Supposedly dictated to him over the course of the days in April 1904 by a discarnate being of uncertain nature named Aiwass, this provides the underpinnings of Crowley's entire system of thought.

This phrase is often misinterpreted by detractors as meaning "do whatever you want", which is ironically just about the polar opposite of its generally-accepted meaning. To quote Crowley, in a rare moment of (relatively) plain speaking: "It
is the apotheosis of Freedom; but it is also the strictest possible bond."

There is a certain extent to which a definitive answer to the meaning of this aphorism is going to be impossible. Thelema is a religion of contradictions and paradoxes, in which there are frequently no right answers - the position that it requires one to take is that of the mystic, accepting that the most profound truths are impossible to articulate. To misuse Lao Tze and Wittgenstein: "the Tao that can be spoken of is not the true Tao"; "On that of which we cannot speak, we must remain silent".

There's also the matter that, within Thelema, there has historically been something of a taboo around discussing interpretations of the Book of the Law; indeed, the "Tunis Comment" can be read as an injunction against any attempt to analyse it. This being said, I tend to interpret the Tunis Comment as being more of a warning not to force one's own interpretation onto others in a dogmatic fashion - everyone should, ultimately, be free to read the text and come to their own conclusions. These, therefore, are my current thoughts on the matter - they are not authoritative, and will likely change and evolve as my philosophical paradigm does.

So, what is the Law? It is, at once, an ethical guide and a metaphysical statement. In the former aspect, it is positioned as being the sole authority by which any action may be judged; actions are neither a priori moral or immoral based on their intent or consequences, but are ethically contingent on the Will of the actor.

As a metaphysical statement, the Law is harder to define. Whether it is a fundamental of absolute reality, or merely an abstraction of that is in practice of little consequence, though it is worth noting that Thelema essentially advocates a form of "Qabalistic Realism" in this matter.

The Thelemic concept of Will must be understood not in the sense of "what one wishes to do", but as something far more fundamental. Often the phrase "True Will" is used to attempt to elucidate this fact, though attempts to explain exactly what this means frequently get lost in a mire of confusion.

It is not a simple case of there being a binary between doing one's Will and not; indeed, the idea that Will can be boiled down to a single action or drive is deeply flawed. Rather, it is perhaps better to think of Will as being an expansive term, which indicates a kind of authenticity to one's self. It is not, however, simply a matter of the ego, unrestrained by the chains of morality and the animal desires of the id - though this is undoubtedly part of it.

In some cases, True Will is compared to the Divine Will, and - without getting too far down the rabbit hole of the Thelemic attitude towards gods and divinity in general - this has a great deal going for it. One might consider all individuals as having a certain unique place in the great tapestry of the cosmos, a certain role in which they will naturally fall towards, and ultimately excel within. The achievement of such a state of harmony with the universe can be considered the ultimate manifestation of True Will, and of the Authentic Self.

It should perhaps be obvious that the majority of people do not have an intuitive grasp of their True Will. Even those who do are unlikely to be able to express it in words - for it is a fundamental orientation towards the universe that stretches deeper than the conscious mind. To understand this is a core part of the "Great Work" of Thelema, and is the basis of much of the ritual and mysticism associated with it.

In the context of Thelema, "Love" specifically refers to the Greek word "agape"; numerologically this word is equivalent to the number 93, which is also the value of "Thelema", meaning "will". As per the Greek, this can be interpreted as a "universal" form of love; in its Christian usage it generally describes the love of God for His creation. This places it as a self-sacrificing, selfless love that transcends the human condition. In another way, it can be compared to the concept of "chesed" in Judaism - a form of compassionate "loving-kindness".

More specifically Thelemic is the second meaning of "Love" in this context, which shares the transcendental basis of the former; it can be thought of as the uniting of the particular with the universal, the microcosm with the macrocosm. In general it is the union and subsequent synthesis of opposites that is indicated here, rather than any sentimental concept.

Putting it all Together:
Will = manifest destiny, purpose
Law = ethical source, metaphysical law
Love = transcendant love, union

Thus:
The only ethical source is the striving for one's manifest destiny; in all things this is to be taken with an ultimately selfless stance, but this selflessness being subservient to the aforementioned will.

And:
The most fundamental metaphysical truth is that all things have their purpose; otherwise and aside from this fundamental purpose, things tend to union.

Skippy's Larp

This being a list of things that the author has been banned from doing when writing or running larps.

1. May not entirely fill a room with giant inflatable eyeballs
2. May not nail PCs in coffins and conduct mock burials
3. May not include anything that involves the phrases "bathtub literally full of fake blood" and "near-naked crew member with a snorkle"
4. May not require players to throw darts at a board as a central character generation mechanic.
5. Not to make PCs literally sign contacts in their own actual blood
6. Not to call TIME OUT, then have plot continuing to roll out for a further ten minutes.
7. May not include roleplay effects of "you believe that you are turning into a giant bee"
8. "COVERED IN BEES" is not to be a valid system call
9. May not write plot purely as an excuse to reference Wolf Drop
10. Not to approve the "Redneck Toreador" bloodline
11. "Stamford Prison Experiment: The LARP" is not to be run
12. Not to write NPCs purely to make bad psychoanalysis jokes
13. No sneaky references to Oglaf
14. It is unreasonable to have a crew member hide in a cupboard for an entire event, dressed as a skeleton, just on the off chance that the players open it.
15. May not require PCs to literally burn their actual clothes.
16. May not institute thinly disguised system of ref bribes for bonus XP
17. May not run a mega-game that is literally a pyramid scheme.
18. May not include a "reading your bullshit novella of a background" surcharge in booking.
19. Pay2Win is not a good model for LARP.
20. May not name system "Interminable Arguments"
21. Or "Historically Accurate LARP Productions"
22. May not ban hard-skill social skills.
23. The existence of the "MAN DOWN" call to indicate OOC injuries does not require there to also be a "MAN UP" call to indicate those injuries are considered trivial enough to continue play.
24. Not to deliberately schedule events to clash with those run by people I don't like
25. May not name a deity "He-who-is-Longer-than-He-is-Wide"
26. Book-mutilation is not to be a central mechanic of any system
27. May not base game mechanics around Pacman.
28. May not chase players with a remote control tarantula
29. May not advocate tobacco smoke enemas as an IC healing method, no matter how historically accurate it may be
30. "Murder Circus LRP" is not to be run.

I Kant Believe it's Not Büchner: A Codex Vitae

Rejected Titles:

• A Crapulous Creed
• Wrongful Convictions
• Meditations on Second-Hand Philosophy
• Tractatus Illogico-Philosophicus
• Thus Spoke Nastananda

Inspired by https://github.com/busterbenson/public/blob/master/Codex.md and http://terrie.me/codex/

How To Use This Document

If you are Anthichthonian:

• Develop a habit of using the Codex as a repository for beliefs that develop throughout the year.
• Consider doing a monthly review of whether my life is in alignment with values and beliefs. If not, should my behavior change or have my understanding and values changed?
• Do a yearly review in January of the entire document, editing places where beliefs have changed. Expect beliefs and tactics to change — don’t hold on to them too rigidly.

If you are not:

• Read this with the understanding that you are different than me — the way I live my life is not the way you should live yours.
• Consider creating your own Codex Vitae. Feel free to copy anything here that is helpful.

Meta-Beliefs

1. This purpose of this document is to capture my beliefs about the universe.
1. It is, and they are, always incomplete and out of date.
2. It is, and they are, always subject to revision.
2. There are different categories of belief, which may or may not overlap.
1. There are beliefs that I agree with on an intellectual level.
2. There are beliefs that I accept on an emotional level.
3. There are beliefs that I accept insomuch as I act on the assumption that they are true.
3. The degree to which any of my beliefs are an accurate reflection of the universe is an unanswered question
1. Most statements should be interpreted as a "best guess"
4. Some of my beliefs are best expressed through rationality and logic. Others are better expressed as subjective opinions.
5. Whilst I have certain beliefs and biases that exist on a subconscious level, I assert that it is possible to change any and all of my beliefs - at least to some degree - through conscious effort.
1. This process of becoming conscious of my beliefs and modifying them is a fundamentally useful one, even in the absence of a particular end-goal.

My General Principles

1. "Do what thou Wilt shall be the whole of the Law. Love is the Law, Love under Will".
1. As an essential prerequisite, one must understand one's Will in the fullest sense, and that it is not equivalent to "what one wants to do".
1. This concept can, in its simplest form, be expressed as "above all, to thine own self be true".
2. As a corollary, one should allow others to do their Will.
2. All authority and certainty is to be questioned.
1. Especially my own.
2. "All truth begins as heresy".
3. It is better to be open to new experiences than to be closed to them.
1. I will regret the things that I did not do more than I will regret the things that I did do.
4. The answer to any question is, ultimately, "it's more complicated than that".
5. The ability to act on my wishes is contingent on first accepting any situation that I encounter on it's own terms.
6. The pursuit of knowledge for its own sake is inherently rewarding.
7. Even if all morality is subjective, it is better not to be a dick to people.
8. Logic and rationality are extremely helpful tools, though like any tool they have their limitations.
1. Logical fallacies can generally be considered to be heuristics - they are often useful rules of thumb, despite being not strictly true in all senses.
9. If it's stupid but it works, then it's not stupid.
10. One should aim to become antifragile
1. This is best achieved through striving to increase one's options for action
11. One should attempt to practice doxastic commitment, living one's life in accordance with one's expressed opinions and principles.
1. The failure of a source to practice doxastic commitment is a useful hereustic by which to discard ethical arguements and the like, even if it is not strictly logical.

Beliefs on the Nature of Reality

1. The Map is not the Territory
1. Our comprehension of the world within and without emerges from our perceptions.
1. Our perceptions are subject to any number of flaws and biases.
2. We can never be certain how well our perceptions match up to an external reality.
3. Reality is, thus, essentially unknowable. The best we can do is to form an image of reality.
2. All attempts to comprehend the image of reality that our perceptions give us are also subject to numerous flaws and biases.
1. In particular, the limitations of language impact upon our ability to comprehend the image of reality.
1. A substantial number of metaphysical problems (e.g. the sorites paradox, the Ship of Theseus, just about everything to do with counterfactuals, etc.) are artefacts of the limitations of linguistics.
3. These attempts to comprehend the image of reality produce models, which simply and codify the image in order to aid the understanding of a part of it.
1. No one model can fully explain the totality of the image of reality. "There are more things in Heaven and Earth..."
2. To have complete faith in a single model, or set of models, of reality is to limit one's conception of reality to things that can be described by that model.
4. All models are incorrect; some models are useful.
1. Seemingly incompatible statements within different models can be simultaneously considered true if doing so is useful to our understanding of the universe.
2. This is all to say: we may not be able to prove the existence of a world outside ourselves, or any particular thing about that reality
1. In practice it is useful to assume reality to be - more or less - what we experience, as the alternative does not lend itself to any useful action or further train of thought.
2. Insomuch as it is essentially impossible to falsify, the Brain in a Vat / Simulated Universe problem cannot be answered; furthermore, given the previous assumptions, it doesn't really make much of a difference.
3. At least in principle, we have free will; even if this is not true, it is useful to accept this as being true.
4. Strictly speaking, induction is impossible, though in practice it is useful to assume its validity.

Beliefs on Morality and Ethics

1. Morality is essentially an aesthetic choice
1. This being the case, morality does not necessarily need to be strictly justifiable in its rationale, as it is an essentially subjective construct
2. Deontology is essentially flawed
1. Divine Command Theory and moral absolutism in general are not so much philosophies as positions of intellectual surrender.
2. Kant's Categorical Imperative can best be treated as an ethical heuristic.
3. Consequentialism - and utilitarianism specifically - is inherently flawed, as it relies upon perfect knowledge of the outcome of any action, and on assumptions about the universal nature of any true benefit.
1. Equally, there is value in consequentialism as an ethical heuristic.
4. Many moral systems can be considered flawed due to a lack of doxastic commitment among their adherents.
5. All else being equal, one should pull the lever
1.  Pushing the fat man is morally equivalent to pulling the lever.
6. We do not have a moral obligation to pander to Utility Monsters.

Beliefs on Science

1. The Weak Anthropic Principle is as good an explaination for the fundamental properties of the universe as we are likely to be able to understand.
2. The universe is not fully deterministic when viewed in its entirety
3. Black Swan Events have a disproportionate effect on complex systems, thus it is almost certainly useless to attempt to predict the future behaviour of such a system
4. Anthropogenic climate change is occurring and observable
5. Micro- and macro-evolution occur in nature.
6. Homeopathy is unlikely to be anything more than a placebo.
7. Vaccinations do not cause autism
1. Even if they did, the balance of harm and benefit would favour continuing to use them.
8. Nuclear power is, in the balance of things, better than fossil fuels, though inferior to renewable energy.
9. The Ecological Fallacy is the most insiduous assumption that exists within the sciences, and is responsible for a great deal of bad science and bad policy.
10. Human enhancement technologies, such as nootropics, cybernetics, longevity therapies, etc. should be considered ethically acceptable, if not praiseworthy.
11. Assuming practical concerns around safety were resolved, there are no substantive issues with germline engineering, human cloning, etc. provided that the quality of life of the offspring is not adversely affected, and that such offspring are granted the same rights as any other human.

Beliefs on Mind

1. A collective unconscious exists on a biological level, insomuch as the nature of our neurology predisposes us to certain forms of thought and behaviour.
1. This affects, and is affected by, cultural factors.
2. Consciousness is an emergent property of a complex system.
1. Consciousness and intelligence are most likely a property of the complexity of a system, not the specific structural 
2. A China Brain would have a form of consciousness.
3. Our presuppositions on the nature of consciousness are fundamentally anchored in our understanding of our own consciousness, and are not axiomatic.
1. This is to say - a thing does not have to think like a human in order to think
3. Mental illness is best understood as a cultural construct
1. There is no sharp dividing line between neurotypicallity and neuroatypicallity
4. Altered states of consciousness provide potential insights into the human mind which should not be underestimated.
5. Animals and other beings that can be conclusively proven to have a comparable level of consciousness to humans should be candidates for comparable rights to humans.

Beliefs on Meaning and the Spiritual

1. There is no inherent meaning to life, other than the meaning that we give it. This is, essentially, subjective.
2. If there is a single "God" or divine presence of some kind, it is best considered to be more or less synonymous with the entirety of the universe, internal and external.
3. Gods, spirits, angels, demons, etc. can be said to exist, insomuch as they could be considered emergent consciousnesses that arise from complex systems, including those which reside within the collective unconscious, which we personify with anthropomorphic features.
1. In another sense, they exist insomuch as we experience them to exist.
4. Magic(k) is possible, insomuch as that it is the deliberate modification of one's internal sense of reality in accordance with one's will.
1. In this sense, it is not dissimilar to a kind of applied psychology, albeit practiced more as an art than a science.
5. The persistence of some form of life after the death of the body is an unanswered, and probably unanswerable question; 

Beliefs on Society

1. "Every Man and Woman is a Star" - each individual is a unique and whole unit, occupying a unique place within their social cosmos
1. Equality in opportunity is desirable; equality in outcome is impossible, and even if it were possible, it would likely be undesirable.
2. The dividing line between children and adults is fundamentally an arbitrary one.
1. Minors who are Gillick Competent - in other words, have sufficient understanding and intelligence to fully comprehend a matter - should, broadly, have the same rights as adults.
2. As much as possible, all age-associated rights should be tied to this concept
1. There should be no statutory minimum age at which one can gain a driving license
2. There should be no statutory minimum age at which one can vote
3. There should be no statutory minimum age at which one can stand for parliament
3. In general, the concept of "parental rights" should exist only insofar as the actions of the parent safeguard the best interests of a minor who does not have the capacity to make decisions of their own.
3. Society should be constructed only on the basis of voluntary association.
1. There is no substantive difference between the legitimacy of a nation-state and of any other voluntary association of people.
2. Most territorial claims are dubious at best; the chief arbitration of such claims should be the will of the people who dwell in any given area.
4. Our notions of "race" and "ethnicity" are entirely arbitrary
1. They are useful ways of analyzing power differentials between groups
2. The truly egalitarian society would have no meaningful concept of race or ethnicity.
5. Our notions of "gender" and "biological sex" are entirely arbitrary
1. They are useful ways of analyzing power differentials between groups
2. The truly egalitarian society would have no meaningful concept of gender
6. Individual success is usually more to do with luck and privilege than it is with skill, natural aptitude, or effort.
7. The individual right to morphological freedom should be upheld as a cornerstone of personal autonomy.

Beliefs Regarding Politics

1. Our current political systems are unsustainable
1. Representative democracy is not essentially superior to any other system; most of our attachments to it are an artefact of a bias towards the status quo.
2. In many senses, a delegative democracy would be superior to a representative one.
3. Direct democracy does not work on large scales, and has numerous flaws.
4. There is ultimately no one political system that is perfect for everyone.
5. The best solution may be to encourage a proliferation of different social and governmental structures
2. Freedom of speech and expression should be considered a foundation of civil society.
1. Speech should only be restricted by the government if it is maliciously libelous or constitutes incitement to violence.
3. The role of government should be to uphold individual and collective liberty, whilst advancing human flourishing generally.
1. As a general principle, any action taken on a voluntary basis between consenting persons, that does not directly harm a third party, should be considered permissible.

Beliefs Regarding Law

1. The role of law should be to protect and uphold individual and collective liberty.
2. The circumstances in which a competent individual should be deprived of their liberty are limited, and in general should be restricted to the prevention of severe harm to themselves or others.
3. Justice should be less concerned with punishment than with rehabilitation.
4. Imprisonment is ineffective as a deterrent, and should only be used when there is an urgent need to protect the public at large.
5. Torture could be ethically justifiable in some cases; however, on a pragmatic basis it is of extremely limited value in gathering truthful information, and the social sanctioning of torture causes more harm than good.
6. The death penalty is neither an effective nor justifiable punishment for crime.

Beliefs Regarding Sexuallity

1. Sexuality is morally neutral.
1. Sexual orientation is morally neutral
2. Sexual acts that occur between consenting individuals are morally neutral.
2. The debate around whether sexuality is inherent or somehow chosen is irrelevant to its moral status.
3. The concept of an age of sexual consent is flawed on a fundamental level, but should probably be kept for practical purposes, albeit with the understanding that consensual sexual activity between individuals who are competent to consent to such, regardless of the age of the individuals, should not be criminalized.
4. Prostitution, pornography, and other aspects of the sex industry are morally neutral. They should be legalized and regulated like any other area of business
5. Most people's sexual orientation does not fit into any clearly defined binary.

Beliefs Regarding Health

1. One's state of health is one's own business.
2. Weight is a morally neutral issue.
1. On the individual level, BMI is effectively a useless measure.
2. Most diets do not help one to lose weight.
3. The healthiest lifestyles are likely to be antifragile ones.
4. The use of compulsory treatment of mental illness is justifiable in certain circumstances, but these should be very carefully considered.
5. Abortion should be available on request before the point of viability, and after this point at minimum on the grounds of preventing harm to the mother's physical or mental health, or in cases of catastrophic congenital defect.
1. This said, much of the discourse around abortion is deeply ableist in its language and assumptions.
6. Pre-implantation genetic diagnosis, embryo selection, and so on should be supported, as should stem-cell research and hybrid embryo research.
7. Suicide should generally be seen as an act that is the product of severe mental distress and not of a rational actor. However, this does not preclude the possibility of an individual making the rational choice to end their life.
1. Assisted suicide should be allowed, with appropriate safeguards.
8. The harm associated with tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs is best addressed through a combination of legalization, regulation, education, and support in quitting.
9. In general, only medicines which risk having a substantial public health impact beyond the individual taking them (such as antibiotics) should be legally restricted by prescription.
10. Free at-point-of-access health care should be available to everyone who needs it.

Beliefs Regarding Education

1. Free university-level education should be available to anyone who wants it.
2. Beyond the point of that a child has reached a level of civic competence, there should be no obligation to remain in full-time education.
1. One might, at least in theory, posit a "high-school exit exam" of some sort to certify that one has reached this point.

Beliefs Regarding Human Relationships

1. Radical Honesty is, at least in principle, a good thing
2. Everyone is ultimately responsible for their own feelings
3. It is generally better to assume good faith in others
4. Love is not a finite resource
5. Monogamy, polyamory, and other relationship structures are all valid
1. Though one structure may be a better fit for any given individual, no structure is categorically better than any other