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Journal of Cogency
@journalofcogency.com
210 followers 90 following 170 posts
Philosophy, religion, metaphysics, politics.

Philosophy feed: https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:kmoj7im2gq475znhmzct3beb/feed/aaajlftc4mzou

Website: www.journalofcogency.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JCogency
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Reposted by Journal of Cogency
nearzone.bsky.social
If you are reading "What Is A General Strike?" (journalofcogency.com/2025/03/02/w...), at the beginning I talk about issues I have with the UAW's planned general strike of 2028 (just corrected). I didn't get to them in the article but I'll talk about it here.
What Is a General Strike? – Journal of Cogency
journalofcogency.com
March 2, 2025 at 1:08 AM
Reposted by Journal of Cogency
nearzone.bsky.social
New post on Journal of Cogency: What Is a General Strike? Briefly exploring five* modern historical examples and trying to find the common traits: journalofcogency.com/2025/03/02/w...
What Is a General Strike? – Journal of Cogency
journalofcogency.com
March 2, 2025 at 12:46 AM
Reposted by Journal of Cogency
journalofcogency.com
Just posted "A Non-Grand Thesis of Luxury Politics", which is the introduction to my in-progress explanation of the fascism of the current moment through a philosophical-psychological exploration, ~14 minute read: journalofcogency.com/2025/02/19/a...
Right now, I am starting to put together a work of philosophy, a thesis. My goal with this work is to explore this question: How does a smaller group of people manage to rule over a larger one? Why is “there are more of us” not enough to create change? My answer to that question is “the subjugation effect” and this work is my attempt to explain what that is. To properly explain this phenomenon, I need to proceed in six stages. The first stage, political systems, will set the basic context of the argument. The second stage, money as a medium, will explore the binding force of money as an example of such forces. Third, the way we think, will develop the second stage and show how this “binding” can be generalized to other agents. Fourth, the mystery of cogency, will discuss the construction of social power and indirect action. Fifth, the subjugation effect itself, where specific manifestations of political-cultural subjugation will be examined in light of the first four stages. In the last stage I’ll explore the reason which motivates the continuing of the subjugation effect: the desire for luxury.
February 19, 2025 at 3:47 PM
journalofcogency.com
Just posted "A Non-Grand Thesis of Luxury Politics", which is the introduction to my in-progress explanation of the fascism of the current moment through a philosophical-psychological exploration, ~14 minute read: journalofcogency.com/2025/02/19/a...
Right now, I am starting to put together a work of philosophy, a thesis. My goal with this work is to explore this question: How does a smaller group of people manage to rule over a larger one? Why is “there are more of us” not enough to create change? My answer to that question is “the subjugation effect” and this work is my attempt to explain what that is. To properly explain this phenomenon, I need to proceed in six stages. The first stage, political systems, will set the basic context of the argument. The second stage, money as a medium, will explore the binding force of money as an example of such forces. Third, the way we think, will develop the second stage and show how this “binding” can be generalized to other agents. Fourth, the mystery of cogency, will discuss the construction of social power and indirect action. Fifth, the subjugation effect itself, where specific manifestations of political-cultural subjugation will be examined in light of the first four stages. In the last stage I’ll explore the reason which motivates the continuing of the subjugation effect: the desire for luxury.
February 19, 2025 at 3:47 PM
journalofcogency.com
Read my first-blush review of "Nietzsche and Philosophy" by Gilles Deleuze, in which I refine my position against Nietzsche: journalofcogency.com/2025/02/15/d...
I think that the core appeal of Nietzsche is in asking the question again; I’ve said this before. I didn’t, perhaps, give enough credit to what a monumental moment that may have been. This might be a historical fallacy; that is, because it’s such a common thing now, I assumed it was always the case. Surely there must have always been iconoclasts who went against the philosophical grain. Also, Nietzsche’s dramatics and poeticizing are aesthetically appealing. It appears to be a much different way of doing philosophy than anyone else, and for that reason it appears to be saying something which is different than anyone else. It seems to demand appraisal on its own terms because it does not easily fit within the run of philosophy as such.
February 16, 2025 at 12:00 AM
Reposted by Journal of Cogency
nearzone.bsky.social
I wrote another anti-Nietzschean manifesto, this one is also a review of "Nietzsche and Philosophy" by Gilles Deleuze (12 min read) journalofcogency.com/2025/02/15/d...
Why do I want to do this? I have said this before, too. It’s because these ideas are conservative ideas. They are the conservative justifications for their political agenda. As such, they have no value for those who want real justice. They have less than no value because they make you second-guess the things you would do to achieve justice. They make you wonder whether even if you got a lot of support if it’s “the right thing”, if you are organizing “without ressentiment“, if you are not determining right and wrong through “slave morality”. It serves only to convince people that they should not seek to redress wrongs and it does this through leaps in logic and disguised interest. Holding onto Nietzscheanism is one of the biggest flaws that leftists have currently and its one they absolutely must let go of. I am the man of ressentiment. I am the man of bad conscience. I am the slave who triumphs. Nietzsche put the poison pill down and I am swallowing it, and I will shit it out, too. I refuse to be afraid of being accused of the ideas he made up. I am also the philosopher with the hammer. Nietzsche is the anvil. And I will never stop beating him to produce something better.
February 15, 2025 at 8:20 PM
journalofcogency.com
Because I'm feeling generous to all the losers: Why I Hate Nietzsche substack.com/home/post/p-...
But more than his existence, I hate the people still cite him approvingly. People listen to ideas about bad conscience and ressentiment, where Nietzsche is saying "you, the reader, are nothing but malice unless you are an elite" and say "yes actually, I feel so much ressentiment and that's why I want justice." They try to convince themselves that actually Nietzsche was being more nuanced than he appears to be. Am I trying to say that Nietzsche has no complexity? Of course not. But people who defend Nietzsche's work almost demand that you ignore the things he says, things he never contradicts and that no one even suggests he contradicts. His ideas are bad because he refused to understand the morals of his day, because he rejected their basis and therefore never considered that they might be as much a matter of practicality as they are of empathy. He never thought procedurally about why certain things might take place. The lack of connective tissue in his work is fairly alarming, and this is important because his ideas do not really make sense unless, like most philosophers, you have a little self-doubt inside that you like someone to beat on from time to time.
January 29, 2025 at 6:27 PM
journalofcogency.com
I do not have any time of patience for Nietzscheans. You are all dupes. The only thing you have to say is "you don't understand what he wrote". No one has ever successfully challenged my arguments. Shut the fuck up.
January 29, 2025 at 5:39 PM
Reposted by Journal of Cogency
nearzone.bsky.social
I changed the title to "Why Normal People OFTEN Don't Fight Fascism" cause my point is that it's hard for normal people to fight fascism, not that it's normal to not fight fascism. Most people are anti-fascist open.substack.com/pub/jonwuka/...
Ultimately, most people are good, and good people are too trusting. That's not why the world is bad. It is why evil people get the upper hand. Why is this? The desire to not be bothered is incredibly powerful. It's probably the key to politics. It's why, despite everything, it's so tough to mobilize good people against the evil ones. A lot of people forget (or want to ignore) that, to some extent, we are society. Rules and laws and norms are all things that get upheld because we collectively uphold them. This goes all the way up to national politics. Most people are who I would call "normal people". If you're reading this, you are most likely a normal person. Do you think you're weird? You have strange politics? You're still normal. You're normal in the sense that you are willing to be a part of society to some level. If society at large decides something is a crime, let's say, a normal person will -- for the most part -- see the sense in this and work with it.
January 29, 2025 at 5:31 PM
journalofcogency.com
Dipshit
January 29, 2025 at 5:36 PM
journalofcogency.com
Dipshit
January 29, 2025 at 5:36 PM
journalofcogency.com
While I know that there are communists/anarchists who are pro-Nietzsche, I really doubt that Nietzsche's work would endure a thorough communist or anarchist critique.
January 8, 2025 at 2:29 AM
journalofcogency.com
What I think is most irritating about critiquing Nietzsche is that he is extremely clearly an arch-conservative, to the point that people arguing that he isn't are primarily going "yeah he did say that, but...". It's all "being charitable" etc. etc. Why, though? Why do we have to do that?
January 8, 2025 at 1:59 AM
journalofcogency.com
We're living in Nietzsche's world and it sucks so much.
January 8, 2025 at 1:50 AM
journalofcogency.com
The thing about politics is that so many people with "good politics" have really horrible, unworkable ideas. They have dating advice ideas, you know what I mean? Their ideas sound good to them and their ideas make them feel good, but they are not tested in any way, not even just through logic.
November 30, 2024 at 5:26 PM
journalofcogency.com
A deceptively terrible idea. Promises given on the campaign trail, especially by small parties, have to be executed on. How far are you willing to lie? Are you voting to end gay marriage "for strategic reasons"? When your base & recruits become only conservatives, will you be able to pivot?
apocalypticanow.bsky.social ApocalypticaNow @apocalypticanow.bsky.social · Nov 30
Consequently, been dwelling on my least democratic idea: tell voters whatever they want to hear to get elected. Keep lying until you get the majorities needed for structural reforms. Create a robust safety net and nationwide rail while you're at it
November 30, 2024 at 4:46 PM
journalofcogency.com
It's so funny to see liberals constantly going "Hillary was right about _____!"

No, she wasn't. You know this Trump guy you hate so much? Or "Drumpf" or "Fanta Cheeto"? Yeah, that was Hillary's fuckin idea. The Republicans would have beat him. She didn't know anything. Awful politician.
November 27, 2024 at 11:54 PM
journalofcogency.com
One thing which feels important to realize is that people can only be persuaded to hate the parts of communism that can be made to look like fascism.
November 27, 2024 at 12:48 PM
journalofcogency.com
Taking bets on the specific threat that Chicago PD made to the mayor. Personally I think they were more creative than threatening to throw him into the river.
heathercherone.bsky.social Heather Cherone @heathercherone.bsky.social · Nov 25
BREAKING: Mayor Brandon Johnson announces that he will ask the Chicago City Council to pass a spending plan for 2025 that restores funding for 162 positions in the Chicago Police Department charged with implementing the consent decree, which he originally proposed cutting. @wttw.bsky.social
November 26, 2024 at 12:02 AM
journalofcogency.com
If you want to develop "revolutionary consciousness" I'd suggest you give this a read to help you define what it is you're trying to accomplish
journalofcogency.com Journal of Cogency @journalofcogency.com · Nov 25
IMPORTANT READ: Read "Protest and the Construction of Power" (14 mins) on Journal of Cogency, about how a process becomes an act of power and how power acts to snuff out anything that challenges it. journalofcogency.com/2024/09/23/p...
When the police assault peaceful protesters, when courts send people to jail for years because they block traffic for mere hours, these things have happened in some part because no challenge to the system of power can be stomached by arch-conservatives. The protest, the resistance to being subsumed, is itself what the state wants to eliminate. If my arm hurts, I’m not likely to tolerate it more because I hurt it while helping my grandmother or practicing jiu jitsu. What might help me tolerate the pain — not try to extinguish it immediately — is if you tell me it is a sign of my arm healing. For those reliant on the power process, what is important is not order or disorder as such but the effective functioning of the power system. Protest is a breakdown, and the state’s violent reaction is the clearest sign that the threat posed to the state power system is real.
November 25, 2024 at 11:21 PM
journalofcogency.com
IMPORTANT READ: Read "Protest and the Construction of Power" (14 mins) on Journal of Cogency, about how a process becomes an act of power and how power acts to snuff out anything that challenges it. journalofcogency.com/2024/09/23/p...
When the police assault peaceful protesters, when courts send people to jail for years because they block traffic for mere hours, these things have happened in some part because no challenge to the system of power can be stomached by arch-conservatives. The protest, the resistance to being subsumed, is itself what the state wants to eliminate. If my arm hurts, I’m not likely to tolerate it more because I hurt it while helping my grandmother or practicing jiu jitsu. What might help me tolerate the pain — not try to extinguish it immediately — is if you tell me it is a sign of my arm healing. For those reliant on the power process, what is important is not order or disorder as such but the effective functioning of the power system. Protest is a breakdown, and the state’s violent reaction is the clearest sign that the threat posed to the state power system is real.
November 25, 2024 at 11:20 PM
Reposted by Journal of Cogency
nearzone.bsky.social
Might try Boltgun again and see if I like it. I should have finished my Plato reading but I forgot. (I never took Philosophy 101 so I'm gonna try to do it myself, blogs to come on NZ or @journalofcogency.com)
November 25, 2024 at 3:54 AM
journalofcogency.com
Every time I am tempted to tweet I am gonna make myself post a link to the website.

Will I ever do a video for JoC again? Maybe! I dunno!
November 25, 2024 at 3:48 AM
journalofcogency.com
What Is Capitalism? An exploration of what capitalism means as well as capitalism as an ideology journalofcogency.com/2024/07/01/w...
In Europe, the rise of liberalism happened alongside the rise of another idea: nationalism. It would be incorrect to say that early liberal thinkers did not understand the need for community. Most early nationalists were liberals and vice versa. Still, the individualist goals of liberalism contradict the collectivist goals of nationalism, so I find it more useful to view these as separate ideologies which can be held together. This coincidence is important because nationalism clearly introduced an alternative value-body: the national community. This led to the creation of modern political socialism, and it is in this context that ideological capitalism first emerged. Capitalism, defined in large part by the capital value-body, was a way to avoid socialism. I will explain more about these value-bodies in the next section.
November 25, 2024 at 3:47 AM