David Warren: The will to rise
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David Warren: The will to rise[^]
The notion that "knowledge is power" is a cliché to which I was exposed early and often in childhood. It is one of the secular myths of the modern West: a version of the myth of technology, that underpins our magical belief in quick fixes. Nietzsche came much closer to the truth by associating "will" with power. Freedom exists so long as we will it (including freedom from Nietzscheans), and the knowledge that supports it is a moral knowledge, quite different from technical expertise, which can be hired, ultimately, for any cause at all. ... I began this piece by denying that "knowledge is power." Indeed, the British military historian, John Keegan, wrote a book six years ago, Intelligence in War: Knowledge of the Enemy from Napoleon to Al-Qaeda. Readers who need to be dispossessed of the illusion that "superior intelligence" is what wins battles, let alone wars, should consult that book. Ditto, those vain bloggers who imagine that the Internet will make much difference to the outcome in Iran, by keeping the revolutionists "informed." (It may for quite another reason, to which I will quickly return.) The revolution will win, if the revolutionists are willing to take the casualties; not otherwise. And that is the hard horrible truth. [emphasis added] ...
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David Warren: The will to rise[^]
The notion that "knowledge is power" is a cliché to which I was exposed early and often in childhood. It is one of the secular myths of the modern West: a version of the myth of technology, that underpins our magical belief in quick fixes. Nietzsche came much closer to the truth by associating "will" with power. Freedom exists so long as we will it (including freedom from Nietzscheans), and the knowledge that supports it is a moral knowledge, quite different from technical expertise, which can be hired, ultimately, for any cause at all. ... I began this piece by denying that "knowledge is power." Indeed, the British military historian, John Keegan, wrote a book six years ago, Intelligence in War: Knowledge of the Enemy from Napoleon to Al-Qaeda. Readers who need to be dispossessed of the illusion that "superior intelligence" is what wins battles, let alone wars, should consult that book. Ditto, those vain bloggers who imagine that the Internet will make much difference to the outcome in Iran, by keeping the revolutionists "informed." (It may for quite another reason, to which I will quickly return.) The revolution will win, if the revolutionists are willing to take the casualties; not otherwise. And that is the hard horrible truth. [emphasis added] ...