I'm okay with this

So, when it is said that God is merciful, what they actually mean is that God is evil and unfairly rewards sinners over the pious? Is that what the parable of the Prodigal Son is really about?

>>1316506
So says the book.

>>1316483
I think Catonian Epicurianism is the best philosophy. Not necessarily different from ethical utilitarian hedonism in day-to-day life, but politically stabilizing and reasonable.

>>1316631
I'm not too familiar with the sub categories and all of that jazz
mind to elaborate?

>>1316653
Sure. Cato the Younger was a proponent of Stoicism in the political sense: when he thought Gaius Julius Caesar was a tyrant he did his absolute best to distance himself from caesar, brand him as a tyrant, and wanted to oppose him militarily (through Naius Pompei Magnus), and when he failed he took his own life rather than be subject to (probably merciful) judgement at the hands of a tyrant. Catonianism dictates that the political process represents the best way of ensuring your culture's/society's survival, and that was sacred and shouldn't be subsumed by imperialism in the governmental sense. Going to subjugate other people was fine but as long as your Rome (or capital, etc) had agency from the decisions of the educated and elite and not an emperor (see Caligula, Nero, Maximinus Thrax, Phocas), you would be fine.

Epicurianism is the realization that we have one life, and the only metric by which we can really judge things is "good" and "bad". Epicurianism dictates that you should attempt to maximize the good without imposing bad on anyone else.

Ethical hedonism is ostensibly the same idea, that you should maximize the good, even if it means to your own detriment, but by applying utilitarianism/collectivism to it you think in terms of "the good of the many", as well as making sure your own pleasure does not interfere with the pleasure of others.

It sounds hippie-dippy on paper but in reality it's the general moral principle most governments are founded on, but I think it would work better with a republic than with a democracy, as the plebs today are easily pleased and will shut up about any problem if you give them soma (weed).

>>1316483
What's wrong with reconciliation?

>>1316735

Basically the interests of the whole outweigh the interests of the individual. Despite the fact that it is the societally best choice for a government to follow, an individual in my opinion should prioritize his evolutionairy duties/urges (i.e. breeding, ensuring offspring stays alive, give offspring the best possibilities) higher than his societal duties (protecting country, etc.).

>>1316506
No, it means you don't get a reward for doing what your supposed to do. Watch Chris Rock's 'blacks vs niggers', in the cosmic perspective even the most 'pious' man is still a nigger asking to be rewarded for looking after his kids.

>>1317165
Considering that if he does look after his kids; that they might be more likely to contribute society, he's making an investment into the future generation at his expense. If he has some difficulty in doing so, he may want some help in getting the faculties necessary to do so in the best way possible. But this is an ideal scenario.

Try thinking about the things you watch and read.

>>1317233
Shut up. You just used words without making a point and then finished with a statement that implies superiority of your attitude to information consumption.

>>1316735
Thanks for the clarification
I'm more of a Cicero-Epictetus guy myself to be honest

>>1317368
See, I'd love to wield cicero's philosophy but the problem is I'm not smart enough to do it. The dude was a genius, full stop. Trying to use his argumentation tactics is like trying to wield a high-level item; you have to be in his level before you can use it. He's just too witty and light on his feet.