Reading: The Matter with Things by 📚

Our dominant value—sometimes I fear our only value—has very clearly become that of power. This aligns us with a brain system, that of the left hemisphere, the raison d’être of which is to control and manipulate the world.

Only 2% in to a looong book. Already pretty sure it’s important.

@mbkriegh Sigh! I'm trying to follow C.S. Lewis's admonition to read (at least) one old book for every new one, but then things like this pop up. I made many notes on The Master and His Emissary.

@ReaderJohn I have begun the first chapter on Matter With Things and Master and his Emissary is referenced repeatedly for more in depth information on how the brain works, so, yes, it’s on my list and probably bumped up towards the top as I love this kind of book. Re: readingthe old and the new, Ted Gioia suggests in his Lifetime Reading Plan that one not read anything contemporary before acquiring a good grounding in works of the past. I follow more the CS Lewis plan:)

@mjkaul yes, it’s a massive book but one in which a slow and steady pace is warranted. I am certain I won’t regret it. I am reading the electronic version so I can highlight and make notes. I am experimenting with inserting tags in the notes which I will then import to Obsidian. I am pretty sure the tagging will transfer which would be amazingly helpful in revisiting the material. I am also reading Caliban and the Witch, about the transition from Feudalism to Capitalism and how that affected Women. Interestingly, the transition actively suppressed the instinctual feminine (the Witch trials). I am wondering if this will align with the left side right side cultural developments that McGilchrist seems set to argue.

@mbkriegh Sounds very interesting! I’ve wanted to try out Obsidian but just haven’t made time. I do tend to struggle more to get through books on Kindle—but the processing/review side is certainly easier in many ways.

I’m not familiar with the other work you mention, but it sounds very interesting. MacGilchrist strongly resists mapping LH/RH differences to genders, but it sounds like the work you’re discussing is perhaps less about gender specifically and more about larger formative principles? Eager to learn more as you continue your reading.

@mjkaul it took me several tries to develop a use scenario for Obsidian or realize that it was about as good as it gets for my use scenarios. Part of it is fully realizing what it’s capabilities are, in the base app and through plugins. It’s worth spending some time with and, it’s free unless you want to use their publishing service to share your vault(s) on the web.

Re: The Matter With Things and Caliban and the Witch, gender classifications are tricky, but if one characterizes the left hemisphere as more masculine and the right hemisphere as more feminine, which McGilchrist has not done, but which seems reasonable to me, then the story of moving from feudalism to capitalism can also be viewed as a suppression of the feminine in favor of the masculine. The entrenchment of the patriarchy. I believe McGilchrist has indicated in the introduction that he will make the case that western civilization has become too dominated by a left hemisphere approach to the world. Thus, the two seem relatable to me in those broad masculine/feminine terms. However, I have a long way to go on TMWT…