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History Lessons of Truth (Part1): Nat Turner – A True Revolutionary Slave

Jason Cooper — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 13:38:27 +0000

Nat Turner's mini uprising against his white masters is ended by his capture

Let me begin this post with a relevant quote:

“Everyone falsifies history even if it is only his own personal history. Sometimes the falsification is deliberate, sometimes unconscious; put always the past is altered to suit the needs of the present. The best we can say of any account is not that it is the real truth at last, but that this is how the story appears now.”

~ Joseph Freeman

What more can be said regarding the teaching of history to the masses – I have to agree with Joseph to some extent. Well, let me start this series with a dark period of humankind’s history: The Slave Trade.

Personally, I feel that this subject is not taught enough in Western schools (especially in the UK) when compared to the constant exposure, through the media and education, of the Jewish Holocaust (which in it’s own rights is perhaps as bad as African slavery – although slavery lasted over 200 years with many millions of blacks being tortured or killed in the process) during World War II. It’s plain to see, that the subject of black slavery has been all but forgotten in the minds and conscience of those who disseminate knowledge to the rest of us.

Making the children and adults alike become aware of this terrible past would help to make us better understand what lasting affects that slavery may have caused (no matter how little) the later generations of black people, especially in regards today’s disillusioned black youth, who seem to suffer, more than most, from self-destructive problems.

Another important benefit of the teaching of slavery is that it may help in regards race relations by stripping away the many ignorant or racist views that somebody, who is not black, may have against the black culture in general – this would hopefully eliminate that old saying from their psyche “we fear what we don’t understand”.

My only guess for the apparent concealment of this particular moment in history is that maybe the countries who profited from this most heinous of crimes are either embarrassed or, what should be more the case, ashamed of their past actions – or maybe there is another suspect reason.

In any case, there should be no excuse for this exploitative period of evil, which was carried out so systematically by Western powers, not to be included in the curriculum. These aforementioned powers, made up of white European and Anglo-American imperialists, invaded, plundered and pillaged the African continent, which was most profitable at the time.

It has to be said that these so-called great empires and their citizens would perhaps not be in the privileged position that they now find themselves if it wasn’t for the blood and sweat of captured slaves, and the many bountiful treasures and precious resources that were stolen from the lands of Africa.

A True Revolutionary Against Slavery

A lot has been said about British politician and philanthropist William Wilberforce who championed the magnificent cause towards the abolition of slavery, but little do most of us know that it was actually a black victim of this abomination who was the true revolutionary.

Nat Turner, a deeply religious slave and controversial figure, inspired the first of many rebellions against the white slave masters in 1831. All it took was for a simmering sense of injustice to boil over and a divine sign for Turner to then carry out his own version of retribution.

This is where the controversy lies with Turner’s choice of vengeance, where he and a few other black slaves that he could muster used any instrument they could find as a weapon of violence. What followed was a short but bloody episode in which every white man, woman and child that Nat and his small militia came across were not spared, as they were slaughtered mostly in their sleep.

Turner, however, was eventually captured and brutally executed, so to act as a severe deterrent against other would-be “Nats”.

I won’t go too much into the moral questions regarding Turner’s actions, but all I would ask is for you to first put yourself in his chains and mindset. You may then find that Turner’s violent reaction was most understandable given the desperate circumstances of being stolen from his homeland, and then treated with constant indignity whilst being chained up, worked and beaten like a wild animal.

Some would say Turner was nothing but a violent religious fanatic; and others would argue that he was an inspirational hero for justice and the emancipation of his people. But despite all that, nobody can deny that this proud, enslaved and religious man had some influence on the rest of the slave population and, eventually, the abolitionists themselves.

Nat Turner: A Troublesome Property

Watch the following video to learn about the forgotten but important story of Nat Turner:

Philosophy: A Guide to Happiness (Part 6) – Friedrich Nietzsche

Jason Cooper — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 20:18:40 +0000

Nietzcshe suggested for us to become like 'Supermen' by using hardship in life to strengthen our 'Will'

Watch the first video of a six part series: Philosophy: A Guide to Happiness (Part 1) – Socrates

This is the 6th and final post featuring a series of documentaries written and presented by popular British philosopher Alain de Botton.

This 6 part series is an entertaining, practical and psychobabble-free self-help course for the philosophically minded.

Here, de Botton, brings us six thinkers who have influenced history, and their ideas about the pursuit of the happy life. Here we have then:

Socrates
Epicurus
Seneca
Michel de Montaigne
Arthur Schopenhauer
Friedrich Nietzsche

Episode 6 of 6: Nietzsche on Hardship

British philosopher Alain De Botton explores Friedrich Nietzsche’s (1844-1900) dictum that any worthwhile achievements in life come from the experience of overcoming hardship. For him, any existence that is too comfortable is worthless, as are the twin refugees of drink or religion.

You may be also interested to know that this particular series was derived from the book The Consolations of Philosophy, which is a very good read, and was part responsible for encouraging me to pursue philosophy so that I could apply it to my life.

Philosophy: A Guide to Happiness (Part 5) – Arthur Schopenhauer

Jason Cooper — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 07:50:15 +0000

Arthur Schopenhauer was forever the pessimist, as he strikes a familiar pose whilst contemplating human suffering and misery

Watch the first video of a six part series: Philosophy: A Guide to Happiness (Part 1) – Socrates

Continuing onto the fifth part of six posts featuring a series of documentaries written and presented by popular British philosopher Alain de Botton.

This 6 part series is an entertaining, practical and psychobabble-free self-help course for the philosophically minded.

Here, de Botton, brings us six thinkers who have influenced history, and their ideas about the pursuit of the happy life. Here we have then:

Socrates
Epicurus
Seneca
Michel de Montaigne
Arthur Schopenhauer
Friedrich Nietzsche

Episode 5 of 6: Schopenhauer on Love

Alain de Botton surveys the 19th Century German thinker Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860) who believed that love was the most important thing in life because of its powerful impulse towards ‘the will-to-life’.

Watch the sixth and final part of the series: Philosophy: A Guide to Happiness (Part 6) – Friedrich Nietzsche

Philosophy: A Guide to Happiness (Part 4) – Michel de Montaigne

Jason Cooper — Sun, 23 May 2010 09:15:49 +0000

A mecurial looking Montaigne who offered us, in the form of his essays, wisdom and solutions for the maladies of the mind

Watch the first video of a six part series: Philosophy: A Guide to Happiness (Part 1) – Socrates

Continuing onto the forth part of six posts featuring a series of documentaries written and presented by popular British philosopher Alain de Botton.

This 6 part series is an entertaining, practical and psychobabble-free self-help course for the philosophically minded.

Here, de Botton, brings us six thinkers who have influenced history, and their ideas about the pursuit of the happy life. Here we have then:

Socrates
Epicurus
Seneca
Michel de Montaigne
Arthur Schopenhauer
Friedrich Nietzsche

Episode 4 of 6: Montaigne on Self-Esteem

The French philosopher singled out three main reasons for feeling bad about oneself – sexual inadequecy, failure to live up to social norms, and intellectual inferiority – and then offered practical solutions for overcoming them.

Watch the fifth video of a six part series: Philosophy: A Guide to Happiness (Part 5) – Arthur Schopenhauer

Philosophy: A Guide to Happiness (Part 3) – Seneca

Jason Cooper — Fri, 14 May 2010 08:02:01 +0000

A stoic but dying Seneca, who was sentenced to death by his former pupil, Roman emperor Nero

Watch the first video of a six part series: Philosophy: A Guide to Happiness (Part 1) – Socrates

Continuing onto the third part of six posts featuring a series of documentaries written and presented by popular British philosopher Alain de Botton.

This 6 part series is an entertaining, practical and psychobabble-free self-help course for the philosophically minded.

Here, de Botton, brings us six thinkers who have influenced history, and their ideas about the pursuit of the happy life. Here we have then:

Socrates
Epicurus
Seneca
Michel de Montaigne
Arthur Schopenhauer
Friedrich Nietzsche

Episode 3 of 6: Seneca on Anger

A look at the subject of anger through the eyes of Roman philosopher Lucius Annaeus Seneca, the most popular philosopher of his day.

Watch the forth video of a six part series: Philosophy: A Guide to Happiness (Part 4) – Michel de Montaigne

Philosophy: A Guide to Happiness (Part 2) – Epicurus

Jason Cooper — Tue, 04 May 2010 08:04:48 +0000

Epicurus thought that pleasure was one of the greatest of goods towards happiness

Watch the first video of a six part series: Philosophy: A Guide to Happiness (Part 1) – Socrates

Continuing onto the second part of six posts featuring a series of documentaries written and presented by popular British philosopher Alain de Botton.

This 6 part series is an entertaining, practical and psychobabble-free self-help course for the philosophically minded.

Here, de Botton, brings us six thinkers who have influenced history, and their ideas about the pursuit of the happy life. Here we have then:

Socrates
Epicurus
Seneca
Michel de Montaigne
Arthur Schopenhauer
Friedrich Nietzsche

Episode 2 of 6: Epicurus on Happiness

A look at the ancient Greek philosopher Epicurus and his views on the path to happiness.

Watch the third video of a six part series: Philosophy: A Guide to Happiness (Part 3) – Seneca