Nicky Cheese

So I was originally going to name this blog something along the lines of “Autonomists and Automatons” — referring to two opposing views of the human condition, the former expressing free will and self-ownership, the latter expressing mindless biological and environmental determinism — and then blog about relevant news through that lens. But then I figured that it’s pretty much a false dichotomy, so I probably shouldn’t start things off on such a shaky premise.

We’ll go with something less either/or, something not so black and white: that’s right, Nicky Cheese. It’s an amazing name; it’s something to get excited about. Really. And the subtitle? “You are more than mere automaton.” Because, while you and I may not be completely autonomous, the point is to always strive for it, the ideal. Volitional consciousness. Deliberate choices. At every moment. Owning your life.

Onto the introduction…

Born in ‘82, I’ve lived in Illinois all my life and, moreover, Chicago since I began school at the University of Illinois at Chicago in 2003.

There, I majored in Philosophy and later took up a minor in Religious Studies.

It’s worth mentioning that here my theological orientation quickly changed from that of an inactive and default theist to a reactionary, outspoken (and often obnoxious) atheist. Not to suggest that I’m embarrassed of this period. I became President of SWORD (Students WithOut Religious Dogma), a student organization that pushed philosophical naturalism and political secularism, and through that, joined the board of the Secular Student Alliance, an educational nonprofit dedicated to aiding the efforts of groups like SWORD. Both great endeavors but, in hindsight, much too pedantic.

For whatever reason, during this period I passively accepted the political philosophy often associated with atheism and church/state separation: modern liberalism. Why? I don’t know. It just was. Kind of like the supernatural just was before college.

It wasn’t until my senior year that my default liberalism was seriously challenged (a reflection of the intellectual climate) by a doctorate student in the philosophy program. Through some mild research, I found Robert Nozick, and moreover, IHS (Institute of Humane Studies). Regarding the latter, to date, I have attended two week-long seminars and one weekend; each amazing, awesome and every other positive adjective I can’t think of right now. Yes, I really recommend them. In regards to the pedagogy of political-theory, it’s everything college should be but isn’t. Well, that’s not quite right…it’s a vital part of what college should be but neglects to include.

Today I consider myself a libertarian. I voted for Ron Paul in the primary and work for the Sam Adams Alliance, a libertarian/conservative nonprofit in Chicago.

As far as my theological skepticism goes, I harbor the same degree of disbelief that I did in college, but no longer have any desire to (so to speak) sell it to others. Sure, a philosophical argument here and there but atheism outreach? Gimme a break. So long as an individual doesn’t intrude my rights, I really don’t care (and shouldn’t care) if he or she believes in God, prayer, miracles, and other claims of the supernatural. As Ayn Rand stated regarding her support of Barry Goldwater, “If he advocates the right political principles for the wrong metaphysical reasons, the contradiction is his problem, not ours.”

Come March, I’ll be in Houston till May. Yeah!