We see signs of the coup de culture (utilitarianism, hedonism, scientism/earth religion) ever day. This is an H story.
Hedonism is about far more than sensuality. It is about living for the thrill, the fulfillment of every material desire, the scratching of every itch (so to speak). It is about being obsessed with pleasure and what pleases. I often give Octomom as an example, or the stampede at a Walmart a few years ago that was so intense, a security guard was trampled to death.
I think this story qualifies, too. Sony is planning on bringing out new phones with a Play Station built in. From the story:
Sony’s long-rumoured PlayStation Portable smartphone is set to be launched in North America and Europe as early as the spring, according to a Japanese newspaper report Wednesday. The device would likely be based on Sony’s handheld PSP Go game console, would be made by Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications and run Google’s Android operating system, said the Asahi Shimbun’s English edition, citing unnamed sources. Sony hopes to take on Apple’s iPhone, Research in Motion’s BlackBerry and Nokia devices by offering the first smartphone that is based on a portable game console, with a set of controls that allows very advanced gaming.
I am certainly not against having a good time. But for some, technology is becoming Soma. Imagine dying and nothing flashes in front of your mind’s life review except video screens. A sad waste of limited time.
Whatever happened to just being alone with your thoughts, meditation, or prayers? And what about reading a good book? I know. I know. Get thee to the retirement home, Wesley. You’re getting to be a grumpy old man.
Dear Reader,
Can I be direct with you?
War abroad. Socialists on the rise. AI upending human life. Endless uproar online. The modern attention economy doesn’t want readers — it wants users enslaved to the tyranny of the present.
First Things is the antidote: literary excellence, timeless truths, and a fixed point of reference in a culture that has lost its bearings.
But we can’t do it without readers like you.
Our goal: Raise $150,000 by November 1 to sustain First Things in the year ahead.
Your gift anchors readers in the permanent things.
Make your Fall Campaign gift now using the button below.
If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact Giovanni Del Piero, Director of the Editor’s Circle, at gdelpiero@firstthings.com or 212-627-1985.
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE
The Church in the Age of Therapy
In 1966, Philip Rieff wrote in The Triumph of the Therapeutic that “Religious man was born to…
Canada’s Deadliest Blind Spot
On September 20, the Daily Mail ran a story with the provocative headline, “Our 83-year-old Christian grandmother…
The Faithful Joy of Dolly Parton and Fulton Sheen
Dolly Parton and Fulton Sheen seem to have had little in common. She favored rhinestones; he wore…
