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by Andrew John Spano (Author)
What Edmund Burke identifies as the sublime in human experience, the arts, and science has been
"overthrown" by a new cult-like religion of Scientism. As a secular religion, this new cult structures itself
on the old framework of the Christian religion, in particularly Roman Catholicism, which it attempts to
displace. While it does indeed depend upon the discoveries and advances of science to evangelize its
message, it relies chiefly on belief, manipulation, and coercion as much as did its predecessor, but with
entertainment and consumerism rather than great art and holy ritual as its expression. It is supported by
a lesser cult: The Cult of Mediocrity, represented by the creators of entertainment content, the
education system, government, and the financial industry. Its basis is largely commercial, as its finance
needs are infinite. However, to create the right environment for its infinite expansion, it must work
closely with government and the banking system in various effective ways to achieve its end: which is
the creation of the Apex Consumer, the super-consumer helplessly indebted while equally helplessly
addicted to the mediocre and toxic distractions the amnion offers in place of the Sublime. The collective
result is the "amnion," matrix, or technosphere. It is a de facto false world that strives to be "more real"
than reality to the consumer. Consequently, the mass of consumers have already begun to eschew the
"real" world of cause and effect, human relations and action, and nature and the sublime. Instead, they
have elected to adopt the amnion's doctrine that everything good comes "in the future" - including
medical immortality -- if they can only keep up with the monthly payments on the debt they have taken
on, fatally, through the instrument of the promissory note. The exegesis of this work relies on what it
defines as the "world-historic" culture of the collective voices of those who valued the sublime above all
else. These voices include the literary work of European and American Romantic authors, French and
German philosophers, artists, scientists, mathematicians, logicians, and, to a significant degree, the
philosophical and semiotic work of American philosopher, logician, mathematician, and scientist Charles
S. Peirce.
