THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN WORK AND PLAY

1. We have argued that life proceeds from a context of most soma and least psyche in the somatic absolutism of cosmic death to one of more (relative to most) soma and less (relative to least) psyche in the somatic relativity of natural life-in-death, as from the Cosmos to Nature, and thence, on the male side of the gender fence, that it proceeds from a context of more (relative to most) psyche and less (relative to least) soma in the psychic relativity of civilized death-in-life to one of most psyche and least soma in the psychic absolutism of cultural life, in short of the Life Eternal which we have equated with the desirability of a godly supersession of Man by the Cyborg, as, in some sense, of civilization by culture, knowledge by truth.

2. Therefore we have maintained that life devolves, on its objective or female side, from the most particles/least wavicles of absolute somatic freedom/psychic determinism to the more (relative to most) particles/less (relative to least) wavicles of relative somatic freedom/psychic determinism, and evolves, on its subjective or male side, from the more (relative to most) wavicles/less (relative to least) particles of relative psychic freedom/somatic determinism to the possibility of most wavicles/least particles of absolute psychic freedom/somatic determinism, though the struggle between devolution and evolution is complicated by class and ethnic factors deriving from different gender standpoints.

3. When we contrast soma with psyche, we are in effect contrasting work with play and, in another context, the State with the Church, however broadly or narrowly we might interpret each. For work is no less an aspect of soma in its overall negativity than play is an aspect of psyche in the overall positivity of what accrues, when genuine, to a wavicle hegemony, be it molecular or elemental, of the ego or the soul, and when we contrast state and church we find a like distinction between that which affirms and supports work and that, by contrast, which - at any rate theoretically - affirms and supports play, meaning the rejection of bodily negativity in favour of some psychic positivity, be it punishing to females or graceful to males.

4. On a similar pattern to the above, it could be said that life devolves from a context of maximum work to one in which there is more work than play, and then evolves from a context in which there is more play than work to one in which play is maximized, as from an age of death to one of life-in-death, and from an age of death-in-life to one of life.

5. Let us put it this way: that life proceeds from an age of death to an age of life via the intermediate relativities of life-in-death and death-in-life, as from an age of effective state absolutism to one of near church absolutism via the intermediate relativities of church-in-state and state-in-church, which is equivalent to saying from an age of work to an age of play via the intermediate relativities of play-in-work and work-in-play, as from devils to gods via women and men.

6. For what began in most soma and least psyche was that in which such religion as existed, or was permitted to exist, was subsumed into a scientifically-based state absolutism, whereas what may end in most psyche and least soma will be that in which such science as continues to exist will be subsumed into a religiously-centred church absolutism, while 'down below' and 'in between' one may distinguish the politically-biased church-in-state relativity in more (relative to most) soma and less (relative to least) psyche from the economically-biased state-in-church relativity in more (relative to most) psyche and less (relative to least) soma, as befitting a descent from netherworldly hell into worldly purgatory, the philistine Cosmos into barbarous Nature, and an ascent, on the opposite side of the gender fence, from worldly earth towards otherworldly heaven, civilized Man towards the cultural Cyborg and the possibility, thereby, of genuine Godliness.

7. In truth, work or, more correctly, objective work, by which is meant working for others, is actually against the grain of men and gods and only really acceptable, as a primary commitment, to devils and women, since those in whom psyche predominates over soma will naturally be more disposed to play, whether egocentrically or soulfully, in civilized or cultural vein, while their work will be correspondingly subjective and thus reflective of some kind of self-employment, be it in business or, higher up, in the arts.

8. Not for nothing was the age of state absolutism, of cosmic death, one of slavery, for not only must males be compelled to work against their psychic and even somatically subjective grains, but work becomes all-important in an overly philistine age and society, with a near-absolutist somatic freedom of death and darkness, ugliness and hatred, which enslaves psyche to its devil-worshipping evil.

9. Obviously one cannot advance a more enlightened society on the basis of selfless work, whether compulsory or otherwise, but only in relation to self-oriented play and, as a subordinate corollary to this, the more subjective kinds of work, and for that to be given maximum encouragement, give and take the allowances that have to be made for females, free work must be curbed as free psyche conditions somatic determinism and keeps work within certain carefully prescribed bounds such that will remain subservient to play and even capable, at the utmost stage of evolutionary development, of being subsumed into and eclipsed by play, as the Church becomes near absolutist in most psyche and least soma, most particles and least wavicles, and society accordingly comes, at its highest level, to reflect not merely a play/work relativity, as with Man, but a well-nigh playful absolutism in which being, for those who are 'up to it', is maximized in truth and, especially, joy, compliments of a religious lead.

10. That which seeks to advance the skilled worker at the expense of the skilled player simply sets the clocks back to a darker and more scientific age, an age characterized not by air, as with ethereal play, but by fire; while, down below space and time in the more mundane realms of mass and volume, that which seeks to advance the manual worker at the expense of the manual player simply sets the clocks back to a darker and more political age, an age characterized not by vegetation, as with corporeal play, but by water, and while the first is avowedly philistine, the second is simply barbarous.

11. Neither Communism nor Socialism can have any part to play in the advancement of humanity beyond Capitalism to a world centred in play, in short a world led by genuine religion and putting the welfare of the soul above every other concern, including that of the ego.

12. I look forward to such an otherworldly prospect, for I believe I can be instrumental, through the ideological philosophy of Social Transcendentalism, in helping to bring it about and thus delivering the greater proportion of humanity from the somatic burden of work, a burden which, in all too many cases, tends to outweigh their capacity for and enjoyment of play.

13. For there is nothing higher, in truth, than play, and the sooner we advance towards the maximizing of play in terms of a sort of church absolutism, as previously defined by me in relation to 'the Centre' of 'Kingdom Come', the sooner will we abandon evil and folly for goodness and wisdom, and thus come to live in or under, directly or indirectly, the light of God, according to one's class and gender status.