Cormac McCarthy VS Jordan Peterson 

ceo of benzos 😂😂

Still on the benzo thing? Considering the fact of how common pill addiction is, should we not be happy when someone beats it? Good Lord, man

I like Peterson, and I like his biblical analysis. But I do agree his best stuff is his early college lectures and maps of meaning. He's gotten a little weirder, with his association with daily wire and his wife and daughter put backing on the fame. I'm not necessarily against what he does now, and Lord knows we need voices to fight the gender-race marxists, but his best work is in the past

"Blood Meridian" - the Great American Novel. Jordan Peterson - a brilliant man fighting a good fight against secular, nihilistic lunacy. Robert Bly - his translation of Rilke's "The Panther" is extraordinarily moving.

LMAO. I was the one that left the “misguided comment” remnant rider was referring to. I’ve got my notifications turned off so didn’t see any of this until now. Glad to have (indirectly) inspired this video though. My only point was that I wished we went back to looking to great works by great writers for meaning and direction rather than modern culture war influencers. If anything, I think JP might agree with me on that point, as he’s always encouraging people to read Dostoyevsky.

Incisive analysis and argument - ironically if we look to the actions of Christ, particularly his journeys into the Wilderness and his encounter with John the Baptist your thesis around nature being the place of transformation is born out. This is also echoed with Moses and the burning bush, Elijah in the cave in the Sinai after the triumph on Mount Carmel, and the apocalyptic visions of John in the island of Patmos.

I think Peterson have paid a heavy price for the culture war and standing for freedom of speech. He loved being teacher and he lost that. Canada arbitrary decided to take his credentials away must have taken allot, though not money. I can't see him happy not being a teacher in some form.

Jordan Peterson can, because he does. Regardless its a relative question, and people are much more exposed to Mr Peterson, and i say this not to take away any accomplishment of the late Cormac McCarthy. He is on of my favorite authors, and most memorable for that matter, as the border trilogy is what originally got me into literature. But Mr Peterson, despite what left leaning counter-culturists might say, does so much for his audience, it heavily outweighs what is negatively attributed to him. He is well spoken, cogent, and a seeker of truth, and an admirer of Art and History. You are correct when you say the main modality of transcendence is through story, but Peterson himself acknowledges this.

No comparison. McCarthy is a great writer who'll remind you life is hard, and Peterson is freak of the week. 😆

Bro, you did not do your research. Peterson did multiple talks about the importance of nature. You were the one skimming on it in this video, not him. I don't know how close you are to nature but I bet my work on nature reserves having to deal with baboons every day of my life and having a fence torn down by an elephant might have more of an understanding of nature than you. Or not understand but at least more life experience in it. Don't get me wrong currently, his channel is more political and I do believe not so much the drugs but this consistent pressure put on him from political groups is causing it. Be it those who want to put him in jail or those who want to treat his words as law. I do not wish that lifestyle on anyone. I also agree that being in touch with nature and understanding the raw beauty and horror of nature is fundamental for the human experience. Where I would disagree is your idea that there is a big flaw that came from cultures or nations that tried to follow the teachings of the Bible that have not been seen to a far greater degree by those that opposed it or even existed in isolation "the last 1500 years." We can see in culture, science, and wealth those people tend to have had a very dominant couple of years. Another point you touched on is the impact of artists and their long-lasting legacy. This is true, that most of us will have a better idea of the artists are than the kings of their time. We should not keep popularity as the highest measurement of value brought from the past. There are many people we don't talk about often that had a larger impact but because there is little gratification we get from talking about them so they are not remembered by many they might be the reason we have tarred roads, clean water, and food on our tables. Not saying that is what you wanted to say it just seems like it was leaning towards that.

great channel great content but where did you get your "write death poem" tshit?

Oooh very interesting topic. Feels like Cormac stared down the abyss and came back from it, bringing us profound philosophy and great stories. Jordan stared down the abyss and become the CEO of Benzos. However, I still take what he says on a case by case basis and give him credit when he deserves it, though that’s increasingly rare

I didn't see a video from you on this subject but it would be interesting maybe to discuss the difference in success vs praised. I mean the fact that Road is his most successful novel as it won a pulitzer prize and was turned into a film yet Blood Meridian is his most praised. And how the Road winning the award was controversal and still is I view it as for the fact I read it in highschool as my introduction to him and found it to be terrible and my opinion hasn't changed. And I'm sure other highschools were and still are in the same boat as me for there introduction. Its the same situation to Donna Tartt with Secret History and her winner. the Goldfinch Might make a great philosophical video on the literary pschye

Please tell me that Death Poems shirt is available on the Write Conscious store.....

I agree with you. But can we stop the narrative that he was "on drugs" already? He was prescibed benzos that fucked him up. He didn't seek to drug himself for fun or for escapism.

I miss pre-benzo jbp so much but the post-benzo poem tweets do get my sides hurting

Jordan Peterson is helpful within the confines of modern self improvement, though he's not exceptional in that area you could do worse. Unfortunately as a public intellectual, he's put himself in the untenable position of having to form an opinion on every "current thing" and not being a God tier polymath. It's not his fault that he is incapable, but he doesn't have the modesty to take a step back and "stay in his lane" to use a hateful phrase. You mentioned this briefly, but it't worth emphasizing that one of most lovely parts about great literature is that it's an organic medium and reflects life in that way. Our hopes and fears, desires and imaginations, the world in our mind and the entire universe, all get mixed into a world we can construct in our head. We can feel it breath. Literature is a magical art form and Cormac is in rarefied air as one of its best practitioners. Political commentators do not perform a task that allows for the same quality of insight, and we are poorer for it.

Provocative stuff. I’ve definitely tuned out of JP, but I actually find his personal contradictions mildly interesting so it’s no surprise his reached the ends of existentialism. They don’t spoil his previous message. If anything I’d say you have to admire his persistence. I’m sure it was humiliating for him and actually life threatening . I think it’s probably aged his facilities to put it politely, but it makes him more inspirational for how he has lived through his crisis publicly and has come out on the other side…Literally the right side.

I’d be curious to know your thoughts on Hermann Hesse. He is another of my favorite novelists along with McCarthy and has the spiritual journey you mentioned as the crux of most of his works, and a lot of influence from the earlier German romantics

Also if I can make a suggestion that could help your Blood Meridian travel trips: Offer a service where someone tells you their problems, their philosophies, the books they’ve read. What knowledge is missing from their transformation? What should they be reading but aren’t? If there is a book that could plug the holes in your thinking, Ian just might know what it is. You could assign books for them personally, maybe use it for content as well if you so please. Maybe charge $10-$20 for the recommendations, $50 (or whatever) for a whole video detailing where their thinking or introspection falls short and what works what would help them and others like them. Hell, I would pay for that.

Nice video. I'm curious how do we know McCarthy read Schelling? Did he mention his name somewhere? I guess it connects to Jakob Böhme and his influence on Schelling.

perhaps Lowry's Under The Volcano, where nature is indeed like a character in the novel, is another more modern precursor to CM's 'post-modernist naturalism' than the german idealists. Anyway when i read CM's treatment of nature in Blood Meridian it certainly made me think back on UTV, and the imperturbable role nature played in the destiny of its characters.

some very familiar books on the shelves behind you... wallace, delillo, etc., though I couldn't read the titles of most. hearing peterson talk about Nietzsche reminded me of the preface to steppenwolf, when harry goes to listen to a pompous lecturer trot out his conceits to the gathered audience. imagine Friedrich listening to Jordan skewering his philosophy..."see what monkeys we are! look, such is man."

Peterson has not been the same since his drug addiction

I really dig where you;re coming from, and going to, in this podcast. As someone who, like you, has paid a lot of attention to Wittgenstein and Peterson, , not to mention all the other sources (Zen, McCarthy, eal) I really enjoy the real-life clarification you utter here

Cormac McCarthy is a God of writing in our epoch. The dude could not write a bad story if he tried. He is the James Joyce of our post-war time/culture. The only difference being that Cormac didn't like long sentences, or any punctuation other than a period. Things are said and written. Let it be all. Any nuance or moral struggle or lesson is up to you. One of the few if not only writers who expected their readers to be just as great as he himself was. He let it all sing between the lines. Leave it to the rest of us to fuck it up. Personally, I love winding readers up through any means I see fit, I love to confuse readers, I love to fuck people up the way the source material did to me. Cormac, however, a taciturn writer. No more than is necessary. It leaves the moral and message in the hands of a reader. If there is any.

You have earned a checkmark in the based column of my mental ledger with this banger of a vidya. Peterson has proven to be a total waste of a good PR opportunity. But it was his anemic showing at the “showdown” with zizek that really showed me how actually just not that bright a guy he is. Zizek is another highly overrated figure but for the left. They both seem to be acting as culverts, directing people of a certain cognitive threshold into endless eddies of inconsequentiality.

You’re a RU-vidr who uses Shure sm57? Show us your guitar cabinet, harsh vocals, or snare drum.

Amazing start to my week. JBP is exactly a Ben Shapiro. And, like so many that go outside their strengths, he isn't good at it. People don't even listen to him any more. Since coming back, he's been talking to a Rightwing audience and his message - that he's stated a few times - has been, "People not trusting govt institutions are the biggest threat to the world today." He's telling RW people who are questioning institutions they are the biggest threat, and people love him and don't know :) Even after telling Brett Kavanaugh to resign to "restore confidence"in the Supreme court. People need much more nuance and messaging taught through art bc they can't even hear a man beating them over the head with weird messages they likely disagree with.

I learned of McCarthy via the film No Country for Old Men, and read the book shortly thereafter. Then I saw Child of God, and the read the book. Going to get to the library the next chance I get. Thank you sir.

enjoying the channel, thank you for all the vids

yeah.... jordan is superior to cormac mccarthy, way more deeper..... [sarcasm]

Great work, love that you pick apart JBP. A drug addicted guy who is obsessed with the ''tRolL DeMOns''. Pretty much could fit into any druggie's profile, delusions, hysteria etc. But as a small note I would love if you stepped outside your (tough niche for sure) thing and read and talk about some other literature. I recommend (as my name states) Yukio Mishima ofc, but also if you wan't gritty writing Louis Ferdinand Céline. And if you want something modern then perhaps Michel Houellbecq! But, good luck anyways! If there is something more you could do about Cormac, I think perhaps it could be the (for me who has read both) quite obvious connection with the German philosopher Oswald Spengler. The judge seems to be some extreme, degenerated and demonic version of him, and as I know CMA read German philosophy I can not, not look away from the fact that the titles match pretty much perfectly: Spenglers magnum opus ''The Decline of the West'' and McCarthy's ''The Evening Redness in the West''. All the best!

I feel like im on benzos everytime i just look at JP and his suits. 💊🤤

Ideological battle of the century, lol. Really enjoyed the nuance with this one! Thinking people clicked on this video expecting a Cormac McCarthy warrior to defend any position he took in anything he did in the entirety of his career, haha.

My favorite thing about this channel and about your work Ian, and what I think is really important about what you do is your willingness to not get lost in any side of the culture war. And how you’re not afraid to come from a place of nuance. This is really rare and we need more of it. People need to stop basing their personalities and psychological well being on an adherence to heroes. “Take what you like and leave the rest” I adore McCarthy’s work but that doesn’t mean I go to bat for every aspect of his life. Peterson has no doubt helped a lot of people too, but their comes a point where you have to break away and live your own life and stopping “us”-ing so hard against “them.” We have to be willing to let go of our heroes (where necessary), disagree with them and allow ourselves to change.

don't hold back, bro. say what you mean.

I love your vids and am definitely not a Jordan Peterson fan but I don't think it's nice to make fun of him for his mental issues and drug addiction. If McCarthy had been an alcoholic I doubt you would appreciate people calling him whiskey McCarthy or something like that.

The old adage that a broken clock is right twice a day could apply here. Peterson was correct in standing up to woke. Pretty much ends there. A talented clinician gets swept up in the waves of RU-vid celebrity. Suddenly he is a super authority on any number of areas outside his sphere. Jordan presents as a Jungian agent but I suspect he's fortunate that Jung is not around to counter this. Jordan promotes a personal gnosticism far removed from most of us; he's much closer to Rudolph Steiner than Jung. There is a genuine sadness to all this. Having a strong opinion on everything, excessive hand gesturing and gaudy apparel do not bode well for a RU-vid trajectory.

1. This was horribly bad faith. You undermined yourself by calling Jordan Peterson 'Benzo'. 2. Jordan, I am certain, would agree (since it's what he teaches) that narrative is more likely to inspire life change than lecture. 3. Jordan is *probably* overall more impactful than Cormac since those who feel inspired by Jordan Peterson - if they actually listen to him - are thereby led to the realization of the power of story. Jordan's whole thing is to point out the power of story, that others might engage with story not merely as entertainment but as life changing experiences. You say that he has strayed from that core focus. You pointed to his RU-vid thumbnails and titles as proof that he's no different from Tucker Carlson. You should try watching one of them with an open mind. You'll find he's just as intent on pointing people to the power of story as you are, even in his most "political" discussions.

Just discovered your Yt gig. Marvellous looking at Cormac McCarthy's ouerve. 🌵

Physician heal thyself!

This isn’t meant to be sarcastic but are you saying that McCarthy is great because he puts German Idealistic ideas in his stories? Is that what makes him profound?

Not recognizing Jordan Peterson as the right wing demagogue and grifter that he is is embarrassing.

Dude, you're throwing your arms around way too much.

Cormac McCarthy: touch grass

Ok, why are we comparing a great American novelist with a influential professor and clinical psychologist? It's apples and oranges.

Peterson couldn't hold Cormac's dust jacket!

Good job.

The fact that you compared the two was hilarious 😂

Suttree ....best modern novel ever written.

This is grand.

Any defense of JP is a defense of bigotry.

Nobody knew JP was on the company payroll when he came out. CM partied with JPs boss. The comparison is....well....stupid.

i sent you my big novel ASTRONAUTS.. did you receive? take a look?

Holderlin went mad.

I don’t really give a fuck about Jordan Peterson, but what did tearing him down for 15 minutes do for you?

Bro, you're out of your mind. The REASON he's focusing on politics and religion is specifically because those are the two fields required to invoke the social changes he sees necessary. How else would you suggest one go about combating the issues that are most effecting our world today? You're required to traverse the landscape where the actual problems exist. Personally? I will rarely sit through an entire episode because my attention span and mental discipline won't allow for it. But at the very least, it provides a little food for thought into subjects that would otherwise never enter my realm of thought.

One of the greatest authors of the 20th century vs A weird internet grifter, stripped of his credentials, who compares humans to crustations.