The Darkest Philosophies You've Never Heard Of - Alex O’Connor & Joe Folley

Pessimistic philosophies, particularly those of Cioran and Benatar, surprisingly offer a path to humor and lightheartedness by lowering expectations and highlighting the comedic absurdity of profound suffering or the logical arguments against procreation.

• Pessimistic philosophies can paradoxically lead to humor and a sense of relief by lowering expectations.

• Emil Cioran is noted for his ability to infuse comedy into profoundly dark philosophical observations.

• David Benatar's antinatalism is a logically argued, non-self-indulgent philosophy advocating against procreation.

The discussion explores how seemingly 'dark' philosophies like pessimism can lead to unexpected moments of lightheartedness and humor. Key figures like Emil Cioran, known for his bleak outlook, are presented as surprisingly funny, suggesting that extreme suffering can become comical. The conversation also delves into David Benatar's antinatalism, a philosophy arguing against the morality of having children, which, despite its dark premise, is presented as a logically structured and non-self-indulgent argument.

Emil Cioran's Pessimism

• 00:00:11 Emil Cioran, a Romanian-French philosopher, is highlighted for his incredibly pessimistic works like 'The Trouble with Being Born' and 'A Short History of Decay.' His philosophy, though centered on suffering, often subtly shifts into a natural lightheartedness. This occurs because when expectations are profoundly low, the stakes are lowered, allowing for a humorous perspective on life's absurd hardships, much like finding humor in an astonishingly bad, comedically terrible day.

Pessimism and Humor

• 00:01:40 Reading pessimistic philosophers, such as Cioran, can lead to unexpected humor. When one expects things to go wrong or views life as meaningless suffering, there's a point where the sheer accumulation of misfortune becomes comical rather than tragic, allowing one to laugh. Cioran is praised for his ability to elicit this laughter, making him one of the few philosophers whose works can be genuinely funny, indicating that one's response to suffering can follow a U-shaped curve, where too much suffering can ironically make it livable again through frivolity.

Philosophy as Branding

• 00:03:40 Philosophy is often described as 'clever branding for depressive thoughts' or any kind of systematized thinking. Great philosophers frequently articulate ideas that people already intuitively know, serving to elucidate existing perspectives rather than strictly convince. This suggests that engaging with philosophy often involves finding someone who articulates a 'vibe' or a familiar thought in well-crafted words, making it relatable to those who already have a connection to the underlying ideas.

David Benatar's Antinatalism

• 00:05:56 David Benatar's antinatalism, expounded in his book 'Better Never to Have Been,' argues that it is immoral to have children, even if their lives contain more pleasure than suffering. This dark philosophy, positioned as 'anti-life,' is presented as a logically structured argument, unlike some self-indulgent pessimistic works. Benatar also explores concepts like 'philosophical disability,' suggesting that humanity is inherently disabled by the things we lack, which leads to unacknowledged sufferings that accumulate significantly.