The Philosophical Werewolf: A Guide

This is the place for discussion and voting on various aspects of werewolf life, social ideas, physical appearance, etc. Also a place to vote on how a werewolf should look.
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The Philosophical Werewolf: A Guide

Post by Berserker »

All it takes is a quick browse of this forum (or the Internet in general) to discover that the werewolf myth is, in many minds, rapidly changing. An increase in ecological activism and the post-modern exploration of previously-taboo or far-fetched areas of study like new-age spirituality, deep ecology, human ecology, old world pre-Christian religion, etc., coupled with a nearly overnight change in public perception of wolves, has resulted in a new spectrum of lycanthropic idealism.

My own personal ideal werewolf is a symbol of humanity's "return to the wild," a personification of our latent mammalian desires: a kind of freedom through fur and fang. The werewolf is a creature who balances human intuition with wolfish instinct; it's that very animal instinct which struggles for a release from the confines of modern civilization. To be a werewolf is to abandon most artificial concerns in favor of life in tune with the natural world. I believe this view of the werewolf is not a modern one, but rather ancient, an ideal from deep within our genetic memory, from a time when (not to sound too romantic,) wolves were our brothers. (The dog is our best friend 100,000 years after the wolf scratched his back with human fingers.)

This werewolf is spiritual, but also literal: I believe werewolves may have existed in the ancient past, perhaps not in the way that we recognize from Hollywood, but certainly in spirit and intent. My werewolf is firmly rooted in real metaphysical and even scientific thought. I've compiled a guide to media that will demonstrate the full philosophical underpinnings of this new, "modern" werewolf.

Just in case there's any confusion: I'm not saying all werewolves need to match these ideological criteria. I am suggesting that the very idea of the werewolf itself comes from very old roots, and that the werewolf, like all myths, has of course been twisted over time into something that scarcely resembles its origin. Only now are we coming full circle.

Hopefully these works will give you some insight into the mindset of the werewolf, and maybe give you some fresh ideas on your own personal beast.


Books:

The Others: How Animals Made Us Human (Paul Shepard, 1996)
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Paul Shepard was one of the most influential and controversial figures in the history of scholarship regarding human evolution and human ecology. His "Pleistocene" trilogy, The Tender Carnivore and the Sacred Game, Thinking Animals: Animals and the Development of Human Intelligence, and Nature and Madness, was written to explore the idea that human beings evolved in intimate contact with the animal world, an existence that we have since insulated ourselves against, much to our detriment. Shepard asserts that to find the healthiest (physically and mentally) state of humanity, we need to look to (and perhaps return to) the Pleistocene era, where we were primarily hunter-gatherers with an integral relationship to nature. In "The Others," his last and most lucid work before he died in 1996, Shepard presents a visceral history of humanity's development in tandem with the animals that surround us. Focusing on the phenomenon of anthropomorphism throughout history, Shepard asserts that the significance of the animal world is interwoven into the very evolution of the human condition, and that as we abandon the animal world in favor of the artificial, we actually risk losing the things that make us human.

This book is not smarmy and sugar-coated as you might expect. Expect to be confronted with some powerful arguments about your identity as a human being. It is a dense treatise and not recommended for a reader who gets easily distracted. Shepard's work helps build a foundation for your understanding of the werewolf myth's significance.

Walden (Henry David Thoreau)
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Heny David Thoreau's 19th century classic, along with works by his predecessor Ralph Waldo Emerson, helped rekindle an appreciation for nature in many hearts. Thoreau's excursion at the Walden cabin, alone and surrounded only by the woods, the fields, and the waters of a stark wilderness, is richly detailed with romantic prose. A transcendentalist at heart, Thoreau writes ardently against the dehumanizing and urgent existence of modern industrialized man, advocating a return to a life of simplicity, contemplation, and solitude close to the natural world. The ultimate theme of the book is to experience the divine through nature: Thoreau's definition of transcendence.

With regard to werewolves, Walden is the foremost authority on the spirituality of a "return to nature." (Note: Thoreau does have a seemingly contradictory section on the butchery of carnivorism, but take it with a grain of salt, and consider only how revolutionary the rest of the novel is.)

The Naked Ape (Desmond Morris, 1967)
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Considered by some to be blasphemous when it was originally published, Morris's controversial classic fully explores the concept that human beings are indeed animals, and not distinct from the natural world as they so claim. Morris goes into frank detail as he describes, sometimes uncomfortably, the various behavioral trademarks of humanity--from sex and child-rearing to territorial claiming and feeding habits--in the context of human beings as primates. His basic claim is that humanity has such a clear and simple bond to the animal world that when the heart of our existence is exposed behind so much illusion (civilization,) we really are naked apes. He also argues from an evolutionary standpoint that despite our modern "progress," our behavior is still very much programmed from eon-old mammalian instinct.

Morris covers a substantial amount of ground in his description of human behavior. After reading this book, you may begin to understand how people spiritually connected to the animal world might not be so cracked after all. The Naked Ape may help reveal the power of the werewolf myth: werewolves brashly expose and embrace our animal nature.

The Way of the Animal Powers parts 1 & 2 (Joseph Campbell, part of the Historical Atlas of World Mythology)
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Joseph campbell was perhaps the single most prolific authority on mythology, both on the myths of people throughout history, and on their significance and meaning to the human world. The first two parts of his Historical Atlas of World Mythology focus specifically on some of the earliest known ("Stone Age") myths, which not surprisingly involve the mysticism of animals. Campbell goes into great detail describing the development of mythology during a time in human history when animals were both feared and considered equals, and in some cases, worshiped. These myths and descriptions offer a glimpse into some of the earliest roots of the mindset behind the werewolf myth, most importantly, from a period before Church domination and the subsequent strangling of the werewolf as anything significant to the spirituality of humanity.

The Spell of the Sensuous: Perception and Language in a More-than-Human World (David Abram, 1997)
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Abram, channeling his predecessor Loren Eisley (The Firmament of Time,) presents a guide to the way humanity once meaningfully communicated with the natural world. He asks this crucial question: why have we separated ourselves from nature so severely that we actively and willingly seek out its destruction? Traveling the world in search of answers, Abrams draws from Native American and Asian wisdom, ancient philosophy and poetry, and the history of language to examine in intelligent prose how humanity somehow became detached from its roots.

From a phenomenological standpoint, Abram argues that modern written and spoken words are largely responsible for the pitiful condition of man's relationship with nature. He posits that before the invention of alphabetical categorization and mass record keeping, humanity had a sensual "language" that nearly mirrored the cries of the earth itself: the forests, rivers, mountains, winds, and animals "spoke" to us, and we used our cognition of the natural world to communicate with symbols directly tied to experiences from nature. This is in direct contrast to the abstraction of written language, which eliminates our dependence on signals from nature in favor of artificial symbolism. Abram concludes that modern speech and writing sever our necessary ties to the earth, the end result being rampant disregard for the natural world, a process that is both phsyically and spiritually deleterious.

A must-read for anyone curious as to how becoming a werewolf really would allow one to "read" from the earth itself... and how humans once were.

The Wolf, The Woman, The Wilderness: A True Story of Returning Home (Martino, 1997)
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Personal, vivid, and poetic, this heartfelt book records one woman's experiences rescuing and raising a wolf pup and then returning it to the wild. In her story, she examines humanity's relationship with animals and explores what "freedom" truly means from a Native American viewpoint. Martino writes in favor of the ancestral "wild spirit" that dwells within every human, asserting that perhaps wild freedom, though dangerous and frightening, is far more spiritually sound than the caged safety of sterile modern living.

This is a very emotional book, and highly recommended to anyone willing to learn more about the meaning of natural freedom (a key component of my werewolf myth.) That the story is wolf-centric makes it all the more significant.

The Moral Animal: Why We Are, the Way We Are: The New Science of Evolutionary Psychology (Robert Wright, 1995)
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Robert Wright joins Richard Dawkins in the controversial Darwinian revolution that seems here to stay: evolutionary psychology. Similar in spirit to "The Naked Ape," Wright gives a thorough introduction to evolutionary psychology, which is the idea that human beings are not defined entirely by "nurture," as was once assumed, but that we are born into a myriad of instinctual behaviors hard coded into our genetic memory. Like Wilson and Dawkins before him, Wright argues fervently using reams of scientific reference for the idea that human concepts of ethics, morality, appropriate behavior, etc. are not artificial, social constructs, but are actually influenced by our mammalian evolutionary history. Areas of focus include pair-bonding in human beings, the proliferation of primate comparisons in human sociology, and the life of Charles Darwin.

In reference to werewolves, I believe evolutionary psychology is an important concept to grasp in order to further understand how the effects of wolf instinct might actually enhance our pre-existing inclinations; the werewolf is more passionate and instinctual than modern man because he lays bare our evolutionary ancestry.

Films

Koyaanisqatsi - Life out of Balance (1982, Godfrey Reggio)
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Years ahead of it's time, Koyaanisqatsi remains one of the most influential and subversive documentaries in the film world. The subtitle--life out of balance--perfectly describes the thematic intent of Reggio's masterpiece. Utilizing starkly intense footage from all over the world, he juxtaposes scenes of tranquil, sublime nature against the harsh, disturbed, and chaotic imagery of human civilization. We are, as he contends, living an existence that is cancerous, both literally and figuratively: humanity has become a slave to its own progress, and is no longer in tune with the natural world. Philip Glass provides a haunting score to the decay of modern civilization. The film is pure propaganda, as with Al Gore's the Inconvenient Truth, but the fact that Koyaanisqatsi presents entirely real, unaltered footage of our industrial life is powerful. Some people have been known to grow depressed after watching this film; after all, it makes our damaged course seem irreversible.

The urgent, pro-nature feel to this film is something that inspired the creators of Werewolf: The Apocalypse, a roleplaying game about werewolves who fight against the desolation of the human civilization. Indeed, if you watch Koyaanisqatsi and start to feel angry, or sad, at the thought of being caged in such a world, the werewolf myth again stands as the symbol of a return to balance.

Passion in the Desert (1998, Lavinia Currier, rated PG-13)
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This somewhat disjointed film by first-time director Lavinia Currier has gained something of a cult following. (In fact, all of the films I'll be describing are "cult" films.) The story centers on a soldier in Napolean's army who becomes lost in the desert in Africa. There he meets a female leopard, and the two develop a kind of relationship, to the point where the man slips almost entirely into a feral state of mind to become an animal himself. Passion in the Desert has a surreal, otherworldly vibe; the film is not only about the relationship between human and beast, but it's also about the horror of war and the slow loss of sanity that can consume a man when he becomes separated from humanity. The visuals are lush and artistic, and the content is highly brutal and controversial. The first act can be a bit of a put-off, but there a few other films exploring human-animal bonding so daringly.

Given that the primary theme of the film is the consequence of man's separation from the animal world and then suddenly being thrust into that world again, I find Passion in the Desert extremely fitting in examining the philosophy of werewolves.

Altered States (1980, Ken Russell, Rated R)
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Another highly controversial film, Altered States is about a researcher who submits himself to sensory deprivation and hallucinatory drugs in order to try and break through to the primordial, buried consciousness of the human animal. The film is incredibly intense, chock full of bizarre, acid-trip inspired effects meant to demonstrate the sensation of a mind reverting to a feral, irrational, state of being. Eddie Jessup, the researcher in the film, is intent on discovering his true genetic memory: the Neolithic, savage root of humanity.

Although Altered States is right on the border of being a drug-culture film, its insight into the effects of sensory overload as a tool to return to an primeval state of mind is very helpful in understanding how a werewolf might feel after his transformation: a deluge of senses.

The Man Who Fell To Earth (1976, Nicholas Roeg, Rated R)
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Starring David Bowie, this underrated science fiction story is perhaps one of the strongest depictions of nihilistic alienation I've seen. Bowie plays an alien who comes to earth seeking a method of saving his homeworld from destruction. Disguised as a young entrepreneur, he becomes one of the wealthiest men on the planet through his inventions, which were intended to finance his mission. During his time on earth, he succumbs to the sterile life of human beings, becoming isolated and depressed, and ultimately his dreams are crushed by the weight of the materialism and lifelessness around him. The story is actually quite profound if you watch the film thoroughly. There is no redemption for humanity here, and thus, I relate this film to the modern werewolf's condition: he is an outsider, alone, disillusioned with the human world. I believe The Man Who Fell To Earth is a strong foray into some of the more depressing psychological aspects of the werewolf myth.

Never Cry Wolf (1983, Carroll Ballard, PG)
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Of course I can't help but to mention this one, even though it's so obvious. I believe the film version of Farley Mowat's novel is actually far more entertaining than the book itself. On commission from the Canadian government to find evidence that wolves are killing healthy Caribou, ecologist Tyler (meant to portray Mowat) finds himself dumped unceremoniously in an arctic wilderness. There he discovers that the wolves aren't actually the ruthless killers that they'd been portrayed, but are an integral part of a pristine ecosystem. The film is packed with beautiful wilderness shots, which perfectly accompany Tyler's character as he moves from a timid and awkward fragment of civilization to a man who feels at one with the wilderness.

In addition to showing the graceful and tender side of wolves, Never Cry Wolf is a superb example of a human being finding his peace with the wilderness. Were I to write a similar story, the ecologist would have become a wolf himself at the end, and slipped into the wild, though the effect would have been the same.
Last edited by Berserker on Wed Jan 25, 2012 11:05 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: The Philosophical Werewolf: A Guide

Post by Vagrant »

That was a thoroughly interesting read, I have to say, and it highlighted a number of works I really must introduce myself to.

The books would be more difficult, as I have difficulties reading and I am easily distracted because of that. The films are another thing entirely however, and I find myself intrigued and drawn to the concept of each of those you've mentioned. Tomorrow, I'll start nosing around online film distributors, to see which of those I can snag to watch for myself.

Considering the source material, I feel like I owe it to myself to have watched them.

Thanks for writing that up, Berserker.
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Re: The Philosophical Werewolf: A Guide

Post by Gevaudan »

I never thought I would see Thoreau on the same list as Morris, but the way you present everything helps tie your points together. This is a robust and intriguing group of books and films that I simply must get around to seeing sometime. Your philosophical concept of the werewolf is a beautiful one, and it's a pleasure to read where you've gotten your sources. Have you written any theses about this concept? It seems like you're quite an expert in this particular field of philosophy, Berserker.
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Re: The Philosophical Werewolf: A Guide

Post by Berserker »

I'm working on a series of editorial essays defining what the werewolf myth is beginning to mean once again, but they're far from complete. This guide is something of a precursor to it. Aside from that, my werewolf fanfiction "Storm" and it's ongoing sequel have rough-hewn portrayals of some of these concepts.
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Re: The Philosophical Werewolf: A Guide

Post by Leonca~ »

Very good looking resources. I am especially interested in Passion in the Dessert. It sounds just like a very old short story I read a while ago (written somewhere around 1900, I think). It was a very unusual story for the time, much more compassionate view towards wild animals than I think most people took back then. I will have to look it up, it would be amazing if someone had actually taken that old story and made a movie off of it. :)
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Re: The Philosophical Werewolf: A Guide

Post by Dreamer »

Bezerker, your first post on this topic is a very good summation of your beliefs, more consise than anywhere else on these forums. That being said, I was wondering if anyone had any counterpoints to your argument. Because I know that Kietsu mentioned that he had a beef with your people-should-regress-back-to-nature-civilization-is-evil views, and Scott Gardner, while agreeing with you somewhat, does seem to be far more moderate on this issue.

We're all reasonable people, so there's no reason why we can't have a reasonable, intelligent debate on the wrightness or wrongness of Bezerker's views. Let's get it started now, seeing as this thread will probably go in that direction anyway.
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Re: The Philosophical Werewolf: A Guide

Post by Berserker »

My goal was less to stir up controversy (an act that would belong more on the "General" forum,) and more to examine a werewolf archetype that seems drastically different than what the beast meant in centuries past. There seems no denying that this particular werewolf (or versions of it with varying levels of softness or hardness,) is becoming more prominent, if not on this very forum then elsewhere on the Internet. I merely hope to present those ideas which form the root of this werewolf, to try and understand where it comes from and why it has (re)surfaced in our myth.

I worry that in this context, to argue for the "rightness" or "wrongness" of these ideals is by extension to argue whether this werewolf is "right" or "wrong," and we've already seen in many other threads (Vuldari's battles most vividly) the bitter folly of doing so. I firmly maintain that all our werewolf archetypes here are viable.

I'm well aware that Kitetsu is not fond of tribal fluffiness and tree-hugger werewolves, and that Scott Gardener is moderate on the issue. I'm rather surprised Dreamer that you would put all of us on the spot like that, attempting to thrust my thread into a debate involuntarily, especially since there was none forthcoming.

I would hope that anyone wishing to position a counter interpretation of the werewolf myth should do as I've done, and comprise a thorough guide explaining the mindset behind the beast.
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Re: The Philosophical Werewolf: A Guide

Post by Dreamer »

Actually, my request was not so much to debate about your interpretation of the werewolf as your political views in general (In that you beleive we should all go back to living in the wild and chuck civilization in the trash), which are very radical and do bring up some interesting points that would make for a very interesting debate.

Still, you're right in that the debate would be better done on the General forum. Do you think you could start a topic in the General section of the forums for debating your views on society and nature?
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Re: The Philosophical Werewolf: A Guide

Post by Berserker »

Maybe sometime in the future. I agree that it would be an interesting debate. As much as I'd like to say that your Strawman-bordering reduction of my philosophy (I apparently believe that we should all go back to living in the wild and chuck civilization in the trash) would be a good starting point, it would actually take me awhile to write out a well-thought essay/introduction on the subject, considering that I draw from many sources. There's so much out there about this (I say "this" even though a dozen areas of thought are involved) that I'm not sure even where to begin, aside from what I've provided in this thread.
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Re: The Philosophical Werewolf: A Guide

Post by Wselfwulf »

I don't think beserker implied anarcho-primitivism in it's entirety. Either way, you went the right way about expressing views and I'm going to look out for this literature. View points can both have a critical evaluation and an emotional aspect, making novels and movies powerful locuses for ideas. Good stuff.
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Re: The Philosophical Werewolf: A Guide

Post by heartlessfang »

This was all beautifully written Berserker-san! I'm definitely going to pick up the first book! You sound like you'd be a great anthropologist someday(if you aren't already)! :D :howl:  :oo
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Re: The Philosophical Werewolf: A Guide

Post by JoshuaMadoc »

I'm not good with WORRRRRDSSSS, in spite of my debate-heavy record, but I'll be a bit frank on this - I see Lycanthropy and Zoanthropology as a valid reason for one step closer into attaining true individuality within oneself. Sure, it's not the truest way for it (i.e. some may not have only 3 limbs instead of 4, some may not have tentacles for fur, etc), but it's a start. If you look at some of the pictures over here, this is an (slightly vague) example of what I'm talking about.
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Re: The Philosophical Werewolf: A Guide

Post by Scott Gardener »

Thanks; though a lot of the references above aren't specifically about werewolves per se, they hit upon the same idea and run parallel to it. Movies like Altered States may indeed be more about werewolves than a lot of actual werewolf movies, that are basically one-dimensional horror flicks using werewolves as the stock monster. (Note that this is not intended to snub the horror genre, which has a lot of great works. Rather, I'm snubbing one-dimensional horror, which is basically akin to porno, except appealing to different endorphins.)
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Re: The Philosophical Werewolf: A Guide

Post by WolfMontana »

:) Wow, what a beautifully considered and fascinating post! :D
I am actually quite the tree-hugging type (though that's not necessarily a pre-requisite I realize), so it fits my werewolf ideal very well. I've seen many of the movies you've posted, though instead of "Koyaanisqatsi - Life out of Balance" I've watched "Baraka" about a billion times. Definitely an life-changing flick for me.

I'm adding a bunch of the books you've listed to my wish-list. They look amazing, thanks for sharing them. :D
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Re: The Philosophical Werewolf: A Guide

Post by W'rkncacnter »

I'm afraid i can't say I've read all those books, but I did see Never Cry Wolf...a looong time ago. However, I still have something to say here.

I've always been fascinated by the use of magical metaphor to describe the human condition (Stanislaw Lem often spoke of human self reflection as a motive for many of his stories, for example). It simply dumbfounds me with wonder at just how complex the human mind can perceive itself; especially if you realize that, broken down, the whole thing is really a predictable series of chemical reactions!

In this case, I find myself in agreement with Berzerker. Most, if not all, fiction has a story to tell beyond that of magic, wonder, and howling at the full moon. Werewolves in particular (I think) are a representation of our naturalist side, our alienation with the uncaring machine-like qualities of the civilized world. In our search for a more empathic and dynamic existence we see nature, with it's beautiful forests, the rivers, and the pristine serenity of it all...and, of course, the wolves.

The concept of the werewolf, is to me, a representation of this duality between our civilized upbringing and our naturalistic desires; raised in a complex world, we long for something simpler, for escape into the wilderness, away from civilization, and away from humanity.

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Re: The Philosophical Werewolf: A Guide

Post by Mr_Atrox »

Berserker:

An impressive post, to say the least. I am especially (and rather pleasantly) surprised by your inclusion of Desmond Morris' "The Naked Ape" as that is a fundamental Werewolf text in my rather humble opinion.

I have been in the process of authoring a work on the Werewolf that engenders many of the notions you have here shared. Some you have not.

I'm new to these forums, but now that I've discovered them, I'll be posting with some frequency.

I must admit, however, that much of the material here seems intended to be taken a bit more tongue-in-cheek.

But I may be wrong.

It's been known to happen... :o

In any event, greetings to all and I hope to contribute material worthy of these forums.

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Re: The Philosophical Werewolf: A Guide

Post by Berserker »

Mr_Atrox wrote:I must admit, however, that much of the material here seems intended to be taken a bit more tongue-in-cheek.
The material here may seem tongue-in-cheek on occasion purely because of its audacity, and in lesser part because of our Halloween-ish enthusiasm for the subject. I mean, do we really intend to discuss every single tiny little aspect of what a werewolf might be, from neurons to nails? The short answer is yes. :P
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Re: The Philosophical Werewolf: A Guide

Post by Mr_Atrox »

The material here may seem tongue-in-cheek on occasion purely because of its audacity, and in lesser part because of our Halloween-ish enthusiasm for the subject. I mean, do we really intend to discuss every single tiny little aspect of what a werewolf might be, from neurons to nails? The short answer is yes. :P
Ah, well then, I'm going to feel safe in assuming that my interest in string and m theory as regards to the werewolf will be duly appreciated then... 8)
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Re: The Philosophical Werewolf: A Guide

Post by RedEye »

Oh, absolutely!

Another Physics type! I'm in heaven! :D
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Re: The Philosophical Werewolf: A Guide

Post by Leonca~ »

I managed to get my hands on a copy of Passion in the Desert! Looks like it is indeed based on that old story I read. I look forward to watching it. :)
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Re: The Philosophical Werewolf: A Guide

Post by Berserker »

I'm bumping this thread to add a new book.

Becoming Animal: An Earthly Cosmology (David Abram 2010)
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In "The Spell of the Sensuous," Abrams outlined the process by which the abstraction of language has removed humanity from an integral relationship with the natural world. In Becoming Animal, he further explores this phenomenological approach by elucidating how intelligence and apparent rationality are not characteristics that necessarily separate humanity from the natural world, but some of many evolutionary gifts given from the wild itself to enhance our other senses. He teaches us to "become animal" by rejecting the artificial, anthropocentric definition of human nature that modern science has placed on a pedestal in favor of an ecstatic and experiential understanding of humanity's connection to its animal essence.
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