As a political essayist, a patriotic poet, and the creator of Winston Churchill’s “V for Victory” sign — a magical foil to Hitler’s Swastika — Aleister Crowley was certainly passionate about politics, especially where it concerned individual liberties. We can find much from Crowley’s writings on a variety of political topics which naturally arise from Crowley’s basic political doctrine that “The absolute rule of the state shall be a function of the absolute liberty of each individual will.”
Aleister Crowley’s political writings reveal the depth of this philosophy, which he championed throughout his life. While we may find some of his specific political opinions disagreeable to our own — and we may find emergent political problems which Crowley could not have anticipated — Crowley’s visionary philosophical perspective will shake your political paradigms and challenge you to think differently.
Below are a few definitive quotes which can give us some idea of Aleister Crowley’s views on a number of today’s pressing political issues. Where possible, each quotation links to another AC2012 post where related matters are more fully explored.
Human Rights
“Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.”
“thou hast no right but to do thy will. Do that, and no other shall say nay.”
Sex & Sexuality
“Sex is the main expression of the Nature of a person; great Natures are sexually strong; and the health of any person will depend upon the freedom of that function.”
Marriage
“… the restricts on marriage must be abolished.”
Discrimination
“Man has the right to live by his own law–to live in the way that he wills to do.”
Drugs & Prohibition
“… of all classes, the first place among ‘drug addicts’ is that of the doctor.”
Violence
Children’s Rights & Education
“The state must guarantee at least six months entire repose to all pregnant women. It must establish colonies in country districts for the free support of any children whose mothers are willing to let them go there.”
“Each child must develop its own Individuality, and Will, disregarding alien Ideals. … Education is assisting a soul to express itself. Every child should be presented with all possible problems and allowed to register its own reactions; it should be made to face all contingencies in turn until it overcomes each successfully.”
“The crime of abortion will lose its motive in all but the most exceptional cases.”
Speech, Press, Religion
Energy & the Environment
“It is a violation of the Law of Thelema to abuse the natural qualities of any animal or object by diverting it from its proper function, as determined by consideration of its history and structure. …
“Apparent, and sometimes even real, conflict between interests will frequently arise. Such cases are to be decided by the general value of the contending parties in the scale of Nature. Thus, a tree has a right to its life; but a man being more than a tree, he may cut it down for fuel or shelter when need arises. Even so, let him remember that the Law never fails to avenge infraction: as when wanton deforestation has ruined a climate or a soil, or as when the importation of rabbits for a cheap supply of food has created a plague.”
“Accept the Laws of Nature and work with them.”
Women’s Issues
“‘Every man and every woman is a star.'”
“To us, every woman is a star. She has therefore an absolute right to travel in her own orbit.”
Economic Growth and Fiscal Discipline
Democracy
”The principle of popular election is a fatal folly.”
Government Reform
“Repeal all laws which assume that mankind is a herd of cattle. State insurance, pauper laws, registrations, conscription.”
“The family, the clan, the state count for nothing; the Individual is the Autarch.”
Health Care Reform
“As I think that totalitarian methods are already on the way to extinguish the last spark of manly independence—that is, in self-styled civilized countries—it seems to me that we all should regard with shrewd suspicion any plans for ‘perfecting’ social conditions.”
Minimum Wage
Tyrannicide
“Man has the right to kill those who would thwart these rights.”
“Rights of Man is an historical document. … I’ve got [the items listed] down to five sections: moral, bodily, mental, sexual freedom, and the safeguard tyrannicide…”
Science
“Practically, Science is true; and Faith is foolish.”
Watch the Aleister Crowley 2012 blog for more on these subjects and many more!
This post will be updated & improved as more continues to be written about Crowley’s political views. Still to come:
- National Security
Please feel free to offer your input and suggestions at aleister.crowley.2012@gmail.com
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The perfect candidate The party of Free Will
Sounds like we should have an English party too. T shirts look awesome. Crowley for PM! Sodomy, drugs and doing what thou wilt. What’s not like?
I hope you’re aware that “Do what thou wilt” doesn’t mean “Do what you want/feel like” ?
It also means “Mind thine own business.”
That was great.
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