The Philosophy of Aggressiveness

On 20 January 1961, 18-year-old George Jackson received an indeterminate sentence, one year to life, that would turn out to be prophetic: he was killed escaping San Quinten Prison a little over 10 years later. The Philosophy of Aggressiveness argues that Jackson's experience reveals philosophical truths that society tries to sweep under the rug, or into prison, through aggression and violence. Despite aggression's ubiquity, it is nevertheless a game of poker, drawing out the necessity of philosophical inquiry. By affirming escape as an alternative to the negativity of escapism, this inquiry forges a zigzag path through the establishment of virtue and vice in the prevailing social paradigm.

On 20 January 1961, 18-year-old George Jackson received an indeterminate sentence, one year to life, that would turn out to be prophetic: he was killed escaping San Quinten Prison a little over 10 years later. The Philosophy of Aggressiveness argues that Jackson's experience reveals philosophical truths that society tries to sweep under the rug, or into prison, through aggression and violence. Despite aggression's ubiquity, it is nevertheless a game of poker, drawing out the necessity of philosophical inquiry. By affirming escape as an alternative to the negativity of escapism, this inquiry forges a zigzag path through the establishment of virtue and vice in the prevailing social paradigm.

Geoffrey BrodakSilva theorizes at the intersection of games, myth, and radical social change from the Communication Studies department at California State University, Los Angeles. He earned a Ph.D. in Philosophy, Art and Critical Thought from the European Graduate School.