ism. but It certainly becomes a victim ot elitism. The LiberalnCulture, which for so long has claimed a monopolv on conscience,nobviously turns into its most destructive wrecker.nTo the “relativists.” as Rabbi Schiller calls the libculturalnactivists and gurus in his book (reviewed in this issue),nconscience is a matter of stimulating incoherence, whichnin itself is the yeast of the Liberal Culture. The eiites takenpleasure in making conscience as elusive and esoteric asnpossible, this gives them a sense of elevation, superiority,nfreedom from pedestrian notions of right and wrong, goodnand bad. Thev indulge in freakish “psychology” as a substitutenfor social and private morality, and look to it that paralyzingnbanalities become “wisdom,” •’science.’ “knowledge.”nEvery philosopher has his moment ofntender incertitude, an hour of self-examination,na time of reckoning —whennhe sees himself at the mercy of impossibilitynwhich transcends his forces ofncognition and judgment. That monumentalnChicago sage, Mr. Hugh Hefner,nwho devoted his life to discovering andndefining the noumenon of carnality, isnno exception. He thus confessed, in anrecent issue of Plavboy. an epistemologicalnjournal founded 25 years ago tondisseminate Mr. Hefner’s philosophy.nhis portraits, and the auxiliarv materialsnBut people desperately try to live their lives unaffected bynthe Liberal Culture. It’s not easy in America, stricken bynthe libcultural “conscience.” The Playboy-cum-Hustler-cum-nPenthouse operations clamor tor the freedom to display certainnaspects of life and human persons, not a transgressivendemand in terms of laws, but cultural thuggery in its effectualncreation of a social and behavioral climate which erodesnboth the general sense of normalcy and. consequently, thenconditions under which people attempt to live their lives asnthey wish. This is what makes the liberal elitism in Americanoffensive to anyone with an unwarped conscience.nPhilosophy in American”0 philosophy, thou guide of life, O thou explorer o£ vmue and expeller of vice!”n-Cicero, 45 B.C.nindispensable for the study of his ideas: tive brain:n”It’s been a personal adventure, andnI’ve taken people along with me . . .nEverything that has happened to menhas been a product of my own adolescentndreams and aspirations. I havenlived out my dreams as a kind of surrogatenfor a large part of the population.”nHe then announces a mind-bogglingnrevelation, one which in itself irrevocablynproves the tremendous power ofn-Mr. Hefner’s indomitable and investiga-n—Leopold Tyrmandn”But I have learned something veryninteresting. And that is that women,nalthough they say they like a faithfulnand monogamous man. are very attractednto a man who has … had a lotnof romantic experiences. The morenexperienced you are, the more desirablenyou are to a woman. If a womannknows you have been with a greatnmany beautiful women, she somehownfinds that a very attractive thing.”nGee! No one ever knew that! Dn’.^y.- ,, Most of the commentary a’bout tlien,;-,p’*, ^^C” .liarmful impact of television and m.ost ofn ” >•>- ^ <• the efforts to improve matters have respondedn”•” to the symptoms rather than the disease., TO “be-•ny .’ sure, it woTjld^he a step in the right direction to have ., – f>%n.-•^ a decrease in the. violent and sleazy jjrograms-that are -n•broadcast, biji a civili^d society is neither hmlt nor sKtained •’ ‘n• •byacTiltural avoidance of the worst in h-uirtan nature. A worthynandproductivescKiietyischaracterizedhy’the prevalence of high-mind- ” ‘ned, responsible citizens. A ptiblic respect for the principles of honor and- “-n~ virtue and thnfb and.-useftil accomplishment casi only he perpetuated “withncontin-uoTJs and effecti’ve reaffirmation in literature and drama and education andnreligion,, and by the examples, of parents and fellow emplojrees as well as pubUc figuresn-imm Persuasion At Work. February 1979, Vol. II, Ma, 2, “TFXE-nVISION: P&WERFUL ADVERSARY OF CAPITALISM AXDnPOTENTIAL AIXY”. nTo receive Persuasion At Work, mail Subscription Membership card in this issue.nnn- ^ ‘n•’^sC^nOnChronicles of Culturen