Anonymous Philosopher
Recovery from a philosophical perspective, and
philosophical perspective on recovery
I am a philosopher in recovery–from addiction and from Complex-PTSD. I’ve started this page to tell my story, and to send thoughts about recovery out into the ether for anyone who might like to read them.
The Blog
I’ll try to keep this short…
The Twelve Steps
It continually surprises me how many secular A.A.-ers and fellowships remain beholden to the Twelve Steps. They may reject certain theistic ideas about an omnipotent God, but adhere to the Steps with religious zeal nonetheless. My surprise is a matter of perspective, to be sure. I’m not just atheist or agnostic. I’m an out-and-out non-believer,Continue reading “The Twelve Steps”
The 13th Tradition: Thou Shall Not Criticize A.A.
I have been scolded, warned, and threatened for saying and writing what I think about Alcoholics Anonymous. In all cases, what I have been told boils down to: You shouldn’t criticize a program that has helped millions of people stay sober. Well, why not? First, let me dismiss one kind of counter-argument. One might respondContinue reading “The 13th Tradition: Thou Shall Not Criticize A.A.”
A question of morality
For me, the most glaring contradiction in the ideology of Alcoholics Anonymous is that alcohol addiction is called an illness (or even disease), and the treatment for it is regarded to be a “spiritual” and moral change of the individual’s life. I’m not going to take any position about what exactly in addiction is, butContinue reading “A question of morality”
Critique of AA Ideology
Sometimes the language and beliefs of “traditional AA” bug me. So I critically analyze them and come up with alternatives. I post the results here.
