Defy the demagogues!
Learn how to resist the Faustian bargain!
Reason & Faith
– The Good Alliance
ErikPleijel.se
ENGLISH VERSION
Why are so many people drawn to the spectacle of power? They cheer when charismatic demagogues sow division and spread chaos. They are amused by shamelessness, meanness and buffoonery. In the process, they lose both reason and compassion.
The 'Faustian bargain' means selling your soul in exchange for power, wealth, success, etc. But there is an ancient strategy to resist this temptation – the seven classical virtues. Cultivating them is more important than ever.
How to Resist the Faustian Bargain
ABOUT ME. I’m Erik Pleijel from Sweden. My interest is in theology and philosophy that can be rooted in everyday life. I have done some work in programming and in water supply in Africa.
In my book Adventures and Reflections I share my experiences. Here are extracts from newspapers that have written about it:
In fast-moving, sometimes dramatic texts , he takes us to genocidal Rwanda, civil war Sri Lanka and an absurdly closed North Korea. ... But he is not an ordinary technology nerd, rather a humanist, philosopher and theologian. Who thrives on human diversity, listens, learns, reflects and tries to empathise with the history and identity of other individuals and cultures. ... [Swedish prime minister], give this book to your ... minister for international development ...!
Column in Bohusläningen newspaper (6 Oct 2014), by Stefan Edman.
Based on his life experience, he reflects on aid, philosophy and Christian faith on a Lutheran basis. It is a wise man who writes and his wisdom is often easily transferable to everyday life in Sweden.
Review in KT, the Swedish church newspaper (34-2014), by Mikael Mogren (Bishop).
Defy the Demagogues! How to Resist the Faustian Bargain (In-depth exploration, 10 chapters), Copyright © 2025 Erik Pleijel. All rights reserved.
Defy the Demagogues! How to Resist the Faustian Bargain (Guide in 7 steps), Copyright © 2025 Erik Pleijel. The introduction is licensed under the Creative Commons Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. You must include this link: ErikPleijel.se/eng. You can view the full license details here: CC BY-SA 4.0 .
Illustrations:
Cartoon boy: VectorStock; Cartoon queen, sloth: FriendlyStock; Cartoon priest: Copyright Brad Fitzpatrick; Aristotle Kaio hfd CC BY-SA 3.0;
Contact: email