Why This Journal: Cognitive Security Through Classical Method
This journal documents an inquiry: Can classical rhetoric and Stoic practice protect minds and institutions in an age of algorithmic manipulation?
The question isn't academic. For thirty years I've worked in security and communications — violent extremism, media warfare, information operations. The tools have changed (social media, AI, micro-targeting) but the mechanisms haven't.
I'm Rod Cowan. I've spent over thirty years working at the intersection of security, communications, and information operations—advising on violent extremism, media strategy, and cognitive security. I've worked with government, military, and civil society across multiple conflicts and information environments.
This journal I explore how classical rhetoric and Stoic practice can protect institutions and individuals from manipulation in the digital age. I draw on thinkers from Cicero to Ellul, testing their frameworks against contemporary challenges.
I can’t pretend to have all the answers, perhaps none, but I do have a lifetime of experience, contemplation, and travel.
This will be occaisional essays.
Serious inquiry, not hot takes.
No audience in mind.
But, if you're navigating similar terrain, I'd value the conversation.
