From: Platt Holden (pholden@sc.rr.com)
Date: Wed Nov 17 2004 - 23:00:34 GMT
Arlo,
Thanks for patiently if condescendingly explaining why none of the
assumptions I attributed to you were correct. I gather you do assume,
however, that absolutes and dichotomies are to be avoided in discourse
except for certain ones, such as those you declared in your post. For
example, you asserted absolutely:
>None of these assumptions (surprise, surprise) are correct.
> We have mythed over (aspects of history) in the name of feel-good
> nationalism.
> (We should not) let textbook authors determine what our history is.
> The defining of protestors to the current war as "unpatriotic" is evil.
> Absolute statements such as "America is superior to China" is nothing
> but nationalistic nonsense.
> I am against the teaching of metaphysics as dogma.
> Respect for one another is a good cure for many of the world's problems.
> Actions speak much louder than words.
> (Lincoln) should not be allowed to become heroified.
I point these out merely to show that your "absolute" rule to avoid
absolutes and dichotomies in presentations is virtually impossible to
achieve, and further that some moral judgments are absolutes, as Pirsig
pointed out:
"Whether the stove is the cause of the low quality or whether possibly
something else is the cause is not yet absolutely certain. But that the
quality is low is absolutely certain. It is the primary empirical reality
from which such things as stoves and heat and oaths and self are later
intellectually constructed." (Lila, 5)
Of course, let's not make Pirsig "heroified." :-)
Platt
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