From: David Harding (davidharding@optusnet.com.au)
Date: Sat Apr 30 2005 - 18:39:50 BST
Ant Said:
"The attempt to deny the close relationship between philosophy and
politics is a misguided project to re-define philosophy on MOQ Discuss
to make it an insipid talking shop of the Anglo-American (whitish)
middle classes. If you don’t like Plato’s understanding of it or think
Pirsig’s pragmatist project of improving the American legal system is a
non-starter, then maybe you should consider joining some other
Discussion group looking at post-modernism or some other ostrich
creating ideology. "
Hi Ant et al,
To add; an attempt to deny the close relationship between philosophy and
politics is not a misguided project to re-define philosophy, it is a
misguided attempt to re-define politics, and this division is important.
I agree, most non-philosophers I meet on any given day, hold the opinion
that philosophy has nothing to do with the 'real world'. To them
philosophy is all just concepts and ideas that don't really do anything
of importance, and theoretically they're not entirely wrong. With the
current SOM there has been no grounding for these intellectual values to
take hold and have been merely passed off as "just descriptions" about
reality and not reality itself.
As you say, an appreciation of the MOQ distinctions based in quality
would eliminate this problem as philosophy would become a very important
part of a politicians life and after all, fundamentally philosophy is
based in society. However this is where the connection ends. The
exclusivity of intellectual values from social values is certainly not
something to be overestimated, but it's not something to be
underestimated either. This conflict is important but I think whenever
possible emphasis should go with intellect. There is no better static
good than intellectual freedom and this should not be suffocated by
blind politicking. So, claiming that 'denying philosophy has a close
relationship with politics is misguided' to me is not entirely correct,
yet 'denying politics has a close relationship with philosophy is
misguided' to me, is correct.
Regards,
David.
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