RE: MD A Question of Balance / Rules of the Game

From: Arlo J. Bensinger (ajb102@psu.edu)
Date: Sun Nov 06 2005 - 12:12:47 GMT

  • Next message: David Harding: "Re: MD A Question of Balance / Rules of the Game"

    [Platt to Case]
    "A culture that supports the dominance of social values over biological
    values is an absolutely superior culture to one that does not, and a
    culture that supports the dominance of intellectual values over social
    values is absolutely superior to one that does not. It is immoral to speak
    against a people because of the color of their skin, or any other genetic
    characteristic because these are not changeable and don't matter anyway.
    But it is not immoral to speak against a person because of his cultural
    characteristics if those cultural characteristics are-immoral. These are
    changeable and they do matter." (Lila, 24)
     
    So much for social science and the notion that all cultures are moral
    equals. David got it right.

    [Arlo]
    Platt is correct, we can judge the characteristics of a culture. The things to
    remember are that "a culture that supports the dominance of social values over
    biological values" is only "more moral" when those suppressed biological values
    are actually threatening the existence of the social level. Same for the
    Intellect dominance over social patterns. Suppression is only moral when higher
    levels are threatened. Hence, there are many "characteristics" of American
    culture that are immoral by MOQ measures. Social level patterns, multicultural
    traditions, are only "immoral" when they suppress Intellectual level patterns,
    or when they wrongly suppress unthreatening biological patterns. Which brings
    me the second thing to remember, that Pirsig is judging "characteristics" and
    not making blanket statements based on one or two measures. In his disapproval
    of multiculturalism, Platt must propose "uniculturalism" to fill the void.
    Which works for him because it is everyone else who must "become like him" (he,
    of course, doesn't need to change at all). Platt uses "Islamofascism" to
    condemn all respect for the cultural traditions originating among Middle
    Eastern populations. I agree that characterists of militant Islam are immoral
    by MOQ measures, but I don't damn the entire social-cultural milieu, any more
    than I damn the entire social-cultural milieu of America because the
    characterists of Fundamental Christians are immoral according to MOQ measures.

    Arlo

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