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Re: Re: protagoras, moral sensibilities, very little otr
First:
> i used to love debating things like good and
> evil and absolute truth and the human condition.
> [snip] now debate simply exhausts me. the
> everyday reality is tiring enough...
Then:
> Hear! Hear! I spent all last week...[snip] These are real people
> with real situations. All of a sudden, debating philosophical world
> views didn't matter anymore. Just a bunch of mental masturbation.
Just a brief interjection: the above is nonsense. ;)
I can certainly understand being too tired for debate, or too busy,
or too stressed. But to imply that philosophical debate is only superificially
gratifying is nonsense in that it ignores *why* we debate, indeed, why we
formulate world views at all.
First and foremost, words are important. They shape how we think, and how we
think directly influences how we behave. These unfortunate people that you
(both) have been working with are the direct and indirect victims of other
people's world views (mostly people who haven't taken the time or interest to
construct coherent belief systems). I applaud and encourage rhetorical debates
about philosophy, religion, sociology, etc. because the people who are involved
are actively defining who they are and why they believe what they believe. I
would rather stand with ten thousand thinking people who disagree with me than
with one mindless person who thinks my ideas are the cat's meow.
Second, philosophical world views determine how we address with the problems that
these "real" people are grappling with. There's more than one way to skin a cat,
as they say, and some ways are more effective than others. Without dissecting
the various points of view, we're not likely to discover what the best ways are.
Is it better to be kinder or more effective? Can we be both? Should we try? Is
it better to be protective or supportive? How can we know? What is the
foundation upon which we build our emotional and mental support systems for one
another?
Mental masturbation, indeed! If there is such a thing, I wish that everyone
practiced it.
End of objection. Returning to lurk mode. :)
Paul Christian Glenn pcg at mailandnews_com
Eon Chamber http://eonchamber.port5.com
Christian Realists http://x-real.firinn.org
Currently Reading: Dave Barry's Guide To Life
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