From: Lee Corbin (lcorbin@tsoft.com)
Date: Sun Aug 05 2001 - 01:31:35 MDT
Samantha writes
> Or perhaps logic and reason is not the end and be all of ways to
> fruitfully understand and make wise choices.
Oh, absolutely. I made a glancing reference to emotions, but as
you may know emotions evidently play a key role in our *reasoning*
processes. I intend to post more about that soon. (I have a lot
of good intentions.)
>> When I am comfortable saying that, I can then proceed to the
>> more difficult abridgment, "The Fred Reed piece was racist."
>> Now after I say it a few times, it gets a lot easier.
>>
>> In just this way, we can employ our rationality to help ourselves
>> move forward. In this way, we can allow, as you put it, reason
>> into our lives.
>
> Do you really think this is an example of anything highly
> admirable, especially of an example of the benefits of reason?
> How so? I don't get it. Honest examination leads to the
> conclusion for sure but was it really at all difficult to do?
Yes. Because (a) the process of political polarization that
I explained in several previous posts (b) the implied criticism
of beliefs of some people on this list who were being beleaguered
from all quarters, and I was "piling on".
> I don't think in terms of "liberal" or "conservative". But
> I am one who has embraced many intellectually, emotionally,
> psychologically and spiritually painful positions in my life
> when I believed that honesty and being fully alive required it.
> How could I do anything else when I know what dishonesty brings
> from trying that all together too many times?
It is very easy for most people to avoid embracing many
painful positions of the kinds you describe. You are
indeed very fortunate that you couldn't bring yourself
to do anything else.
> I don't have "ideological opponents".
That's very unusual for one who has thought a good
deal about politics, at least here in the U.S.
Lee
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