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] wwwSite > SamHarris.org Reader Forum Index ->  /  17 April 07  /
] Forum >  Politics, Religion, Philosophy, and Science >  Philosophy
] Thread > [Relativism] What the clash of civilizations is really about
] Post subject >  Re: the real choice
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] from 'The Guardian'; Apr14:  [snip] "Most Anglophone philosophers find this
] kind of hyper-scepticism absurd and pernicious. But although these ideas were
] hatched by philosophers, they have gained wide currency in the humanities
] and the social sciences, often in bastardised form. [snip] Unless we can make
] a convincing case that the choice is not between relativism or dogmatism,
] more and more people will reject the former and embrace the latter.
] When they do, those who helped create the impression that modern, secular
] rationality leaves everything up for grabs in the marketplace of belief
] will have to take their share of the blame."
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tx: exactly, exactly, exactly ... i couldn't possibly agree more! the mad-virus of
irrationality radiates outward from the scientists, intellectuals, and professionals
(who get it from the philosophers), and quickly spreads throughout the whole
culture, ultimately infecting everyone (through the media, if no where else). yet
it is due as much to a lack of will and commitment as it is to a lack of reason.
those that have the reason, lack the will, and those that have the will, lack the
reason. and the problem lies within the very structure of the philo-scientific
paradigm; the specialists feel that they can bear no responsibility for the whole,
and the philosophers are simply not interested.
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Need we ask why?
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The philosophers are *not* committed to reason because they don't *believe*
in Sophia! it's an absurd situation that benefits only fundamentalism and right-
wing conservatives. yet the solution is perfectly obvious. unless the professional-
philosophers take a passionate interest in the real-world, and thus find the will
to take responsibility for their own thinking, then we might as well get used to
praising the really-holy-bible or the really-sacred-koran! for there will soon
come a time when we no longer have the luxury to choose between reason and
irrationality. that choice will be taken away from us! fascism is on the march
again, folks; all around the world. and the "wise-men" refuse to even
acknowledge it; let alone do anything to stop it ... good-grief!
x