[lit-ideas] Re: Muhammed and the Giant Peach
- From: "Lawrence Helm" <lawrencehelm@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 5 Feb 2006 14:18:46 -0800
Yesterday I saw a few minutes of a C-Span discussion of Michael LeGault's
book Think, Why Crucial Decisions can't be made in the Blink of an eye. He
said that moderns have lost the ability and desire to engage in critical
thinking. In earlier times one developing an argument would analyze the
evidence and draw conclusions based upon it. But today it is considered
better to draw conclusions based upon the right emotion. I thought of the
very brief "Let us reason together" period Mike and I had Friday. He saw
that we had some things in common and proposed that we reason together.
In listening to LeGault on C-Span, it seemed to me that Mike and I might be
exemplifying the difference he was referring to. I could never say wars
ought not to be engaged in until I analyzed wars and the reasons for
engaging in them. Mike could presuppose "Never again war."
He started with rejecting the idea that the US was the good guy. He asked
why we couldn't just see the world as "Just Guys Seeing the Things from
their own perspective." I indeed believed that we each saw things from our
own perspective, and I could accept the pluralism of allowing for that, but
I couldn't go all the way based on the evidence. I couldn't accept the
consequences no matter what. If the Islamist seeing things from his own
perspective wants to kill me, I am not willing to be quite pluralistic
enough to allow him to do so.
Further down he said "Let's start with the end to war." I could never start
there. I need to start with an analysis of war. I need to study the
reasons that wars start, their commonness, their effects and a variety of
other things. As it happens I've already done a considerable amount of
that. I have concluded that while wars are not desirable, they are
sometimes necessary.
But my purpose here isn't to rehash our two note discussion of Friday, it is
to wonder whether Mike and I clash because I am an ancient who performs a
(cold) analysis of the evidence, while Mike, a modern seeks the right (warm)
emotions and is able to draw unerring conclusions from them.
Lawrence
-----Original Message-----
From: lit-ideas-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:lit-ideas-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
On Behalf Of Mike Geary
Sent: Sunday, February 05, 2006 11:33 AM
To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: Muhammed and the Giant Peach
8 years!? You've been biting your tongue for 8 years?? God in heaven, the
patience of some people staggers me. I can hardly stand the minutes it
takes to respond to almost anything Lawrence Helm writes : ), but you've
patiently sat back waiting for the ripe moment. Congrats, Christian, my
hat's off to you. As the Officially Unofficial Welcoming Agent of
Lit-Ideas, I welcome you. Be prepared for fatwas (a bow to Ritchie, though
he probably doesn't remember saying that to me in a different context). But
I need not tell you anything about this list if you've been lurking for 8
years. I'd give my left nut to 8 years younger. Both to be 30 years
younger -- no wait, that'd be counter productive. But you get the
metaphorical idea -- you've wasted a good 8 years that you could have been
straightening out the world. No more waiting. The world needs you,
Christian. Hop to it, fella. Post, post, post. It doesn't matter what you
say -- as you no doubt know having lurk here for 8 years -- just say it.
Keep our Nielsen rating up. Welcome in out of the warm. But first we need
a brief bio. Me-o mi-o down on the bio. Just to please our nose.
Mike Geary
Memphis
----- Original Message -----
From: "Christian Koellerer" <ck-list@xxxxxxx>
To: <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Sunday, February 05, 2006 12:53 PM
Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: Muhammed and the Giant Peach
>
>> What about the british newspapers?
>
> The german newspaper "Die Welt" has printed some of them and they have a
> collection online:
>
> http://www.welt.de/z/photos/index.php/item/karikaturen/
>
> CK, Vienna
> (lurking for at least 8 years with different intensity)
>
>
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