[lit-ideas] Re: Eric's hypocritcal wars
- From: "Phil Enns" <phil.enns@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 2 Apr 2006 09:28:44 -0400
Omar Kusturica wrote:
"For example, it strikes me as inconsistent of Eric to say that he is
not a supporter of the Administration and not a war advocate, yet
constantly to post discussions and articles that defend the
Administration and endorse war. Would this count as legitimate
criticism on the list?"
Certainly.
Omar:
"First off, I don't think that civility is the highest good."
Nor do I. And I never said it was. What I did say was that civility is
the ground of social and political discourse. Without civility, we have
Hobbes' nasty, short and brutish.
Omar concludes:
"On another note, this is supposedly a philosophical not a social list,
and the highest good in this context is truth rather than civility.
Thus, we have a right, even perhaps a duty, to vigorously challenge and
question each other's views and opinions."
If truth is the highest good, in this context it cannot be had without
civility. Once one drops civility, it is not truth that one is after
but brutish dominance. Perhaps John and Andreas have succeeded in their
goal to drive Eric into silence and then they can congratulate
themselves concerning their love of humanity.
Sadly,
Phil Enns
Toronto, ON
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