[lit-ideas] Re: Ye Olde Dialectic
- From: "Phil Enns" <phil.enns@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 7 Sep 2005 23:59:48 -0400
I had written:
"If we are using Lincoln's account of government, an account you
introduced and one with which I am quite comfortable, then no such thing
is possible. If government does what the people cannot, then charities,
if they are doing what they claim to be doing, are the people doing what
they can. If the people are doing what they can, then they are, by
definition, not letting the government off the hook."
to which John McCreery replied:
"This strikes me as a bit too facile in accepting at face value
Lincoln's distinction between government and individuals 'in their
separate, and individual capacities.'"
Except that I never once used the word 'individuals'. I checked. All
along I have been talking about 'the people', and what I had in mind was
precisely the kinds of groups John lists, namely, families, clubs,
teams, churches, charities, etc. As far as I am concerned, there are no
individuals except in the most ordinary use of that word so I have
trouble seeing how John's comments apply to what I have written.
Sincerely,
Phil Enns
Toronto, ON
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