Tim Josling wrote:
Message: 4 Date: Mon, 21 Apr 2014 12:17:57 +1100 From: "Lev Lafayette"
Arendt's general principle, and one that I agree with, it is societies that do not discuss politics, that destroy their public sphere of critical debate and disagreement, that end up sliding into totalitarian and simplistic authoritarian societies. Even with the trappings of a trivilised happy consciousness where any disturbing matters are pushed out-of-sight, out-of-mind, and preferably somewhere else.
Lev Lafayette
Excellent post Lev. The question is how do we have such discussions in a way that generates more light than heat?
As an attendee of many public lecture forums, with a philosophical flavor ; Existentialist Society, Atheist Society, Sea of Faith, Philosophy Forum, Agnostic's Discussion Group can I say 'agreeing to disagree' is the unstated but necessary precursor to peaceful discussion. It seems to me in any world-view one can recognise: 1/ theories; consisting of 'narratives' which are in some way falsifiable ( not necessarily objectively) 2/ standpoints which are a particular selection of a point of view or approach; where many are possible 3/ values ; as beliefs about what should or should not be the case; With regard to 1/ there would seem to be some possibility of reconciling conflict since if two theories seem to disagree; eventually one will be found consistent with all current relevant facts and the other not. With regard to 2/ some-times a standpoint can be shown to be untenable; essentially because the alternatives can be shown to be impossible. But with regard to 3/ (and 'political beliefs' are just a subset of value judgements eg ethics, aesthetics....); whilst it can be a fact, that a particular value judgement is common to most humans; or that a particular value judgement is common to most humans in a particular culture / society; the question: "Is a value in this sense, a fact of existence or a choice of existence ?" does seem essentially irreconcilable .Personally I align with the latter point-of-view ie."Values are existential aka non-contingent choices of existence" regards Rohan McLeod