tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8974481375695763274.post6335966326500519446..comments2023-10-20T05:18:16.801-05:00Comments on Rational Answers: The Essence of FundamentalismCaptain Rationalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08832946179896855998noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8974481375695763274.post-59164497138444271272007-09-20T09:15:00.000-05:002007-09-20T09:15:00.000-05:00This particular comment really hit home: "The fact...This particular comment really hit home: "The fact that evil is inconsistent with most of our self-images implies that we typically do it because we did not know how to stop ourselves."<BR/><BR/>This is so right! If you ask people about their conception of themselves, most will say they are a good person. And the majority who believe in Heaven believe they are going to Heaven. And the majority will say that they'd make a good parent. <BR/><BR/>Our self-image *is* wildly divergent from what might be the reality of how we actually behave in the universe. Hmm. This definitely seems to be true. OK, I'm convinced.Karenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18048784416422173226noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8974481375695763274.post-2560488136418611112007-09-19T15:26:00.000-05:002007-09-19T15:26:00.000-05:00I concede that people do needlessly torment each o...I concede that people do needlessly torment each other. But in the abstract, few of us truly want to do so. Honestly, who in their right mind would want to join the "Brotherhood of Evil Mutants" with no trace of irony? <BR/><BR/>Our desire to not be evil does not stop us from doing evil. The fact that evil is inconsistent with most of our self-images implies that we typically do it because we did not know how to stop ourselves. This lack of knowledge is the ignorance to which I am referring. <BR/><BR/>I maintain that for any mental state, there exists knowledge of how to avoid causing unnecessary suffering. In other words, there is invariably a sequence of thoughts that, even given the wild fluctuations of my brain chemistry, would keep me from tormenting those around me. There is also a part of me that does not want to be the cause of misery. The separation between this portion of my psyche and that particular sequence of thoughts is what I am calling ignorance. My ultimate point is that non-fundamentalists see this separation as a more significant contributor to the needless suffering in the world than any "inherent evil".Captain Rationalhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08832946179896855998noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8974481375695763274.post-67042363908542596692007-09-18T21:21:00.000-05:002007-09-18T21:21:00.000-05:00When I think "fundamentalist," I do immediately ju...When I think "fundamentalist," I do immediately jump to characterizing them as literal interpreters, so scraping below the surface is helpful. Fear is unquestionably the primary motivator, along with an inability to admit shades of grey. <BR/><BR/>It seems to me that the truth must be somewhere between the pure fundamentalist and the pure progressive. Whereas most of humanity probably is often acting out of ignorance, we still have a modicum of personal choice within a limited context. I could choose to trip my coworker the next time he walks by my cube--it would be out of malice. I don't because I can see it is wrong, but I have to admit there are times in my life when I'm in a little snit and might pick a verbal fight with someone just because I was in a bad mood even though I knew it was the wrong thing to do. So, I think that people can intentionally choose to do "evil." How do else can you account for variance of mood that affect behavior? I don't think ignorance is always the culprit; there may be such a thing as willful disobedience, even to oneself.Karenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18048784416422173226noreply@blogger.com