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- From: jwales@silver.ucs.indiana.edu (Jimmy -Jimbo- Wales)
- Subject: Re: Grounding morals
- Message-ID: <C1Gw39.553@usenet.ucs.indiana.edu>
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- Organization: Indiana University
- References: <1993Jan26.032035.13300@news.eng.convex.com> <C1G6Ct.HJ8@usenet.ucs.indiana.edu> <AG.93Jan26133304@anhur.sics.se>
- Date: Tue, 26 Jan 1993 15:23:29 GMT
- Lines: 32
-
- > Not directly, not immediately, not individually, of course. But
- > intellectual arguments play a strong role in shaping culture, law,
- > etc. If there is a failure among intellectuals (philosophers) in
- > defending (for example) the fundamental value of life, then a direct
- > result may be: Nazi gas chambers. We've seen it happen.
- >
- >
- >I don't know if it is in any way related to this issue but I
- >once read a serie of interesting comments on this matter by
- >Heisenberg (who lived in Germany during the second world war).
- >He suggested that intellectual arguments was part of the problem
- >and that morality must be based in something beyond rational
- >arguments.
-
- Then Heisenberg was just as much of an (intellectual) victim of the
- doctrines he had taught as were the Nazis. I know of no plausible view
- of rationality that would lead one to think that the Nazis were
- _rational_! It is precisely the placing of morality beyond rational
- arguments that opens the door for the only known alternative: brute
- force. That is, if reason (i.e. discussion, debate, and the virtues
- of tolerance presumed by the process) is abandoned, then what other
- path is open?
-
- >Now, I hope I haven't 'put my foot in my mouth' or whatever way
- >the English proverb has it.
-
- No, I don't think so. The comment was interesting.
-
- --Jimbo
-
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