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Well now, this will get into the meaning of truth. The Shrike Send a noteboard - 26/08/2017 01:04:14 AM

View original postThere are many truths. That which is true now - Slavery is an evil - was not always the truth. I wonder in the future, when meat can be grown in vats, if we will be judged harshly for the way we treat animals now.


The idea that slavery was not always an evil is simply repulsive. And I see no way you can have the viewpoint you do without either reducing "truth" to a social construct (in which case slavery can easily be argued to be only currently an evil in some, but not all, societies) or relying on some sort of reasoning that is going to lead to a sorites paradox issue--at what point does sufficient consensus trigger a new truth.

Truth is relative to time and place. It changes. Yes, we can project our own views backwards, but I prefer to try to understand the people and the place by what they considered the truth. I am a relativist in that regard. What is true now was not considered always true and may yet change again in the future in another time and place. You and I both consider slavery to be an evil. My point is that it was not always considered an evil by all the people at the time/location. It's only relatively recently in the past 3 centuries or so that slavery has become considered an evil.

We can debate on and on about this. I don't know that we will reach agreement.

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What Moderates Believe The Shrike - 23/08/2017 01:14:34 PM 1128 Views
You can see Brooks' conservative roots in his analysis of governments damookster - 23/08/2017 02:58:58 PM 502 Views
I call myself a radical moderate random thoughts - 23/08/2017 03:53:18 PM 548 Views
Brooks is the person I usually agree with the most at the NYT. The Shrike - 23/08/2017 04:33:11 PM 428 Views
It isn't a universal truth, though - it may be valid in liberal democracies, but not everywhere. Legolas - 23/08/2017 06:56:29 PM 481 Views
I view governments like referees in sports damookster - 23/08/2017 07:06:47 PM 522 Views
Yeah. That's a better way of putting it. *NM* Legolas - 23/08/2017 08:09:11 PM 267 Views
Truth may be objective but reality isn't random thoughts - 23/08/2017 03:59:18 PM 432 Views
Polarization of both the Left and the Right The Shrike - 23/08/2017 04:35:24 PM 474 Views
If only we had a centrist media source random thoughts - 23/08/2017 05:15:13 PM 408 Views
No incentive in that aerocontrols - 23/08/2017 05:22:49 PM 686 Views
Great column, despite my quibble above. Legolas - 23/08/2017 07:03:31 PM 437 Views
I'm still hopeful about Macron. The Shrike - 25/08/2017 06:25:31 PM 558 Views
The problem with getting a new party to break the two party lock Hieshyn - 23/08/2017 09:18:37 PM 635 Views
And Cash Money Aviendha - 24/08/2017 06:23:34 PM 461 Views
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I was of the opinion that after Rand Paul was out of the primaries, Hieshyn - 24/08/2017 11:17:49 PM 470 Views
Sorry but no one one who wants to end social security has a chance too win random thoughts - 25/08/2017 02:19:12 AM 454 Views
Universal Basic Income may be the issue. The Shrike - 25/08/2017 06:26:08 PM 429 Views
This is an excellent point. nossy - 25/08/2017 08:12:36 PM 508 Views
I think perhaps The Shrike - 25/08/2017 10:22:14 PM 485 Views
Moderates need a better narrative Tom - 24/08/2017 05:19:14 AM 399 Views
Rejecting the extremes aerocontrols - 24/08/2017 02:48:12 PM 443 Views
Does it matter why they're lukewarm? They're still going to get spewed out. Cannoli - 24/08/2017 01:08:30 PM 680 Views
Moderates are from Laodicea? damookster - 24/08/2017 01:37:44 PM 448 Views
Moderates are the Cheese Pizza of politics... Jeordam - 24/08/2017 05:17:55 PM 458 Views
That is a cure analogy but not really accurate random thoughts - 24/08/2017 05:38:54 PM 484 Views
You know what though? Aviendha - 24/08/2017 06:18:48 PM 487 Views
*laughs* Jeordam - 24/08/2017 07:03:58 PM 378 Views
Aviendha - 24/08/2017 07:13:53 PM 435 Views
That's one heck of an oven.... Jeordam - 24/08/2017 08:54:43 PM 422 Views
lets here it for libertarian pizza *NM* random thoughts - 24/08/2017 07:25:18 PM 297 Views
I won't eat cheese pizza. *NM* Tom - 24/08/2017 07:43:03 PM 275 Views
Cheese (Actually extra cheese pizza is my favorite) The Shrike - 25/08/2017 06:29:41 PM 589 Views
I enjoyed this nossy - 24/08/2017 08:19:50 PM 547 Views
Kind of a "here is why we are screwed" *NM* random thoughts - 24/08/2017 08:51:00 PM 373 Views
Because from what you've written and said The Shrike - 25/08/2017 06:28:46 PM 528 Views
I would remind you that extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice. Ghavrel - 24/08/2017 10:53:44 PM 402 Views
Yes. You would. damookster - 25/08/2017 01:06:47 AM 560 Views
I long ago came to the conclusion that I'm generally conservative in my tastes. Ghavrel - 25/08/2017 01:28:08 AM 417 Views
We'll make a conservative of you yet. Tom - 25/08/2017 02:36:01 PM 462 Views
I'd be an anarchosyndicalist, except that I have a basic working knowledge of history. Ghavrel - 25/08/2017 03:47:35 PM 444 Views
I am unsurprised at your disagreement. The Shrike - 25/08/2017 06:42:32 PM 509 Views
Re: I am unsurprised at your disagreement. Ghavrel - 25/08/2017 11:01:56 PM 533 Views
Well now, this will get into the meaning of truth. The Shrike - 26/08/2017 01:04:14 AM 364 Views
Re: Well now, this will get into the meaning of truth. Ghavrel - 26/08/2017 01:16:56 AM 571 Views
I hope you don't mind me butting in on your conversation damookster - 26/08/2017 01:46:45 AM 442 Views
Guilty as charged. The Shrike - 26/08/2017 08:27:45 PM 469 Views
I'm a moderate/centrist insofar as the fact that I'm neither an overall leftist or rightist. LiterateDog - 25/08/2017 03:24:12 PM 392 Views
You know that communists are technically anti-statists, right? Ghavrel - 25/08/2017 03:57:37 PM 512 Views
Somehow I think Joe knows what purported Marxists say, and also what they do. *NM* aerocontrols - 25/08/2017 04:44:59 PM 308 Views
The academy is probably more anarchic left these days, really. Ghavrel - 25/08/2017 11:09:19 PM 641 Views
Communism is an economic system. The Shrike - 25/08/2017 06:55:26 PM 473 Views
It's more than that if you adopt an orthodox Marxist view. Ghavrel - 25/08/2017 11:07:03 PM 403 Views
Your argument sounded like this: Tom - 27/08/2017 03:20:43 PM 691 Views
Well, yes. Though I think you're conflating "communism" with "Marxism" here. Ghavrel - 27/08/2017 06:14:54 PM 719 Views
You believe in personal rights/freedoms. The Shrike - 25/08/2017 06:49:30 PM 460 Views
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