tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14964316.post112321524195527994..comments2023-07-14T05:23:10.915-07:00Comments on Your Mileage May Vary: Toward a Coherent Political Philosophy (Part 1)Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16371363571092946834noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14964316.post-1127645359352607922005-09-25T03:49:00.000-07:002005-09-25T03:49:00.000-07:00I think too much logical consistency could be very...I think too much logical consistency could be very dangerous outside of academical discussions. Our understanding of the world is very limited, and most of our observations and reasonings about every topic are nothing but a tiny slice of the whole. We seek consistency out of necessary, not because it's better.<BR/><BR/>Assuming consistency is good is the same as assuming easier models are better in science. A common practice with no real footings.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14964316.post-1123823132499832652005-08-11T22:05:00.000-07:002005-08-11T22:05:00.000-07:00Yeah, I think you're right about that, Manny. I'm ...Yeah, I think you're right about that, Manny. I'm having a bit of trouble with my 'deepest core values' - identifying them, anyhow. Hopefully writing about them will make them clearer to me in time.Aaronhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16371363571092946834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14964316.post-1123652976159654572005-08-09T22:49:00.000-07:002005-08-09T22:49:00.000-07:00"...trying to discern what my deepest core values ..."...trying to discern what my deepest core values are, and attempting to discard beliefs that I know are inconsistent with those values."<BR/><BR/>That's pretty much it, right there, though maybe "core values" is a more complicated thing than it might seem. A lot of it also has to do with psychology-motivated views about what sort of place the world is. A radical liberal and a radical conservative both believe that the world is seriously screwed up and needs to be drastically changed right away or we're all in big trouble. In that sense, a commie eco-terrorist really has more in common with a gun-loving religious nutcase that s/he does with a moderate liberal who just wants to expand the welfare state a little bit.<BR/><BR/>Nor is just radicals whose political beliefs are deeply informed by their own psychological leanings- I think that's the case for pretty much everyone. To me, the world is a place that is pretty much OK, except for some really serious problems that are almost entirely related to the fact that people don't have regard for others that think/act/look/behave differently than they do. And pretty much everything that I believe related to politics stems from that, and is hopefully logically consistent with that overall viewpoint.<BR/><BR/>Now, why is that particular issue- that people are too intolerant- the focal point for me? It's probably closely related to the difficulties my father experienced in his life, and the resultant difficulties for me growing up with that.<BR/><BR/>Anyways, I think the main thing is to identify your starting point- or core values, or whatever you want to call it- and then just try to make sure that your beliefs are logically consistent from there.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14964316.post-1123221693293594642005-08-04T23:01:00.001-07:002005-08-04T23:01:00.001-07:00... I just happen to value what I believe to be es...... I just happen to value what I believe to be established "life" (however we define that particular shade-of-grey term) just a little more.<BR/><BR/>Consistency is certainly a good thing to strive for, and while I wouldn't advocate a hodge-podge approach based on reaching pre-determined conclusions, I certainly think it doesn't hurt to examine how any proposed policy would affect _individual_ lives before incorporating it so solidly into one's belief system.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14964316.post-1123221682160902292005-08-04T23:01:00.000-07:002005-08-04T23:01:00.000-07:00This is what I have spent the last year doing in r...This is what I have spent the last year doing in regards to both my political and religious beliefs: trying to discern what my deepest core values are, and attempting to discard beliefs that I know are inconsistent with those values.<BR/><BR/>I think, thus far, my endeavors have been more successful -- many of my former beliefs were, indeed, what I was "supposed" to believe for any given label (Christian, conservative, woman, etc.) although I never rationalized it that way. Some of these beliefs I believe to be consistent with my most strongly-held values -- for instance, my dislike for abortion, though I remain undecided on how to apply that belief in policy -- while others I found to be inconsistent -- to choose another popular issue, gay marriage: I decided that "I don't like the idea of it" is never reason enough to forbid something, and my believe in influencing others through love and care over condemnation and coercion won over in this case.<BR/><BR/>And, of course, the problem in any belief system, consistent or no, comes in the application of those beliefs. I hate the effects alcohol has had on my brothers, and I don't plan to drink a drop of it if I can ever help it. However, I don't even blink at people who drink responsibly -- in fact, I was prepared to defend XX against my mother should I have ended up with XX and my mother have found out that she was a cocktail waitress. Something like abortion, however, is far less clear, although that particular value is much stronger -- I don't believe life should ever be sacrificed if we can help it, yet I don't believe I can tell a woman to make a choice between long-term effects on her health, or facing death itself, and bearing her child to term. In fact, I honestly don't like the idea of forcing any woman to carry a child to term at all, even for reasons of inconvenience.... (continued)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com