Monday, February 8, 2010
I thought of an example that seems relevant both to our discussion of aesthetics and to our discussion about ideological tolerance. If I say that I like only chocolate chip cookies, this does not mean that I think that all cookies should be chocolate chip. One may extend this example to say that not everyone has to follow one's own way 0f thinking. However, is the claim that not everything must be the way I like it or want it to be or think it should be an ideological claim (which finds fault with other ideologies that do not include tolerance)? Also, in the political/ideological realm, is tolerance in part a recognition of one's own fallibilism? If so, should one continue to practice tolerance, or try to correct one's own fallibility, or both?
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"However, is the claim that not everything must be the way I like it or want it to be or think it should be an ideological claim (which finds fault with other ideologies that do not include tolerance)?"
ReplyDeleteI suppose you could say it represents the "ideology" of toleration -- but only if you want to stretch the meaning of the term beyond reasonable bounds. The tolerant person must stand for the rejection of something -- namely, intolerance -- just as the anti-racist rejects racism. Obviously, an ethical judgment rests at the heart of these disputes.
your preference for chocolate chip cookies, though shouldn't be imposed on anyone else, is limiting to a kind of cookie you haven't tried before and could possibly like better. when your preference dominates a decision it is not concerned with right or wrong or better or worse, an objective reality exists beyond our perception of it. we must understand that we only carry a piece of the puzzle and it cannot be appropriate to assume we know enough to know anything, even though our feelings are probably sensed the strongest which is where our preference comes from. if our preference is metaphysical then we can say progress is my preference, or quality is my preference which apply to all forms of things that produce such. if our preference is in the form, material world as in chocolate chip cookies there could be chocolate chip cookies you don't like and other cookies you like more and you aren't even limited to cookies, but there cannot be progress that is better than other progress unless it is simply more progress. progress exists when our personal perception is aligned with the objective reality that exists beyond it. that progress is unity, harmony and love which should all be our preference because they are innately positive energy that if maxed out you know you are doing it wrong! though moderation of the material world produces the most progress, in the metaphysical maximum happiness (pleasure in material) and minimal suffering (pain in the material) produce the most progress
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