Freedom or security?

[hershel_layton]

Nuvendil said:

Mummelmann said:

The top bit; wow, just wow. Spoken as if you tore it out of my brain, I had this exact conversation at work today. I live in Sweden, the land without nuances and I feel like that every single day here, everything is polarized and either or and almost no one accepts middle ground suggestions.

Great post.

The most tragic irony - though for me it provokes a chuckle more than a sigh - is that in this current society that pays lip service relativism and a lack of moral and philosophical objective truths has more black-and-white argumentation and stagnation than there was at the opening of the 20th century, a far more objectivist society as far as underlying worldview goes.  That's right, a worldview about blithely accepting all ways of thinking equally has in fact bred more harsh bifurcation than we've seen in centuries.

But then is it that shocking?  True debate, true discussion comes from a pursuit of higher understanding, truth, a step forward.  You can't take a step forward with no destination.  Aristotle, Plato, Marcus Aurelius, St Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, René Descartes, Kant, Kierkegaard, Leibniz, all the great minds longed for understanding.  If there's no actual truth, nothing to really understand, what is there to pursue?  To drive true discussion and debate?  Nothing.  By throwing out a real truth or understanding to achieve, relativism throws out all incentive to pursue intellectual discussion.  Which isn't surprising; happened the last several times this kind of worldview rose up. Instead it devolves into the most crass, go-nowhere form of argumentation:  the "in it to win it" mindset that only cares about winning and not learning a thing.  A society that nonchalantly shrugs its shoulders in regard to whether there are objective truths is one that opens itself to being led along by shills, politicians, and "activists" (read "leeches") that will happily use extremes and bifurcation to stir up outrage and fanatical support.  

But that's enough railing on postmodern society for one thread.

I'm not sure if this is criticism against my post, but if it is- I wasn't intending to make this black-white.

 

It was a thread I quickly put together... ;D  

 

In regards to your posts, I can't make much of a response to. They're written beautifully, and are in line with the common thoughts of many people in society today.