Romney's Mormonism

Maureen Dowd gives me a chance to get down something on Romney's Mormonism, and particularly on this bizarre practice of posthumously baptizing people into their religion.

( Read more... )

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On one hand, it is a little touching that they should want more people to enjoy the highest level of heaven, even Hitler. On the other hand, it is disturbing that our most serious Republican contender for the presidency seems to have a deep and literal belief in these strange metaphysics. Though, as a practical matter, I am more concerned about his cold plutocratic instincts to favor the rich and be indifferent to the poor, but that is Republicanism through and through, and apparently Jesus is not enough to get them to turn away even a little from that.

Romney's Mormonism

Maureen Dowd gives me a chance to get down something on Romney's Mormonism, and particularly on this bizarre practice of posthumously baptizing people into their religion.

( Read more... )

_ _ _

On one hand, it is a little touching that they should want more people to enjoy the highest level of heaven, even Hitler. On the other hand, it is disturbing that our most serious Republican contender for the presidency seems to have a deep and literal belief in these strange metaphysics. Though, as a practical matter, I am more concerned about his cold plutocratic instincts to favor the rich and be indifferent to the poor, but that is Republicanism through and through, and apparently Jesus is not enough to get them to turn away even a little from that.

History of the Vibrator

The attempt to desexualize the vibrator played into larger fears men expressed about female sexuality. Masturbation was on the minds of many Americans during the early 20th century. Men such as Theodore Roosevelt worried that “self-pollution” sapped the male of strength, virility and morality and that the practice threatened the future of American manhood. But the specter of female masturbation was far more terrifying. I have read debates between doctors over whether women should be allowed to ride bicycles or whether the pleasure they might induce from the seat made it an unacceptable moral hazard.

-- Erik Loomis at AlterNet.org

Mr. Loomis considers the new Republican movement against female sexuality, and he takes a bit of an historical perspective focusing on the odd and fascinating history of the vibrator.

History of the Vibrator

The attempt to desexualize the vibrator played into larger fears men expressed about female sexuality. Masturbation was on the minds of many Americans during the early 20th century. Men such as Theodore Roosevelt worried that “self-pollution” sapped the male of strength, virility and morality and that the practice threatened the future of American manhood. But the specter of female masturbation was far more terrifying. I have read debates between doctors over whether women should be allowed to ride bicycles or whether the pleasure they might induce from the seat made it an unacceptable moral hazard.

-- Erik Loomis at AlterNet.org

Mr. Loomis considers the new Republican movement against female sexuality, and he takes a bit of an historical perspective focusing on the odd and fascinating history of the vibrator.

Christianity to believe in

Christianity to believe in

Philosophy

“Philosophy is not concerned with meaning, but with definitions in use.”

-- A. J. Ayer, "Language, Truth and Logic"

It is important to get our terms straight and how we use them, but surely this is only the first step. Though, it may be that we can never expect to succeed and come together on this first step.

There is a certain poetic beauty in this, in that our first philosophical discourses with Socrates and Plato never really seem to get beyond this need to better define our terms, such as the question what do we mean by 'justice'? There is too much at stake on these definitions, because our definitions determine our conclusions.

It is an academic exercise. After all, we are not robots waiting for our carefully drafted programs, but we are human beings being ruled by the gun. Our leaders are not logicians but power-hungry men. They care not for logic and consistency, but the satisfaction of their desires and lusts.

Philosophy

“Philosophy is not concerned with meaning, but with definitions in use.”

-- A. J. Ayer, "Language, Truth and Logic"

It is important to get our terms straight and how we use them, but surely this is only the first step. Though, it may be that we can never expect to succeed and come together on this first step.

There is a certain poetic beauty in this, in that our first philosophical discourses with Socrates and Plato never really seem to get beyond this need to better define our terms, such as the question what do we mean by 'justice'? There is too much at stake on these definitions, because our definitions determine our conclusions.

It is an academic exercise. After all, we are not robots waiting for our carefully drafted programs, but we are human beings being ruled by the gun. Our leaders are not logicians but power-hungry men. They care not for logic and consistency, but the satisfaction of their desires and lusts.