An end to moral relativism.?

[there buster]

TNR

by Judea Pearl

I used to believe that the world essentially divided into two types of people: those who were broadly tolerant; and those who felt threatened by differences. If only the forces of tolerance could win out over the forces of intolerance, I reasoned, the world might finally know some measure of peace.

But there was a problem with my theory, and it was never clearer than in a conversation I once had with a Pakistani friend who told me that he loathed people like President Bush who insisted on dividing the world into "us" and "them." My friend, of course, was taking an innocent stand against intolerance, and did not realize that, in so doing, he was in fact dividing the world into "us" and "them," falling straight into the camp of people he loathed.

This is a political version of a famous paradox formulated by Bertrand Russell in 1901, which shook the logical foundations of mathematics. Any person who claims to be tolerant naturally defines himself in opposition to those who are intolerant. But that makes him intolerant of certain people--which invalidates his claim to be tolerant.

The political lesson of Russell's paradox is that there is no such thing as unqualified tolerance. Ultimately, one must be able to expound intolerance of certain groups or ideologies without surrendering the moral high ground normally linked to tolerance and inclusivity. One should, in fact, condemn and resist political doctrines that advocate the murder of innocents, that undermine the basic norms of civilization, or that seek to make pluralism impossible. There can be no moral equivalence between those who seek--however clumsily--to build a more liberal, tolerant world and those who advocate the annihilation of other faiths, cultures, or states.

Which brings me to my son, Daniel Pearl. Thanks to the release of A Mighty Heart, the movie based on Mariane Pearl's book of the same title, Danny's legacy is once again receiving attention. Of course, no movie could ever capture exactly what made Danny special--his humor, his integrity, his love of humanity--or why he was admired by so many. For journalists, Danny represents the courage and nobility inherent in their profession. For Americans, Danny is a symbol of one of our very best national instincts: the desire to extend a warm hand of friendship and dialogue to faraway lands and peoples. And for anyone who is proud of their heritage or faith, Danny's last words, "I am Jewish," showed that it is possible to find dignity in one's identity even in the darkest of moments. Traces of these ideas are certainly evident in A Mighty Heart, and I hope viewers will leave the theater inspired by them.

At the same time, I am worried that A Mighty Heart falls into a trap Bertrand Russell would have recognized: the paradox of moral equivalence, of seeking to extend the logic of tolerance a step too far. You can see traces of this logic in the film's comparison of Danny's abduction with Guantánamo--it opens with pictures from the prison--and its comparison of Al Qaeda militants with CIA agents. You can also see it in the comments of the movie's director, Michael Winterbottom, who wrote on The Washington Post's website that A Mighty Heart and his previous film The Road to Guantánamo "are very similar. Both are stories about people who are victims of increasing violence on both sides. There are extremists on both sides who want to ratchet up the levels of violence and hundreds of thousands of people have died because of this."

Drawing a comparison between Danny's murder and the detainment of suspects in Guantánamo is precisely what the killers wanted, as expressed in both their e-mails and the murder video. Obviously Winterbottom did not mean to echo their sentiments, and certainly not to justify their demands or actions. Still, I am concerned that aspects of his movie will play into the hands of professional obscurers of moral clarity.

Indeed, following an advance screening of A Mighty Heart, a panelist representing the Council on American-Islamic Relations reportedly said, "We need to end the culture of bombs, torture, occupation, and violence. This is the message to take from the film." The message that angry youngsters are hearing is unfortunate: All forms of violence are equally evil; therefore, as long as one persists, others should not be ruled out. This is precisely the logic used by Mohammed Siddiqui Khan, one of the London suicide bombers, in his videotape on Al Jazeera. "Your democratically elected government," he told his British countrymen, "continues to perpetrate atrocities against my people ... . [W]e will not stop."

Danny's tragedy demands an end to this logic. There can be no comparison between those who take pride in the killing of an unarmed journalist and those who vow to end such acts--no ifs, ands, or buts. Moral relativism died with Daniel Pearl, in Karachi, on January 31, 2002. [yet it survives on CA]

There was a time when drawing moral symmetries between two sides of every conflict was a mark of original thinking. Today, with Western intellectuals overextending two-sidedness to reckless absurdities, it reflects nothing but lazy conformity. What is needed now is for intellectuals, filmmakers, and the rest of us to resist this dangerous trend and draw legitimate distinctions where such distinctions are warranted.

[bevin]

The big problem is that the West seems to think that having expensive high-tech devices for doing the killing makes it moral and brave whereas using simple suicide bombers and hiding in the crowds to avoid these high-tech devices is immoral and cowardly.

It is okay for us to kill wedding parties and school children because of bad intelligence or because of the previous-but-no-longer presence of possible combatants whereas it is immoral for them to kill our civilians who pay the taxes to buy the high-tech weapons and provide the children to use the weapons and who elect the politicians who order the children to use the high-tech weapons

Neither side is prepared to consider the possibility that they are wrong

The fact of the matter is that we should simply get out of the Middle East and let the local people sort out their future, instead of trying to impose a solution that is to our financial benefit.

If we don't want them coming here, we should stop going there.

/Bevin

[Bravus]

Is it an example of moral relativism or of moral absolutism to say that torture and injustice are torture and injustice everywhere, regardless of who commits them?

[Neil D]

Quote:

This is a political version of a famous paradox formulated by Bertrand Russell in 1901, which shook the logical foundations of mathematics. Any person who claims to be tolerant naturally defines himself in opposition to those who are intolerant. But that makes him intolerant of certain people--which invalidates his claim to be tolerant.

I wonder....If I substitue the words "Christian" for tolerant, would it make any difference in the logic of this piece? Or if I subsitute "loving person" for tolerant, if the outcome is any different?

[aldona]

Quote:

The big problem is that the West seems to think that having expensive high-tech devices for doing the killing makes it moral and brave whereas using simple suicide bombers and hiding in the crowds to avoid these high-tech devices is immoral and cowardly.

It is okay for us to kill wedding parties and school children because of bad intelligence or because of the previous-but-no-longer presence of possible combatants whereas it is immoral for them to kill our civilians who pay the taxes to buy the high-tech weapons and provide the children to use the weapons and who elect the politicians who order the children to use the high-tech weapons

Neither side is prepared to consider the possibility that they are wrong

The fact of the matter is that we should simply get out of the Middle East and let the local people sort out their future, instead of trying to impose a solution that is to our financial benefit.

If we don't want them coming here, we should stop going there.

/Bevin

Quote:

Is it an example of moral relativism or of moral absolutism to say that torture and injustice are torture and injustice everywhere, regardless of who commits them?

Amen and amen.

aldona

(still inspired and idealistic after Amnesty branch meeting last night)

[D. Allan]

and more amens.

[D. Allan]

Quote:

This is a political version of a famous paradox formulated by Bertrand Russell in 1901, which shook the logical foundations of mathematics. Any person who claims to be tolerant naturally defines himself in opposition to those who are intolerant. But that makes him intolerant of certain people--which invalidates his claim to be tolerant.

I wonder....If I substitue the words "Christian" for tolerant, would it make any difference in the logic of this piece? Or if I subsitute "loving person" for tolerant, if the outcome is any different?

Amen, again.

Any person who is tolerant is also tolerant of those who are intolerant. Why not? As Christ was loving to those who were unloving.

Mrs. Pearls logic and perhaps her understanding of Bertrand Russell are faulty. Of course if my son were killed I might also be looking for any excuse to be intolerant also.

So can a tolerant person do anything other than just be sad? just rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep, as Saint Paul advised?

[there buster]

Quote:

still inspired and idealistic after Amnesty branch meeting last night)

inspired. interesting choice of words.

[there buster]

Quote:

So can a tolerant person do anything other than just be sad? just rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep, as Saint Paul advised?

So, weep with those who lost loved ones on 9/11, and rejoice with the Palestinians and others who rejoiced over it. Weep with Daniel Pearl's mother over his beheading, and rejoice with the 'freedom fighters' who rejoiced over it. Very tolerant.

[aldona]

Quote:

still inspired and idealistic after Amnesty branch meeting last night)

inspired. interesting choice of words.

Not "inspired" with a capital I...only Bible writers and Ellen White can claim to be members of that elite group.

Just plain ol' "inspired" as in fired up with enthusiasm, zealous, full of new ideas and optimistic.

Unfortunately, a feeling that I have very rarely felt in a religious setting. Still trying to figure out why.

aldona

[D. Allan]

Quote:

So, weep with those who lost loved ones on 9/11, and rejoice with the Palestinians and others who rejoiced over it. Weep with Daniel Pearl's mother over his beheading, and rejoice with the 'freedom fighters' who rejoiced over it. Very tolerant

OK,... whatever... :-( :-) :-|