In an interview, the late Irving Kristol stated he was deeply indebted to Leo Strauss for an understanding of the “noble lie.” “There are different kinds of truths for different kinds of people,” he said. “There are truths appropriate for children; truths that are appropriate for students; truths that are appropriate for educated adults; and truths that are appropriate for highly educated adults, and the notion that there should be one set of truths available to everyone is a modern democratic fallacy. It doesn’t work.”Steven Pinker criticizes this view in The Blank Slate: The Modern Denial of Human Nature, and so does John Derbyshire.
There is some truth to this, but it is a very elitist view. It appears to be followed by pseudo=intellectuals from the NY Times to National Review. They say all sorts of things that they must know to be false.
They preach a kindergarten-level of politics and morality. I guess they think that most people are dumb enough to fall for it.
I think that the best course is to relentlessly hammer them with uncomfortable truths, until everyone sees their noble lies for what they are.
No comments:
Post a Comment