Not overtly P. if interested, some analysis of American politics

[Ian Livingston]

It's the Socratic ethic, really, dialectic is the highest human
manifestation of divine love. Those who toy with inquiry are the worst of
the worst. Thus Plato ranks the politicians as the lowest form of life, and
thus Socrates doesn't even pretend that a defense is much worth mounting
against politicians. There are rubrics of listening skills that are
sometimes fun, and rubrics of conversational levels from phatic to
dialectic. When an insincere listener meets a earnest conversationalist
things go awry.

On Fri, Dec 21, 2012 at 9:17 PM, Michael Bailey <
michael.lee.bailey at gmail.com> wrote:

>  David Morris wrote:
>
>> R U 9kidding me?
>>
>>   "truth will emerge supreme?"
>>
>> Rilly?  Rarely is that accomplished.  Mostly the ruler's (Rich) version
>> is ennobled.
>>
>> Follow the money.
>>
>>
>>
> i think what mill was getting at was that the effort of getting at the
> truth requires attending to all arguments and viewpoints expressed, and
> countering with analytical thinking and its results
>
> that will develop the ability to contend with thoughts more effectively
> over time, an increasing knowledge of the ontology of the
> thought-landscape, and the habit of civilized discussion, resulting in a
> reputation for same
>
> to physically suppress viewpoints one disagrees with, otoh, develops an
> ethos of violence, a habit of listening only until the first disputed
> point, and a reputation for same...
>
> even buying talking heads to shout one's name to an admiring bog will
> eventually yield naught but an ozymandian return, but lo it is written,
> "get wisdom", for that is an evergreen prudent investment!  (it is above
> ruby's)
>
>
>
>
>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://waste.org/pipermail/pynchon-l/attachments/20121221/158ebf65/attachment.html>