Difference between revisions of "Fallacies Of Ideology"
From Critiques Of Libertarianism
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; Exalting the few goods above all others. | ; Exalting the few goods above all others. | ||
| − | This fallacy is easily understood by means of the [[Why the asshole is the most important organ]] joke, which is derived from Aesop's [http://mythfolklore.net/aesopica/oxford/66.htm the stomach and the body] fable. Libertarians exalt liberty and property, just as Christians exalt their biblical morality and Marxists exalt the proletariat. All have their merits, and if somehow any one of them was to be completely eliminated, we would be worse off. But none of them are unitary. (This part is weakly presented, needs rethinking and restatement.) | + | :This fallacy is easily understood by means of the [[Why the asshole is the most important organ]] joke, which is derived from Aesop's [http://mythfolklore.net/aesopica/oxford/66.htm the stomach and the body] fable. Libertarians exalt liberty and property, just as Christians exalt their biblical morality and Marxists exalt the proletariat. All have their merits, and if somehow any one of them was to be completely eliminated, we would be worse off. But none of them are unitary. (This part is weakly presented, needs rethinking and restatement.) |
; Pretending that the few goods do not conflict. | ; Pretending that the few goods do not conflict. | ||
This provides mysteries for the faithful to focus upon, providing internal repetition of the ideas so necessary for belief. We see such pretend mysteries in Catholic doctrines such as the three in one god. Libertarians pretend that liberty and property do not conflict, despite the fact that property restricts liberty of all the non-owners. This gives huge opportunity for repetition of the ideological fundamentals (necessary to propaganda) in the course of the inevitable disagreements on how to harmonize the apparent conflicts. That is why libertarianism is so schismatic despite the proclaimed unity of fundamentals, much as in Christianity. That is why G. A Cohen can come to radically opposite conclusions to right-libertarianism starting with the same fundamentals. in his [[Self-Ownership, Freedom and Equality]]. | This provides mysteries for the faithful to focus upon, providing internal repetition of the ideas so necessary for belief. We see such pretend mysteries in Catholic doctrines such as the three in one god. Libertarians pretend that liberty and property do not conflict, despite the fact that property restricts liberty of all the non-owners. This gives huge opportunity for repetition of the ideological fundamentals (necessary to propaganda) in the course of the inevitable disagreements on how to harmonize the apparent conflicts. That is why libertarianism is so schismatic despite the proclaimed unity of fundamentals, much as in Christianity. That is why G. A Cohen can come to radically opposite conclusions to right-libertarianism starting with the same fundamentals. in his [[Self-Ownership, Freedom and Equality]]. | ||
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| + | ; Ignoring [[Joint Production]]. | ||
| + | : The vast majority of economic production is jointly produced. It is only by ignoring this fact that libertarians can pretend that producers (such as entrepreneurs) [[Desert|deserve the full amount of money they can extract]]. | ||
Ideology means taking some idea -- often legitimate in its own sphere -- to the extreme... Ideology offers certainty -- clear cut choices between good and evil, truth and falsehood. It pretends to have scientific answers to complex problems and holds out one easy standard to judge all cases. It thus relieves thinkers of the tedium involved in making difficult distinctions. In Procrustean fashion, ideologues cut facts to fit their ideas, rather than ideas to fit the facts. More often than not, their claims to science turn out to be little more than manipulative quackery. | Ideology means taking some idea -- often legitimate in its own sphere -- to the extreme... Ideology offers certainty -- clear cut choices between good and evil, truth and falsehood. It pretends to have scientific answers to complex problems and holds out one easy standard to judge all cases. It thus relieves thinkers of the tedium involved in making difficult distinctions. In Procrustean fashion, ideologues cut facts to fit their ideas, rather than ideas to fit the facts. More often than not, their claims to science turn out to be little more than manipulative quackery. | ||
