Difference between revisions of "Fallacies Of Ideology"

From Critiques Of Libertarianism
Jump to: navigation, search
 
Line 1: Line 1:
−
[[Category:Libertarian Philosophy]]
+
[[Category:Philosophy]]
 +
[[Category:Ideology]]
 +
[[Category:Fallacies|200]]
 
{{DES | des = Ideology commonly makes a number of different mistakes than more ordinary philosophy.}}
 
{{DES | des = Ideology commonly makes a number of different mistakes than more ordinary philosophy.}}
  
 
An ideology is a form of philosophy whose primary goal is to proselytize taking an idea to the extreme.  Most libertarian writing is written by believers, not dispassionate examiners, and is written to promote the ideology.
 
An ideology is a form of philosophy whose primary goal is to proselytize taking an idea to the extreme.  Most libertarian writing is written by believers, not dispassionate examiners, and is written to promote the ideology.
  
−
To put it bluntly, most ideological writing is [[wikipedia:Bullshit#In_philosophy|philosophical bullshit]].  That is a technical philosophical term, believe it or not.  in short, the bullshitter does not care about the truth of what he is saying: he is concerned with other effects.  In the case of ideology, the important effects are creating doubt in existing beliefs and creating or affirming belief in the ideology.  Thus all the tools of rhetoric, propaganda and public relations are employed.
+
See also:
 +
* [[Fallacies Of Philosophy]]
 +
* [[Failures Of Libertarian Philosophy]]
 +
 
 +
To put it bluntly, most ideological writing is [[wikipedia:Bullshit#In_philosophy|philosophical bullshit]].  That is a technical philosophical term, believe it or not.  In short, the bullshitter does not care about the truth of what he is saying: he is concerned with other effects.  In the case of ideology, the important effects are creating doubt in existing beliefs and creating or affirming belief in the ideology.  Thus all the tools of rhetoric, propaganda and public relations are employed.
 +
 
 +
; Self ownership.
 +
: Most libertarians presume self-ownership, but there is no good philosophy backing it.
  
 
; Presuming few goods.
 
; Presuming few goods.
Line 10: Line 19:
  
 
; 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]].
−
 
+
−
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.
+
−
Walter Adams and James Brock, "The Bigness Complex"
+
−
 
+
−
The ideology of radical libertarianism is both mistaken and harmful -- not least, to legitimate free expression in the service of truth. The error lies in exalting freedom "to such an extent that it becomes an absolute, which would then be the source of values.... In this way the inescapable claims of truth disappear, yielding their place to a criterion of sincerity, authenticity and 'being at peace with oneself'" There is no room for authentic community, the common good, and solidarity in this way of thinking.
+
−
Pontifical Council For Social Communications, Ethics In Internet
+
−
 
+
−
One cannot overstate the childishness of the ideas that feed and stir the masses. Real ideas must as a rule be simplified to the level of a child's understanding if they are to arouse the masses to historic actions. A childish illusion, fixed in the minds of all children born in a certain decade and hammered home for four years, can easily reappear as a deadly serious political ideology twenty years later.
+
−
Sebastian Haffner, "Defying Hitler" pg. 17
+
−
 
+
−
Ideology is the curse of public affairs because it converts politics into a branch of theology and sacrifices human beings on the thoughts of abstractions.
+
−
Arthur Schlesinger, Jr.
+
  
−
Libertarian capitalism... is a curious ideology in many ways... On the one hand, the sanctity of private property and private contracts is held to be a matter of inalienable natural right, guaranteed by the fundamental facts of morality, if not a basic part of Objective Reality; capitalism is the Right Thing to Do. On the other hand, much effort is devoted to arguing that unfettered laissez-faire capitalism is also the economic system which will produce the greatest benefit for the greatest number, indeed for all, if only people would just see it. Natural right therefore coincides exactly with personal interest. A clearer example of wishful thinking could hardly be asked for.  
+
; [[Joint Production|Ignoring joint production]].
−
Cosma Shalizi, Liberty! What Fallacies Are Committed in Thy Name!
+
: 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]].
 +
<!-- DPL has problems with categories that have a single quote in them. Use these explicit workarounds. -->
 +
<!-- normally, we would use {{Links}} and {{Quotes}}  -->
 +
{{List|Fallacies Of Ideology|links=true}}
 +
{{Quotations|Fallacies Of Ideology|quotes=true}}

Latest revision as of 12:31, 5 April 2020

Retrieved from "http://critiques.us/index.php?title=Fallacies_Of_Ideology&oldid=133866"