On 14 Nov 2007 at 1:12, Gilberto Simpson wrote:
> Regarding that the idea that cultural relativism leads to things like
> the Rwandan genocide...
The observation that every truth is imbedded in a culture and context
and derives from it -- which is called relativism or common sense --
does not mean that everything embedded in a culture and context is
true. The idea that epistemological relativism must somehow equate to
amorality is bad logic at a very elementary level. Everyone called
John is a man, but not every man is called John. Every truth is true
in a context, but not everything in a given context is true (in that
context). In each context there are still choices to be made, things
that are -- so far as we can imperfectly judge -- true, and also
things that are false. The propaganda used to whip up hate in Rwanda,
and the supposition that people's identities are given to them by
their birth rather than made by them in life, were both false (even
though the concept of Jewish tribal identity in the Old Testament
might not be false -- in that context). When one applies false
things, bad things happen. There are choices to be made, and
consequences. The choices are made in a context, and not standing on
Ian's archimedan point. Interestingly, I don't recall that Archimedes
ever found his point, or seriously looked for it: I suspect it is
like Atlantis: a true fact of mythology.
Hajir wrote"
> I agree that by nature truths are not absolute and that absolutes are
> illusions in a world that is relative in nature. But since we have to
> live meaningful lives in a relative world there are certain relatives
> that we have to take as "absolutes". Someone needs to decide what
> those "absolutes" are - so we say that the Manifestation defines what
> they are. As a result, these relatives that the Manifestation deems as
> absolutes - though really illusions - are created (by his command
> "be") into concrete & real fundamentals for our lives. The role of the
> Universal Manifestation is to create these absolutes for one global
> society.
Hajir,
I agree with your earlier about the Manifestation defining religious
truths for a religion, until another Manifestation comes. This is
discussed by Baha'u'llah in the Ishraqat:
... the Most Great Infallibility belongs to the One Whose station is
a holiness above ordinances and prohibitions and an exemption from
sin (khataa') and omission. Indeed He is a Light which is not
followed by darkness and a rightness not afflicted by sin (khataa').
Were He to pronounce upon water the decree of wine (i.e., that it is
forbidden) or upon heaven the decree of earth or upon light the
decree of fire, it is the truth [haqq = truth, reality, legal right,
law] and there is no doubt about it; and it is not for anyone to
object to it/him or to say why or wherefore.
The makeability of religious truth is the essence of Baha'u'llah's
claim: he makes religious truths by making the religious context in
which they can be true (which is easy, anyone can found a religion),
and by making them *all* true within that context (that's the
trickier part) and by making the whole caboodle "true" for our
postmodern, globalising, pluralist world -- and that's the divine
part.
To return to the earlier example of Old Testament "genocide" being no
longer 'true.' There is a closer example, in the early life of
Baha'u'llah, when he was reading Majlisi's account of the massacre of
the Banu Qurayza at Medina, and it upset him tremendously for 12
days. Nevertheless, he does not say it was wrong, just that he came
out of this experience with something resolved. Reading between the
lines of his later account of this experience, I think he recognised
then that the old religious truths were no longer working in the
modern world, and he decided then to make a new religious truth for
the world. I don't think he had worked out what this would entail in
any detail, but the decision in principle, for a boy of I guess 12 or
13 years, shows flabbergasting vision and courage.
But to get back to Hajir,
> The role of the Universal Manifestation is to create these absolutes
> for one global society.
So they are relatively absolute, by decree in a particular context.
What I would like to stress is that even then, with this modest claim
to the existence of quasi-absolutes (with which I agree), one has to
add that the capacity of the knower limits what can be known. The
truths each individual knows are first of all relative to a context,
and then relative to that knower. If we neglect to add this second
layer of relativism, we end up in a triumphalist position: truth has
changed, and I have it! In fact we don't have it, we have bits and
pieces of it, according to our capacity
Sen
Sen McGlinn
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
----------------------------------------------------------------------
--
***
When, however, thou dost contemplate the innermost essence of things,
and the individuality of each,
thou wilt behold the signs of thy Lord's mercy . . ."
----------------------------------------------------------------------
--
The information contained in this e-mail and any attachments thereto
("e-mail") is sent by the Johnson County Community College ("JCCC") and is
intended to be confidential and for the use of only the individual or
entity named above. The information may be protected by federal and state
privacy and disclosures acts or other legal rules. If the reader of this
message is not the intended recipient, you are notified that retention,
dissemination, distribution or copying of this e-mail is strictly
prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error please immediately
notify JCCC by email reply and immediately and permanently delete this
e-mail message and any attachments thereto. Thank you.
__________________________________________________
You are subscribed to Baha'i Studies as: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Unsubscribe: send a blank email to
mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subscribe: send subscribe bahai-st in the message body to
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subscribe:
http://list.jccc.edu:8080/read/all_forums/subscribe?name=bahai-st
Baha'i Studies is available through the following:
Mail - mailto:[email protected]
Web - http://list.jccc.edu:8080/read/?forum=bahai-st
News - news://list.jccc.edu/bahai-st
Public - http://www.escribe.com/religion/bahaist
Old Public - http://www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED]
New Public - http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]
