Hi DMB, the distinction was in the word "profess" - highlighted in scare quotes and omitted from your caricature of what I said. Your point was about "actual" beliefs - the ones that actually drive their actions - the difference between professed and actual beliefs is hypocrisy - a subject I've also raised before.
But I've already agreed with you about the the risk in wishy-washy / incoherent moderation - potentially more dangerous (pragmatically) than extreme opposition. Harris I will be reading. Thanks. The kind of moderation you were talking about was one you imagined (and I expect exists) but it was not the kind I was expressing. Ian On 1/24/08, david buchanan <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Ian said: > What matters is not what people "profess" to believe, a "label" they adopt, > but what people do with such beliefs, tolerance of other beliefs, pragmatism > in the face of empirical evidence etc ... quality & values. > > dmb says: > It doesn't matter what people believe? It only matters what people do with > their beliefs? Since nobody ever acted in the absence of their beliefs, I > think you've made a distinction without a difference. I mean, beliefs matter > precisely because people do things with them. Those actions define the > problem being discussed, no? I think you're just being wish-wishy in a way > that gives breathing room to all kinds of nonsense. I agree with Harris in > thinking that this kind of "moderation" only lends support to fanaticism. > It's a kind of grotesque even-handedness. It is a form of moderation that > serves some very immoderate things, which means it is incoherent too. > > > > > _________________________________________________________________ > Helping your favorite cause is as easy as instant messaging.You IM, we give. > http://im.live.com/Messenger/IM/Home/?source=text_hotmail_join > Moq_Discuss mailing list > Listinfo, Unsubscribing etc. > http://lists.moqtalk.org/listinfo.cgi/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org > Archives: > http://lists.moqtalk.org/pipermail/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org/ > http://moq.org.uk/pipermail/moq_discuss_archive/ > Moq_Discuss mailing list Listinfo, Unsubscribing etc. http://lists.moqtalk.org/listinfo.cgi/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org Archives: http://lists.moqtalk.org/pipermail/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org/ http://moq.org.uk/pipermail/moq_discuss_archive/
