I'M RIGHT, YOU'RE WRONG!
I saw a person note this on arsebook, to a person they were debating capitalism and anarchism with:
"It's your ignorance coupled with your unwillingness to even question what you think you know that I hate."
This is a basic 'default' position that people on both the RIGHT and LEFT (of the infamous 18thc French chair) use. It's largely because we like to think of ourselves and our side as right, and those who hold contrary opinions as somehow personally deficient. Some problem with them explains why they dont agree with our obviously correct views. So first of all its more about making ourselves FEEL good and right, rather than accurate explanation of the other side’s actual views/behaviour/knowledge.
Following on, what we call ‘ignorance’ is often that they have not learnt in great DEPTH what WE think is clearly correct. This is not ignorance, is it a far more moderate state of ‘not yet considered it deeply’. Secondly, our presumption is that once the ‘enemy’ has considered our pet theories in great depth then they will see the light and agree that we are right. This is sloppy thinking and leads us into the very thing we ourselves are criticising - ‘the bigotry of unexamined beliefs’, as Lloyd also put it. Since we start to very much NOT examine our own ideas/theories/practices, once we have internalised them. Or we mostly answer our own questions, only frame debates in ways that will leave the consistency of our own thinking intact.
So, this underlying position of criticising other because of their ‘ignorance coupled with unwillingness to question’ often hides a lot of weaknesses in our OWN way of thinking, that we should be careful of, and overcome….On the other hand, i think its true to say that most people have not thought about capitalism, socialism or anarchism in any depth at all, and they really need to start doing that.
But that means they REALLY think about these issues, and decide for themselves.
It does not mean ‘They come to see how WE are right’.
I saw a person note this on arsebook, to a person they were debating capitalism and anarchism with:
"It's your ignorance coupled with your unwillingness to even question what you think you know that I hate."
This is a basic 'default' position that people on both the RIGHT and LEFT (of the infamous 18thc French chair) use. It's largely because we like to think of ourselves and our side as right, and those who hold contrary opinions as somehow personally deficient. Some problem with them explains why they dont agree with our obviously correct views. So first of all its more about making ourselves FEEL good and right, rather than accurate explanation of the other side’s actual views/behaviour/knowledge.
Following on, what we call ‘ignorance’ is often that they have not learnt in great DEPTH what WE think is clearly correct. This is not ignorance, is it a far more moderate state of ‘not yet considered it deeply’. Secondly, our presumption is that once the ‘enemy’ has considered our pet theories in great depth then they will see the light and agree that we are right. This is sloppy thinking and leads us into the very thing we ourselves are criticising - ‘the bigotry of unexamined beliefs’, as Lloyd also put it. Since we start to very much NOT examine our own ideas/theories/practices, once we have internalised them. Or we mostly answer our own questions, only frame debates in ways that will leave the consistency of our own thinking intact.
So, this underlying position of criticising other because of their ‘ignorance coupled with unwillingness to question’ often hides a lot of weaknesses in our OWN way of thinking, that we should be careful of, and overcome….On the other hand, i think its true to say that most people have not thought about capitalism, socialism or anarchism in any depth at all, and they really need to start doing that.
But that means they REALLY think about these issues, and decide for themselves.
It does not mean ‘They come to see how WE are right’.