Ariadne's Thread: |
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Ariadne's Thread:
According to myth, Ariadne gave Theseus a thread with which to
find his way out of the Labyrinth. If our Labyrinth is made up
of political rhetoric, brute assertions, and sound bites, then
we too must find a thread.
Ariadne's Thread is concerned with arguments related to politically
significant ethical issues like abortion. The arguments are mainly
ethical rather than legal or political. The purpose of this site
is not to promote any particular answer to any particular question.
It is rather to help each of us to critically analyze, to practice
a kind of moral reasoning, and to develop reasoned views
of our own. This is one place to pick up the thread.
'Activity' on this site consists in following a trail or 'thread'
of arguments, answering questions, replying to objections, and
thinking about the concepts and the logic of what is 'said.'
For now, the site will concentrate on secular arguments using standard methods from moral philosophy. In part, I have done this because secular arguments are the common language of public argument in the United States. Ideally, however, I would like Ariadne to include other approaches to moral argument so that the site reflects our culture more accurately.
Your ideas are welcome. Anyone using this site can send their reactions to Ariadne by email. You can also submit arguments and counter-arguments (or comments on existing arguments) for inclusion in the text. If you do submit an argument or comment, please suggest where you think it would best fit into the existing text. All submissions will be reviewed. If accepted, the name of the author will be acknowledged in the text.
All text on Ariadne's Thread, except for quotations from other authors, is copyrighted by James DeHullu or EduText Software. None of the text should be copied or reproduced without written permission from EduText Software. You can reach EduText using the email address given above.
| "To accept uncertainty as the sphere of truth is to repudiate the ideologies that objectify and degrade us. An ideology is a political creed designed as a guide to action for masses of human beings. Seeking mobilization rather than thought, and a new order rather than communication, an ideology claims to be the whole and final truth. There is no such thing as a paradoxical ideology. Moreover, an ostensible total truth, intended to activate multitudes of people and transform society, must have interpreters and enforcers. Every ideology in this way is implicitly dictatorial. Anyone who shares Jasper's sense that human beings are always more than we can know or say about them stands apart from all ideologies and is ready, not for action and the exercise of power, but for communication." [from Glenn Tinder, Political Thinking: The Perennial Questions.] |