> But setting aside
>such cultural anamolies, I know blind people who
would not choose to be
>sighted. I am not saying every blind person thinks
that way. But there are
>people who do feel it is just fine to be blind, and
having vision would
>demean the meaning of their life for them.
Yes, well of course, we could also point out in a much more profound way that there are plenty of peole that prefer unfreedom to freedom, that prefer capitalism to communism. Etc.
I guess I understand what you've been saying Doyle. Feminists and Black scholars have often pointed out how language can be used in unproductive ways. The soft sciences v. the hard sciences, for example, has been criticized as masculinist. The use of metaphors of darkness to indicate what is mysterious, non-rational, unfree has been revealed as racist. However, I also think that it's altogether unfair to attack Jim at such length about this. His substative comments on S&B should be the focus, ultimately. And I do think that it's really stretching it to be concerned about the use of the word irrational as somehow implying mental illness.
SnitgrrRl