From: "Dorkin, Eric" <EDorkin at jenner.com> To: "'lbo-talk at lists.panix.com'" <lbo-talk at lists.panix.com> Subject: RE: Hitchens responds to critics
I think that the "original sin" remark has a more expansive meaning than simply referring to the mythological cause of humantiy's literal fall from grace. Rather, to understand original sin is to understand human nature most fully -- to understand the telos for human beings (if any) and how it limits our capacity for goodness and how it emphasizes our predelictions for badness. For example, I would refer to humanity's "original sin" as the simultaneous existence of (1) beings demanding meaning and purpose from all things, including the universe and (2) a universe forever silent as to its meaning. Flowing from such inescapable facts often comes a sense of dread (the existentialist's angst) and a response: either (1) fear, hatred, and violence or (2) acceptance, love, and peace. As such, history is a recounting of (1)'s continuing victories over (2).
eric
-----Original Message----- From: Justin Schwartz [mailto:jkschw at hotmail.com] Sent: Tuesday, September 25, 2001 1:16 PM To: lbo-talk at lists.panix.com Subject: Re: Hitchens responds to critics
My old college mentor at Princeton, Arthur Szathmary, a genuinely wise man, once told me that in the mid-1950s he was at a cocktail party with a number of other faculty, and the topic of historical explanation arose. A (then) young and brilliant, but fervently Christian and very conservative historian
stated with a great finality, "You can't understand hsitoey without understanding original sin." There was a hush. Szath said, "I was embarassed
for him, and then I realized that half of the people there were nodding their heads. I became frightened and excused myself shortly."
--jks
>
>Nathan Newman wrote:
>
>>Unfortunately, those who insist on such explanations of the morally
>>unexplainable cheapen and disgrace the anti-war movement. Sometimes
>>criminals are just criminals
>
>What is this, an original sin theory of human behavior? I'm still
>trying to comprehend the spectacle of a very smart guy with two
>advanced degrees dismissing the importance of explanations. Even
>horrific behavior can, and should, be explained, no?
>
>Doug
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