[lbo-talk] Alex Cockburn on Ted Honderich

[andie nachgeborenen]

I ahven't read it, but I know Hondorich's work in
general. His political work in somewhat abstract and
idiosyncratic, very tough-minded defenses of unpopular
positions. He tends to work from mid-range moral
intuitiosn (i.e., things we want to say about
particular case)(rather than first principles such as
Maximize Happiness); he has some historical
sensitivity, but he's basically a  philosophical
creature. He wrote a book long ago defending violence
in thestruggle for equality, argued that exploitation
and oppression is or causes violence, and there's no
moral difference between not doing anything to stop it
and actually exploting and oppressing people. He wrote
a funny and bitter attack on Thatcherite conservatism.

 In a more strict philosophical vein, he has written a
long defense of hard determinism, denying the
existence of moral responsibility.  I would say the
chances that he is an antisemite are less than zero.
But he probably thinks that it is OK for Palestinians
to make the Israeli occupation intolerable by blowing
up children on buses. jks

--- Doug Henwood <dhenwood at panix.com> wrote:
> Jim Farmelant wrote:
> 
> >http://www.counterpunch.org/cockburn08132003.html
> >
> 
> So what's in the book? Ace is rather short on that
> detail.
> 
> Doug
> ___________________________________
>
http://mailman.lbo-talk.org/mailman/listinfo/lbo-talk

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