[lbo-talk] RE: Xmas message

[Devine, James]

I don't think that Brian meant _absolutely_ independent thought, which is indeed nonsensical. But I'll let him explain. 
Jim

	-----Original Message----- 

	From: Miles Jackson [mailto:cqmv at pdx.edu] 

	Sent: Sun 12/28/2003 4:25 PM 

	To: lbo-talk at lbo-talk.org 

	Cc: 

	Subject: Re: [lbo-talk] RE: Xmas message

	

	

	On Sun, 28 Dec 2003, Brian Siano wrote:

	

	> Well, independent thought is certainly more _difficult_, but certainly

	> not impossible; the best dissident literature has come out of periods

	> and places of severe repression. And we admire it all the more for it.

	

	"Independent thought" is a nonsensical term.  (Or at best, political

	rhetoric that people use to distinguish their "good"/"independent"

	thought from that of their sheeplike opponents.)  --If you engaged in

	truly independent thought, no one else could understand you.  Every

	meaningful thing you can think of is a complex

	sociohistorical accomplishment.  (Newton's comments about seeing so

	far because we stand on the shoulders of giants comes to mind.)

	

	Miles

	

	

	

	

	

	

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