--- Carrol Cox <cbcox at ilstu.edu> wrote:
"But how does talking about this specific case help
to understand (a) the present balance of political forces in the United States and (b) the best organizing policies, given that balance, for a member of a local anti-war group to follow at this time?"
I don't recall how this thread started out, and I must have missed the questions you pose above. I do recall someone saying something like the only thing important in any situation is analysing the social relationships involved, to which I replied no it's not, and I offered Iris Murdoch's comments about "private moral struggles" in support. Miles then rejected that, and I came back with a couple of specific examples.
"Private moral struggles" are about 99% of any personal life, but they certainly dont belong in a discussion of broad historical issues. So carry on with that discussion. I'm eager to hear it.
Bob
>
>
> Robert Wrubel wrote:
> >
> > (BW)I'll grant you, these are more psychological
> than
> > moral dilemmas, though the first becomes moral if
> your
> > friend is having an affair with another friend's
> wife.
> > Do you distance yourself to show disapproval or
> get in
> > the thick of it to try to help? The moral always
> come
> > up when you take the convenient, more comfortable
> > course. My point though is that an analysis of
> the
> > social relations of the parties doesnt tell you
> what's
> > the right thing to do.
>
> Of course not. But how does talking about this
> specific case help to
> understand (a) the present balance of political
> forces in the United
> States and (b) the best organizing policies, given
> that balance, for a
> member of a local anti-war group to follow at this
> time?
>
> If all you're saying is that to understand what a
> particular person
> whould do in a particular personal relationship,
> then why the hell are
> we having this argument. I am not so arrogant that I
> would even dream of
> giving advice on the basis of the sketchy
> information you have given, so
> why are you asking me or anyone else on this list. I
> do believe the
> ghost of Ann Landers is on the list to help you.
>
> I tried to point out that we were talking about
> questions that were not
> mutually illuminating, and all I go from anyone were
> smartass
> wisecracks.
>
> Carrol
>
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