2 + 2 = 4 is a tautology, and moreover one that is either part of the metsphysical structure of the universe or of our form of cognition, depending on how Kantian you want to get (same thing as far as we're concerned). It's hard to get around it.
I really don't buy the idea that "love" is a creation of Western civlization, but that's another matter.
--- On Mon, 3/30/09, Philip Pilkington <pilkingtonphil at gmail.com> wrote:
> From: Philip Pilkington <pilkingtonphil at gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [lbo-talk] My Aristotle rant, was: Re: Glenn Beck breaks down in tears, blubbers on-air AGAIN
> To: lbo-talk at lbo-talk.org
> Date: Monday, March 30, 2009, 12:50 AM
> >
> >
> > Sadly, perhaps, I was raised by a Geertzian
> anthropologist. This is
> > Geertz'
> > expression of, I believe, the contemporary
> anthropological position on
> > immutables:
> >
>
>
> I don't know if I should be simplistic about this, or more
> complex... Okay,
> I'll try both:
>
> (1) Simplistic: 2 + 2 = 4. There's nothing anthopological
> about that. Every
> culture eventually... immutably developed that.
>
> (2) Simplistic: Basic emotions. Neither is there anything
> anthropological
> about that. Every culture shows aspects of "envy",
> "attachment", "hatred",
> "sorrow", "totem", "taboo" etc.
>
> (3) Complex: Whatever happened to our civilisation we show
> very specific
> traits that travel right through. I named some of them in
> the last
> proposition but I'll give one that we certainly created,
> and without any
> recourse to Reason: Love. That's a weird one. Its sort of
> like: "Totem" +
> "Attachment" if we want to be terribly immutable.
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