I know to speak on Kant is going back a bit in the class, but he’s the one who really stuck with me.
I’ve been thinking lately on his world with the categorical imperative and all, and I wonder if it, although it would be a just society, would it not be an extremely awkward society to live in? And would there not be a social rift because of the extensive amount of truth? I’m not in any way advocating lying, but thinking about the way people react to the truth, and how many humans would rather not hear it, if we were in that kind of society where there was nothing but, would there be any meaningful connection made between people?
Granted, if the society began in this Kantian fashion, people would not know lies and be accustomed to the truth, sure. But I still cannot think that we would be so accustomed to it that we would so easily accept it. I feel like humans as a whole are too proud and easily offended to survive a brutally honest society. Or, because of this difference in truth, would we become hardened to it, and able to accept it coldly? I just feel the social connection that people form would be so much harder to obtain, since there’s that huge possibility of getting constantly offended.
Sorry to ramble on like this, I just am not sure that society would emotionally survive something like Kant’s system of nothing but truth.
Friday, October 16, 2009
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Interesting thought! But I do think that you can rationally only say parts of the truth at a time, if that makes sense. Like you could will your maxims to allow for certain parts of the truth to be held back if it isn't crucial (or necessary!).
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