Quote:
Originally Posted by spence
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How did I know you would respond to that line?
I was thinking of you when I threw in the bit about absolutes.
Actually, every rational or semi-rational, person "deals" in absolutes. Objectivist/relativist philosophers who "prove" there are no absolutes do so by definition. They define an absolute as something distinct and unaffected by anything else that exists unchanged for all time. And then they go through a catechism of questions where they make you define your terms and eventually trap you by stating nothing you answer can exist distinct and unchanged (or something like that) for eternity.
But, as Likwid might say, who gives a damn about eternity? Eternity can exist in a moment. Relatively speaking. Or otherwise. And who gives a crap about some philosopher's restrictive definition of "absolute." We have our own utilitarian definitions. Religious folks do. Scientists do. Mechanics do. Critics and rhetoricians do. Dreamers do. And Siths do. But Siths are not the only ones that do.
Absolute is a concept which provides limitations when limitations are needed or useful. Nebe absolutely cannot smoke weed when he blows glass. Absolute zero is some baseline from which to describe relative temperatures. In some instances 1 plus 1 absoslutely equals 2. We limited, imperfect beings need the guidebook which Nebe mocks. Then he prescribes a two commandment guidebook which he thinks is his own concoction. Like those "commandments" didn't exist in the realm of human thought and he just thought them up by himself without the input of all he had learned from others. Or so it seems if he is serious about the sad state of some people not being able to think for themselves.
And if we don't recognize some defined absolutes, at least for the moment, we may find it difficult, if not impossible to function in a world outside of our sleeping dreams. How would relativity be possible to describe without absolute points of view? If every point of view was relative to another point of view and that to another point of view, and that to another point of view ad infinitum it would be impossible to describe what was actually relative to what. It would all be an endless chain of indefinite possibility.
So for the necessity of the moment we deal in our trite mundane absolutes--just in order to "exist"--to get food and clothing and medical attention and money and sex and see a good movie about siths.