Ideological Purity vs Pluralism

[_honorentheos]

A thought came to me this week and, after mulling it over I decided I'd like to know what people on this board think about it.

We, as human beings, appear to be reaching a point in our cultural development where ideals of a pure racial or ethnic-origin no longer justify a sense of superiority or hierarchy. It is a rare person who would declare that certain races are inherently better suited to lead or stand over another race. That isn't to say there aren't individuals who believe this but as a whole our society seems to have crossed a tipping point where each subsequent generation now takes it as given - all men are inherently the same when it comes to our potential and we are all of the same stock with a shared future.

What struck me, however, is how prevalently held is the view that one ideology is superior to all other options available. If pressed, I may agree that it is almost universally held in truth, even if many of us give lip service to pluralism and accept other's rights, if not their "Right".

And this brings me to my question - do you personally believe that there is a Best way to think or believe, and that this is encapsulated in a ideology of some kind? I've had a few Mormon believes suggest they do not see Mormonism as an ideology which I find the most distressing of comments. To not see one's view as an ideology of some sort is to imagine there is some form of "pure thought" that is innate to mankind compared to which all other views are foreign.

Even more important, unlike race, I think there are clearly "wrong" ideologies that can inflict damage on society. Yet, should this mean that there is a clear right ideology as well?

Is there a chance that humanity could, one day, achieve true plurality? Or must it always be intertwined in a conflict of ideologies where one is trying to rise to dominate all others? Is the best we can hope for, as a species, to create mechanisms such as the government of the US, to prevent any one ideology from taking complete hold and eliminating it's competition?

[_madeleine]

Pluralilsm is an ideology, and ideologies don't move me, people do. "Ideological purity", whatever that is, sounds like all other ideologies to me: totalitarian. All beliefs can be turned into ideologies, at which point, I am not interested.

Peace.

[_Hoops]

Pluralilsm is an ideology, and ideologies don't move me, people do. "Ideological purity", whatever that is, sounds like all other ideologies to me: totalitarian. All beliefs can be turned into ideologies, at which point, I am not interested.

Peace.

That is a great answer!!

[_MrStakhanovite]

In my studies Honor, I’ve come to identify three obstacles that really trip people up in their search for truth.

First is the ego. When it comes to discussions or debates, people like to be right for the sake of being right, and don’t want to be humiliated by being corrected or made to look foolish. The more invested you become in a topic, the harder it’s going be to admit error because of the false perception that all that invested time on the topic/ideology/theory either looks bad, or is a complete waste of time and resources. There is also a great deal of gratification that comes from the compliments and cheerleading of ideological allies, which only adds fuel to the fire and entrenches someone deeper into a given ideology.

Second, is that people feel uncomfortable that intelligent and educated people can come to very different conclusions given the same evidence. I think this is so, because a lot of people mistake uncertainty for relativism.

And lastly, we are just lazy. It’s much easier to deal in categories than details, and softer targets are more appealing than hardened ones. If I can dismiss that book because it’s “anti-mormon” or that author because he has a show on FOX NEWS, my burdens just became that much lighter.

I think that there are right ideas and bad ideas, but bad ideas are easier to identify than right ideas. You might also want to expound on pluralism, because I get the vibe that people are going to think pluralism is related to some kind of relativism, instead of an acknowledge of diversity that allows minorities to thrive.

[_MrStakhanovite]

Pluralilsm is an ideology, and ideologies don't move me, people do. "Ideological purity", whatever that is, sounds like all other ideologies to me: totalitarian. All beliefs can be turned into ideologies, at which point, I am not interested.

Peace.

That is a great answer!!

It scares the crap out of me, honestly. Makes charisma and rhetoric the most important qualities.

[_Hoops]

It scares the s*** out of me, honestly. Makes charisma and rhetoric the most important qualities.

Hmmm.... I didn't get that at all. I took her answer to mean that Madeleine is more moved by someone living a good and moral life, not talking it. Maybe she will explain.

[_Lucretia MacEvil]

In my studies Honor, I’ve come to identify three obstacles that really trip people up in their search for truth.

First is the ego. When it comes to discussions or debates, people like to be right for the sake of being right, and don’t want to be humiliated by being corrected or made to look foolish. The more invested you become in a topic, the harder it’s going be to admit error because of the false perception that all that invested time on the topic/ideology/theory either looks bad, or is a complete waste of time and resources. There is also a great deal of gratification that comes from the compliments and cheerleading of ideological allies, which only adds fuel to the fire and entrenches someone deeper into a given ideology.

Second, is that people feel uncomfortable that intelligent and educated people can come to very different conclusions given the same evidence. I think this is so, because a lot of people mistake uncertainty for relativism.

And lastly, we are just lazy. It’s much easier to deal in categories than details, and softer targets are more appealing than hardened ones. If I can dismiss that book because it’s “anti-mormon” or that author because he has a show on FOX NEWS, my burdens just became that much lighter.

I think that there are right ideas and bad ideas, but bad ideas are easier to identify than right ideas. You might also want to expound on pluralism, because I get the vibe that people are going to think pluralism is related to some kind of relativism, instead of an acknowledge of diversity that allows minorities to thrive.

Amen, brother.

[_Lucretia MacEvil]

A thought came to me this week and, after mulling it over I decided I'd like to know what people on this board think about it.

We, as human beings, appear to be reaching a point in our cultural development where ideals of a pure racial or ethnic-origin no longer justify a sense of superiority or hierarchy. It is a rare person who would declare that certain races are inherently better suited to lead or stand over another race. That isn't to say there aren't individuals who believe this but as a whole our society seems to have crossed a tipping point where each subsequent generation now takes it as given - all men are inherently the same when it comes to our potential and we are all of the same stock with a shared future.

What struck me, however, is how prevalently held is the view that one ideology is superior to all other options available. If pressed, I may agree that it is almost universally held in truth, even if many of us give lip service to pluralism and accept other's rights, if not their "Right".

And this brings me to my question - do you personally believe that there is a Best way to think or believe, and that this is encapsulated in a ideology of some kind? I've had a few Mormon believes suggest they do not see Mormonism as an ideology which I find the most distressing of comments. To not see one's view as an ideology of some sort is to imagine there is some form of "pure thought" that is innate to mankind compared to which all other views are foreign.

Even more important, unlike race, I think there are clearly "wrong" ideologies that can inflict damage on society. Yet, should this mean that there is a clear right ideology as well?

Is there a chance that humanity could, one day, achieve true plurality? Or must it always be intertwined in a conflict of ideologies where one is trying to rise to dominate all others? Is the best we can hope for, as a species, to create mechanisms such as the government of the US, to prevent any one ideology from taking complete hold and eliminating it's competition?

I don't think there is any sort of Absolute Truth in this mortal existence because the "truth" we have all ultimately comes from human beings with all the limitations and motivations of human beings.

It seems to me that the "higher and purer" an idealogy may be, the more quickly and easily it is corrupted.

[_madeleine]

It scares the s*** out of me, honestly. Makes charisma and rhetoric the most important qualities.

I'm speaking of experience, an encounter, not of an ideology, charisma or rhetoric.

[_moksha]

Ideological purity for Mormons means the exclusive use of Wonder Bread as the Sacrament token.

This ideological purity may also be inherent in the statement that all Mormons need to believe the exact same correlated doctrine.