Monday, July 10, 2017

Carter Kaplan on Truth and Free Speech

Attentive Audience

In a talk at the WAH Center on John Milton, Carter Kaplan discusses such things as truth, free speech, freedom of the press, rationality, and the like, then segues into a paragraph on the conflict between, ultimately, modernity and postmodernity:
Countering these [modern] views are the assertions of the German idealists, who, for various historical and political reasons, have managed to transplant their influence to Britain and North America. In brief, we can collectively call this influence "postmodernism", but more specifically we can construe this phenomenon along the lines of Hobbes, Berkeley, Rousseau, and the German idealists; and I suggest two data points neatly describe the phenomenon: First, Nietzsche advances a perspective theory of truth: Truth, like morality, is a relative affair: there are no facts, only interpretations. Nietzsche says, "Language falsifies reality, and therefore we will not be rid of God [that is, 'truth'] until we are rid of grammar." Second, and following along these lines, is the Marxist view. Far from being a philosophy of revolution and social justice, I take Marxism to be an ideology of power. Thus the Marxists say "truth" is a "bourgeois" value, and the "Revolution" must overcome the truth and the idea that stands behind it. Although I view the postmodern position as little more than the propaganda of the authoritarian corporate-statists, the idea is strong currency among intellectuals who see themselves ushering in a world government. I should remark that criticizing this project can be unpopular.
I'm finally beginning to understand what's meant by "cultural Marxism" - it's Marx minus his rational critique of capitalism (e.g., the quantified, if illusory, labor theory of value) - and as the Left with its 'leftover' Marxism distances itself from truth and reason, it naturally gravitates toward violence to settle issues, whether external or internal.

Hence leftist groups like Antifa . . .

Labels:

6 Comments:

At 1:25 AM, Blogger Carter Kaplan said...

Thank you, Jeffery, for bogging about my paper. Terrance Lindall has published the paper in its entirety--with pictures from the afternoon--in a free ebook, which can be viewed by clicking HERE.

In the introduction I equivocate (in a good way) about the presence of politics (and, significantly, the lack of politics) in the editorial process. Of course, that "lack" of politics itself has antecedents worth looking at, hence the attention I give, again at the beginning of the paper, to Milton.

 
At 1:41 AM, Blogger Carter Kaplan said...

One good blog deserves another.

 
At 10:25 AM, Blogger Bienvenido Bones said...

It's reminded me the word "Truth", then Pontius Pilate asked Jesus Christ, What is "Truth?" But Christ never answer to Pilate, and Christ knew, this world Satanic geniuses truly obsession their Philosophy are relativism and empiricism despite they are human's mortal creatures . And none earthling man can explain the power of the intricately, complexity of this universe, from the most holy,holy,holy name is a word YHWH definition "He Causes to Become" No Beginning and without End. But these human mortal creatures are subject to vanity under the sun, and always relying human philosophy, and according to our master Leonard Cohen said There's a crack in everything, that's how the light gets in. . . But our world intellectual can not grasping the message from reality is everything delusional. Despite they are imperfections and they continue: For it is wind that they are sowing, and they will reap a storm wind. REAP WHAT YOU SOW - Hosea 8:7

 
At 5:20 PM, Blogger Horace Jeffery Hodges said...

Always a treat(ise) to read your comments, Bien.

Jeffery Hodges

* * *

 
At 10:34 AM, Blogger Bienvenido Bones said...

Thank you Jeffery. . .

 
At 3:43 AM, Blogger Carter Kaplan said...

In view of recent trends, I wonder if I should revise--and publish?--my WAH Center talk?

(or maybe run for c over?)

 

Post a Comment

<< Home