"It should be part of education to explain to children, as soon as they are old enough to understand, when it is reasonable, and when it is not, to accept what they are told, on authority."
-- A History of Freedom of Thought (1914)
About Me
- Russell Blackford
- Australian philosopher, literary critic, legal scholar, and professional writer. Based in Newcastle, NSW. My latest books are THE TYRANNY OF OPINION: CONFORMITY AND THE FUTURE OF LIBERALISM (2019); AT THE DAWN OF A GREAT TRANSITION: THE QUESTION OF RADICAL ENHANCEMENT (2021); and HOW WE BECAME POST-LIBERAL: THE RISE AND FALL OF TOLERATION (2024).
5 comments:
Do they have to accept this on authority?
Other than that I quite agree.
I did not know JBB. Looks like an unexpected treasure. "When a man has the talent to attack with effect falsehood, prejudice, and imposture, it is his duty, if there are any social duties, to use it." This thought is going to be very unconfortable to many...
JBB at Project Gutenberg:
http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/10684
http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/4557
[@MHare: ?]
I often see this comment as, or this thought as - Only us atheists know the truth:
Sorry, who dies and made you lot Gods
Ho hum.
Robert, this is about so much more than religion. It is about politics, racism, which team to support, how you view other classes in society, your view on immigrants and, yes, religion too.
When people blindly accept the teachings of their parents, pastors, politicians, gang leaders, community leaders etc. trouble will follow.
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