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Hi everyone! We are having a gathering this Sunday in Santa Monica (9-21-08; see the event listing nearby on this tribe page). I hope to see you there! Whether or not you come to Sunday's meeting, feel free to carry on a discussion by posting your own ideas here, either before or after Sunday's meeting.
Here's the "official" wording of this very timely topic, which was the winner of the email voting this week:
HATE: What exactly is hate, and is it wrong to hate people? If it is wrong, why? Is it harmful to oneself, and should we try to rid ourselves of hatred? Is it a sign of bad character to be filled with hatred, or a normal human reaction that should be respected? Should we listen to our hatred, in the way that we sometimes listen to our intuition, for the information and insight it may contain? Why do we hate people, as opposed to simply disliking them a lot, being very angry with them, looking down upon them, and so on? When considering the above, think about those who you have hated (either those you've known personally, or public figures), and what they did to elicit your hatred-- do these concrete examples provide insight into the above questions?
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For the curious, here are the full vote-by-email results for the month:
1) Is Science Converging On The Truth? (24.25 Votes)
2) Hate: What Exactly Is Hate, And Is It Wrong To Hate People? If It Is Wrong, Why? (32.0 Votes)
3) "A Foolish Consistency Is The Hobgoblin Of Little Minds…" (19.0 Votes)
4) The Meaning Of Patriotism (17.75 Votes)
5) How Important Is It For Us To Be A Space-Faring Civilization? (17.75 Votes)
Each topic stays on the list until it wins or consistently receives a paltry number of votes. You may have noticed that the votes do not come in whole numbers. This is not because fractions of a person turn in votes, but because you receive one vote for your top choice, a half vote for your 2nd choice (if you had one), a quarter vote for your 3rd choice, and so on.
See you Sunday!
Brian
Here's the "official" wording of this very timely topic, which was the winner of the email voting this week:
HATE: What exactly is hate, and is it wrong to hate people? If it is wrong, why? Is it harmful to oneself, and should we try to rid ourselves of hatred? Is it a sign of bad character to be filled with hatred, or a normal human reaction that should be respected? Should we listen to our hatred, in the way that we sometimes listen to our intuition, for the information and insight it may contain? Why do we hate people, as opposed to simply disliking them a lot, being very angry with them, looking down upon them, and so on? When considering the above, think about those who you have hated (either those you've known personally, or public figures), and what they did to elicit your hatred-- do these concrete examples provide insight into the above questions?
-----------------------------------
For the curious, here are the full vote-by-email results for the month:
1) Is Science Converging On The Truth? (24.25 Votes)
2) Hate: What Exactly Is Hate, And Is It Wrong To Hate People? If It Is Wrong, Why? (32.0 Votes)
3) "A Foolish Consistency Is The Hobgoblin Of Little Minds…" (19.0 Votes)
4) The Meaning Of Patriotism (17.75 Votes)
5) How Important Is It For Us To Be A Space-Faring Civilization? (17.75 Votes)
Each topic stays on the list until it wins or consistently receives a paltry number of votes. You may have noticed that the votes do not come in whole numbers. This is not because fractions of a person turn in votes, but because you receive one vote for your top choice, a half vote for your 2nd choice (if you had one), a quarter vote for your 3rd choice, and so on.
See you Sunday!
Brian
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Re: HATE: What exactly is hate, and is it wrong to hate people?
Fri, September 19, 2008 - 4:51 PMTo start the discussion, here's an excerpt from Wikipedia's very brief and simple entry on Hate,
…Aristotle viewed hate as a desire for the annihilation of an object that is incurable by time. Finally, David Hume believed that hate is an irreducible feeling that is not definable at all.[1] In psychology, Sigmund Freud defined hate as an ego state that wishes to destroy the source of its unhappiness[2]. In a more contemporary definition, the Penguin Dictionary of Psychology defines hate as a "deep, enduring, intense emotion expressing animosity, anger, and hostility towards a person, group, or object."[3] Because hatred is believed to be long-lasting, many psychologists consider it to be more of an attitude or disposition than a (temporary) emotional state (see rage).
The optional readings below go much more in depth on the matter. -
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Re: HATE: What exactly is hate, and is it wrong to hate people?
Fri, September 19, 2008 - 4:53 PMOPTIONAL READINGS: Our discussion will focus on the question, and what our answers to it mean, rather than specifically on the text of the readings. However, if you'd like to inspire and stimulate your interest or thinking on the matter, or clarify the ideas and debates involved, read or skim one or more of the following three, pieces:
1. "The Passions: Emotions and the Meaning of Life" (by Robert C Solomon). In this book, from Google book search, the author discusses and analyzes many emotions, starting on page 226. The entry on Hate is on pages 263-267. You can also put Hate or Hatred in the search box, and you'll find many other relevant passages. If you have trouble with the above link, try books.google.com/books
2. The "Dean's World" Blog has a short entry on Hatred, with a number of responses and comments posted below it, www.deanesmay.com/archives/006142.html
3. "Why We Hate: Understanding, Curbing, and Eliminating Hate in Ourselves and Our World" (By Rush W. Dozier). Also from Google book search, the entire book deals with hate and hatred from various angles, though the parts that seem most relevant to our question starts on page 139 and goes for a few pages. Again, you can also browse the book by putting Hate or Hatred in the search box. If you have trouble with the above link, try books.google.com/books
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