From: "Fuller" <fuller-AT-bekkers.com.au>
Subject: Re: Ataraxia
Date: Wed, 21 Nov 2001 23:30:05 +0800


Steve,
Couldn't Eric's 'postive element of religion' be of a similar nature to that
which you would regard as a 'positive element' in your own faith in
'rationality and understanding'?
Not the element part, but the positive... that is the truth value (in Badiou
speak) of (a particular form of) rationality and understanding is something
you hold to be ethically good. It is not what is actually believe in
religion, but the the process/act/desire of believing (something to be
'true').
Glen.

> I suppose that since my, probably, prejudicial belief is that liberation
> (human, animal or mineral) can only be achieved through rationality and
> understanding, it is  inevitable that we should scrutinise carefully
> residual traces derived from prior mythical structures.
> I would not deny
> that the religious meme exists or is strong - however where you state it
> has positive elements - this is the breakage point, the differend
> between us for I see no reason to imagine anything to do with religion
> as positive... Interesting but not something 'good' or 'positive'...
> Does the religious imperative offer some universal truth and insight? No
> of course not, less so even than the fundementally human forms of
> knowledges - science, art and philosophy.