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20.8.19

Western Civilization depends on a kind of synthesis between Faith and Reason.

Part of the reason I do not comment on a lot of stuff  is that I feel that I have a right to an opinion only about subjects that I am somewhat familiar with.


Furthermore current events, politics economics though important issues do not seem to me to be at the core of what is going on in the world. Rather I see faith and reason to be the major things that are important. But since both faith and or reason can go astray it is important to get the synthesis between them right.

A lot of what people do right and what they do wrong depends on their world view.
And Western Civilization depends on a kind of synthesis between Faith and Reason.
And I have a lot of thoughts about that. For one thing I want to mention that this seems to me to be the reason for the differences between the American Revolution and the French Revolution.

Mainly as Allan Bloom pointed out --that England had a kind of synthesis between these two poles for a long time. I want to point out that not just the revolutions were different but the background was different. France before its revolution had no Parliament, no freedom of speech, no rights to the England. Nothing in terms of freedoms that were in England. So the American Revolution was not at all a  rebellion against the good and great values of England. It just wanted Parliament to mind their own business. The French Revolution on the other hand had a stated purpose. To overthrow everything. All religion all authority all traditions.
So what is reason with faith? My own approach is more or less like that of my parents. Balance. To be a Mensch. To be self sufficient. [More or less values that were American values in the old days when "America" meant something.]