Diversity
is a two edged sword. What must we put up with? For years the Europeans
and the Americans put up with the bigotry of Nazi Germany because they
felt it an "internal" problem. The vicious anti-Semitism of public
figures in the Middle East goes largely unjudged. And the inanities of
Louis Farrakhan go without comment. The Americans outlawed polygamy;
with Islam it is making a comeback. Our judgments have become very
contextual and that looks like tolerance. Should we demur on female
circumcision? Does the Klan have to be seen in context?
On the other hand, we are pretty hard on ourselves. Is our world so demanding that all the edges must be rubbed off? The Greek playwrights would destroy a character over one flaw, often a flaw intimately connected with his success. But it was the disproportion, the leveraged impact of the fall that made the story so profound to the audience. Should we judge each other in the same way, the way of the gods? So Günter Grass is no longer admired because of his politics. The Founders of American government, because a portion of them were slave-owners, have had their incredible accomplishments undermined. Heidegger's thinking has been destroyed by his politics--(but not Nietzsche's by his syphilis). Socrates was so offensive to his neighbors that they killed him.
On the other hand, we are pretty hard on ourselves. Is our world so demanding that all the edges must be rubbed off? The Greek playwrights would destroy a character over one flaw, often a flaw intimately connected with his success. But it was the disproportion, the leveraged impact of the fall that made the story so profound to the audience. Should we judge each other in the same way, the way of the gods? So Günter Grass is no longer admired because of his politics. The Founders of American government, because a portion of them were slave-owners, have had their incredible accomplishments undermined. Heidegger's thinking has been destroyed by his politics--(but not Nietzsche's by his syphilis). Socrates was so offensive to his neighbors that they killed him.
This is not meant to be a defense of bigotry. But diversity is a broad quilt. And conformity brings peace at a price. The Roundheads brought it. They are still working on it in the Middle East.
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