Do we NEED to hear Opinions we don’t like?

I’m going to start off today’s mailbag with a Dare. Whatever side of the political spectrum you happen to find yourself...next time you are watching the News, I dare you to watch your opposing side’s channel for at least 5 minutes. If you get your current events from CNN or MSNBC, for example, switch on Fox News or click on the New York Post. If you read the Washington Times, then check out the Washington Post. Apply this to whatever local outlet in whichever country you find yourself! That doesn’t sound too tricky, I hear you say... but there’s a catch... You need to 1: Not shout furiously at the screen. And 2: Practice a bit of healthy Skepticism (the ancient kind) and suspend judgement. One of the more recent Media charts by Ad fontes Media (NB: Ad Fontes is a Latin expression which means "[back] to the sources" (lit. "to the sources") That means you have to watch and actually take it seriously. This is important - you need to try to argue for the other side so that you can steelman your own points - but also to understand how and what your opposition is thinking. You might already do this! As a Classics lover you probably are already predisposed to finding the nuisance in this messy political climate... Perhaps, indeed, this missive would be best forwarded to friends and family still learning the Skeptic ropes... A bit of ancient wisdom for modern minds wouldn’t go amiss these days! And in preparation for the inevitable questions to this little dare - or should I say philosophical exercise - we come to today’s mailbag question...: Do we NEED to hear Opinions we don’t like? What is the Importance of Differing Views? And why should we try to be objective in the first place? As always you can comment below or write me directly at Anya@classicalwisdom.com. I’ll be particularly interested in your comments, because its a topic I’ve had to discuss a lot recently when explaining our upcoming Symposium (taking place THIS Saturday). You see, I’ve tried hard to ensure we have a diversity of ideas represented. Indeed, one of the speakers is from the Ayn Rand institute, which sometimes provokes a bit of a response. One reader said that they thought, “Objectivism [is] morally abhorrent and intellectually ridiculous” while another pointed out (correctly) that it belongs squarely in the modern, rather than classics, philosophy department. For those wanting a recap, the Russian “Atlas Shrugged” author Ayn Rand (the philosopher behind the philosophy of Objectivism), was heavily influenced by the Classics, in particular by Aristotle. Nowadays she is sometimes dismissed as merely a darling of the right, a controversial character... but I feel this does Rand a bit of an injustice. This is because while Ayn Rand is many things, she was clearly no dummy. Watching her speak you can tell her mind is working on another plane from the rest of us... Being a genius doesn’t necessarily make Ayn right (think of the many philosophies proposed over the centuries!), but it does mean that you will certainly learn something by considering her ideas because she has a completely different perspective on things. They might reinforce some of your opinions or contradict them, but either way it is you, the reader, who will benefit from the experience. One of Ayn Rand’s more controversial Books: As for our speaker from the Ayn Rand Institute, he’s also no dunce. Aaron Smith received his PhD in philosophy from Johns Hopkins University where his research focused on Aristotle’s theory of knowledge. Prior to joining the Ayn Rand Institute in 2013, he was a visiting assistant professor of philosophy at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, where he taught ancient Greek philosophy, moral theory, and epistemology. So... you can see how he has earned a spot at our inaugural Symposium. Regular readers might even recognise him from his article “The False Promise of Stoicism” and his podcast addressing Ayn Rand’s deep admiration for Aristotle, both of which were featured earlier this year on Classical Wisdom. If you wish to see Aaron speak and ask him yourself any questions, then make sure to get you tickets for the Symposium HERE. Artículo*: plato Más info en psico@mijasnatural.com / 607725547 MENADEL (Frasco Martín) Psicología Clínica y Transpersonal Tradicional (Pneumatología) en Mijas Pueblo (MIJAS NATURAL) *No suscribimos necesariamente las opiniones o artículos aquí compartidos
I’m going to start off today’s mailbag with a Dare. Whatever side of the political spectrum you happen to find yourself...next time you are watching the News, I dare you to watch your opposing side’s channel for at least 5 minutes. If you get your current events from CNN or MSNBC, for exampl

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Más info en psico@mijasnatural.com / 607725547 MENADEL Psicología Clínica y Transpersonal Tradicional (Pneumatología) en Mijas y Fuengirola, MIJAS NATURAL.

(No suscribimos necesariamente las opiniones o artículos aquí presentados)