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Subject: Re: [anthroposophy_tomorrow] honest understanding
Date: Thu, 4 Mar 2004 21:02:45 -0500

Patrick once wrote:
"Instead of another human being honestly trying to understand the other I find myself facing a "thrust and parry" dialectician."
Peter Staudenmaier answered:
"I think that is a good way to conduct public discussion on controversial topics."

Daniel jumped in:
So honest understanding is not a desirable goal when bandying about opinions on controversial topics?

Peter Staudenmaier responded:
No, that is not my position. It's the "instead of" part of Patrick's line that I do not accept. I think that making and assessing arguments is a crucial part of honest understanding, not a distraction from it.

Daniel:
So here you say: "Making and assessing arguments is a crucial part of honest understanding." I notice that you have carefully avoided actually claiming that you yourself are attempting to form an honest understanding. In the last post of yours I responded to you suggested that an honest understanding is not achievable on philosophical grounds.

Daniel Hindes

The thread continues.