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slimeyamerican t1_j026m86 wrote

Total head-scratcher. Why are all the rules up for interpretation, but black consciousness has ontological status? This whole thesis boils down to the belief that you can’t actually say anything meaningful.

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RaphaelAmbrosius t1_j027wmf wrote

I’m not sure what your usage of ontological means here.

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slimeyamerican t1_j03velc wrote

Black consciousness having independent existence which all observers have to acknowledge. This is what I don’t understand about relativism-it’s fine to be open-minded, unserious, and “transdisciplinary” if you like at one point, but what do you do when the various cultures and philosophies you’re approaching open-mindedly conflict with one another? Because they do conflict, all the time. Do you believe multiple contradictory things and deny nothing? That seems to veer from open-mindedness into simple mindlessness.

In theory that appears to be Gordon’s suggestion, but it’s pretty obvious that he picks favorites (“Black consciousness”) and opposes their contraries (“white narcissism”) like everybody else in the real world.

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