AL PARKER, SYSOPS AND WHITAKER THINKING | 2007-07-04
When I wrote a piece below about how I rejected Whitakerism but I AM trying to teach Whitaker thinking, Al Parker wrote that he may not agree with me because "We the people" might include non-whites. I took the easy way out by pointing out that every state that ratified the Constitution had and enforced anti-miscegenation laws. They assumed "the people" were white.
But that was the EASY way out for me, because it was not the POINT. The POINT is harder to make, because it involves more work on my part. So I avoided it.
The POINT on which Al was wrong was not in asking me that question. He simply hadn't thought of the point I made, which is exactly what I'm here for. In fact, ASKING me that was an example of the kind of thinking I am trying to encourage here. He was DOING Whitaker thinking.
What Al was questioning was Whitakerism, the idea that my opinions are the Only True Faith.
A Whitakerism would be a True Faith. That is EXACTLY what I am against. Whitaker THINKING should be a PART, and only a PART, of your intellectual tool kit.
SysOp and I disagree on evolution. In some cases, that makes us disagree on some of our conclusions. On the other hand, I pointed out that it is not true that "Things are not as they appear" or that "Men and women are the same." It doesn't MATTER whether evolution or God produced us; the point is that either God or evolution had a REASON for giving is two eyes and two sexes.
On that one's belief or non-belief in evolution does not affect the conclusion you come to if you use Whitaker thinking.
On the other hand, when what I say depends ENTIRELY on evolution, SysOp simply disagrees.
THIS is the CRITICAL difference: SysOps respects me, but she does NOT regard me as The Authority she must yield to. So disagreeing with me is not some kind of trauma for her. It is routine that two good minds will differ.
Al was NOT disagreeing with Whitaker thinking, he was DOING it.
Rule One of Wordism is NOT to question. Rule One of Whitaker thinking is HOW to question.