Bonhoeffer's theory of stupidity, why authoritarians rise.

[Bugenhagen]

When I started interacting with politics it was to do a little research to help journalist friend who was writing an article about Bonhoeffer's theory (of stupidity, however a specific understanding of the word). Unfortunately though it's a good piece, it never saw the light of day.

What explains LacesOut, Wildchild, EasyMon* and Buy1Sell2 etc.? Along with the Dunning Kruger effect, they have a moral deficiency shared with millions that authoratrians are able to develop and exploit.

Well I found an educational vid a few months back that neatly explains it quite well so I figured might as well talk about it finally now that some seem to have realised that the correct response to this kind of "stupid" is to ignore them. Stupid people being activated in the presence of authoratrianism are more dangerous to a free society than the outright malign.

*shortlist of the worst offenders made by @gwb-trading recently when he finally put them on ignore. As should anybody else.

 

[Mercor]

A former leftist guerrilla wins Colombia’s election
Gustavo Petro’s past leaves a legacy of distrust to overcome

 

[Bugenhagen]

Mercor another morally defective one who just needs to be left in the cold or change, his choice. Added to my block list as he just wants to Derail. I must deal with reality, no point in living in hope they will surprise me by becoming better.

I must also discuss Hannah Arendt who was brilliant on totalitarianism and the "banality of evil" as she put it. Hard going though, I'm not an intellectual.

"Love of the world  –  why is it so difficult to love the world?"

When I decided to return to ET I was going to use Bonhoeffer as my nic but figured it was a bit too goody goody for my personality and went with Bugenhagen from the Omen which was on TV that moment instead

 

[Bugenhagen]

A good quick bio on Bonhoeffer though the narrator's voice is a bit droopy

 

[Snuskpelle]

Thanks. Didn't recall of Bonhoeffer. What he wrote certainly aligns with my observations in daily life, and especially in times like now. The craziest things (as defined as deficits in moral judgement) I hear and have heard are from people that spend their time following other people, and not enough time by themselves to actually form an independent opinion with a rational (as well as moral) basis.

I would wonder then if ignoring them is the most effective counter measure, however, because that is the same as giving up.

 

[Bugenhagen]

I would wonder then if ignoring them is the most effective counter measure, however, because that is the same as giving up.

Years and years have been spent by many here in ET politics and the core "stupid" never change, at least online. I might ask @piezoe who is impressive in making a reasonable argument if he thinks he ever influenced the boys.

In person I believe you can reach somebody, sometimes, but they often quickly reset as they hang around with other morally stupid people. You have to be a fairly continual presence in their lives.

So don't feed them too much as they will subvert any morally grounded discussion with the bumper-sticker thoughts given them by rising authoratrian forces.

 

[Bugenhagen]

I guess that stupidity to Bonhoeffer meant letting others make your moral decisions for you as an adult. As basic as I can figure it.

 

[Bugenhagen]

So what is it that authoratarians subvert to their ends? In this 60 minutes report they explore whether babies are born with a moral core, an innate sense of justice? They find they are.

 

[Bugenhagen]

"Moral certainty is always a sign of cultural inferiority. The more uncivilized the man, the surer he is that he knows precisely what is right and what is wrong. All human progress, even in morals, has been the work of men who have doubted the current moral values, not of men who have whooped them up and tried to enforce them. The truly civilized man is always skeptical and tolerant, in this field as in all others. His culture is based on "I am not too sure."
H.L. Mencken