Political Logic

Thinking logically ought neither to start nor to stop with Mathematics. A statement is follows logically from stated axioms---if it is a logical consequence of these axioms.

Here, I will gather instances of "political correctness" that is statements consistent with any way of thinking correctly about the "polis". Again, there may be more than one way of thinking correctly about the "polis" which would depend on which axioms one adopts about what the "polis" should be. But an incorrect way to think about the "polis" is to start from axioms about what the "polis" ought to be and then make a statement that is not a logical consequence of what we said the "polis" ought to be.

To begin with:
  Political Logic
  • Sister Joan Chittister, O.S.B.: I do not believe that just because you're opposed to abortion, that that makes you pro-life. In fact, I think in many cases, your morality is deeply lacking if all you want is a child born but not a child fed, not a child educated, not a child housed. And why would I think that you don't? Because you don't want any tax money to go there. That's not pro-life. That's pro-birth.
 Joan Chittister

2018-03-09
Here is another "obvious one":
“This whole anti-immigrant sentiment that’s out there in our politics right now is contrary to who we are. Because unless you are a Native American, your family came from someplace else. ” Mr. Obama said. “Don’t pretend that somehow 100 years ago the immigration process was all smooth and strict. That’s not how it worked.” The grandparents and great-grandparents of politicians taking a hard line on immigration, he said, were also “somehow considered unworthy or uneducated or unwashed.” “When I hear folks talking as if somehow these kids are different from my kids or less worthy in the eyes of God, that somehow they are less worthy of our respect and consideration and care, I think that’s un-American,” Mr. Obama said.
  Political Logic
  • Senator Rubio: A person determined to carry out an attack would find the weaponry to do it regardless of government regulations.
  • F. Schremmer: By the same token, a person determined to get high/low would find the drugs to do it regardless of government regulations.
Conclusion: Killing others is just to be abided but killing yourself requires government regulations?

2018-02-17


My interest in political logic eventually resulted in a book: Political Logic At Lisa's Bar