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September 30, 2012
The Cost of Purity
From Theodore Dalrymple's latest collection of essays, Farewell Fear. On dictatorial urges:It is difficult now to imagine a modern university intellectual saying something as simple and unequivocal as "I disagree with what you say, but I defend to the death your right to say it." He would be more likely to think, if not actually to say out loud or in public, "I disagree with what you say and therefore rationalise to the death my right to suppress it." In public, he would be more circumspect, presenting a suppression of freedom as an actual increase in freedom; that is to say of real freedom, not the kind the leaves everyone free to sleep under a bridge. But he would know perfectly well in his heart that what he was after was power: the greatest power of all, that to shape, mould and colour indelibly the thought of others, a power to which he believes that he has a right by virtue of his superior intellect, training and zeal for the public good. -- @ davidthompson
Posted by gerardvanderleun at September 30, 2012 9:29 AM. This is an entry on the sideblog of American Digest: Check it out.