Distant-relative.
by Folqa July 24, 2024
Get the distant-relative mug.Similar to Ken Wilber's "Pre/trans fallacy", which is about conflating pre-rational views with trans-rational views, the Relative/absolute fallacy is about conflating relative perspectives with The Absolute perspective. This is the main source of confusion in the forms of spirituality that deal with the implications of non-duality (Oneness).
There are generally two levels to the fallacy:
1. The first level is the conflation that happens when you don't have knowledge about the distinction between the relative and The Absolute (dual/non-dual). This is common in pre-rational religious people (Wilber). The way that traditional religion interprets various holy texts is itself a good example.
2. The second level happens when you do have knowledge about the distinction between relative and absolute (but it's obviously not complete knowledge). This is common in (aspiring) trans-rational people. A common example is to think that because nothing ultimately really matters, morality doesn't matter, and therefore it's fine to for example hurt other people. This is to conflate "the relative" with "The Absolute". From The Absolute perspective, yes, nothing really matters, but morality can only ever be defined "relative" to a certain value system in the first place. By taking the absolute perspective, you're deliberately stepping outside of all value systems, but "it's fine to hurt other people" would be a moral statement, which means you're actually invoking a relative perspective.
There are generally two levels to the fallacy:
1. The first level is the conflation that happens when you don't have knowledge about the distinction between the relative and The Absolute (dual/non-dual). This is common in pre-rational religious people (Wilber). The way that traditional religion interprets various holy texts is itself a good example.
2. The second level happens when you do have knowledge about the distinction between relative and absolute (but it's obviously not complete knowledge). This is common in (aspiring) trans-rational people. A common example is to think that because nothing ultimately really matters, morality doesn't matter, and therefore it's fine to for example hurt other people. This is to conflate "the relative" with "The Absolute". From The Absolute perspective, yes, nothing really matters, but morality can only ever be defined "relative" to a certain value system in the first place. By taking the absolute perspective, you're deliberately stepping outside of all value systems, but "it's fine to hurt other people" would be a moral statement, which means you're actually invoking a relative perspective.
You're conflating relative perspectives with The Absolute perspective ("The Relative/Absolute Fallacy").
Albert thinks he is God and nobody else is. Albert has committed the Relative/Absolute Fallacy.
Albert thinks he is God and nobody else is. Albert has committed the Relative/Absolute Fallacy.
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Man, I just got back from the family reunion. McGill's Law of Relatives is going strong in my family!
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"Ya, the people in the village have it rough, being in abject poverty, but they kept such a mellow and kind attitude while I was there."
"I can definitely relate, I was in poverty growing up. Dad unemployed by 2008 recession and all."
"Man, you were no where close to a starving African child back then, with your relative poverty. Absolute poverty is not the same. What?--someone dies every ten minutes from a car crash--when 130 die--of only children (age <5) in the same time."
"Holy shit. Why didn't I think about joining?"
"Mehh, it doesn't matter now. What's done, is gone. You could do other stuff to help lessen extreme poverty though."
"Ya, the people in the village have it rough, being in abject poverty, but they kept such a mellow and kind attitude while I was there."
"I can definitely relate, I was in poverty growing up. Dad unemployed by 2008 recession and all."
"Man, you were no where close to a starving African child back then, with your relative poverty. Absolute poverty is not the same. What?--someone dies every ten minutes from a car crash--when 130 die--of only children (age <5) in the same time."
"Holy shit. Why didn't I think about joining?"
"Mehh, it doesn't matter now. What's done, is gone. You could do other stuff to help lessen extreme poverty though."
by aerodidact October 18, 2014
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