Tuesday, April 12, 2005
KANT
Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) helpfully divided human motivations into two:
(1) "Conditional Imperatives" = basically, if you want X then you do Y.
(2) "Categorical Imperatives" = basically things you feel compelled to do; things that are intrinsically right; things you "just gotta do" regardless of outcome.
Don't make the mistake of thinking your electioneering work falls into (1) when it is so clearly (2)!
Of course we all know the vast majority of MPs are crooks. Of course we know the political system in our country is ever more corrupt... (Labour postal votes anyone?)
...but we fight against the ban because we must; because we live in one of those times in the history of our nation when we know our ancestors and our children would never forgive us if we did not "stand up and be counted" for freedoms we hold dear.
After all, I've never met you; but I'm guessing that like me, you are getting involved because you feel you have to. Yes, you get knackered; and tired feet, and are "out like a light" when your head touches the pillow...
...but we would be even more tired if we did nothing, because we could not sleep at night knowing that the battle might be lost because we were not at our post*
*sorry about the pun for all you letter-stuffers!
(1) "Conditional Imperatives" = basically, if you want X then you do Y.
(2) "Categorical Imperatives" = basically things you feel compelled to do; things that are intrinsically right; things you "just gotta do" regardless of outcome.
Don't make the mistake of thinking your electioneering work falls into (1) when it is so clearly (2)!
Of course we all know the vast majority of MPs are crooks. Of course we know the political system in our country is ever more corrupt... (Labour postal votes anyone?)
...but we fight against the ban because we must; because we live in one of those times in the history of our nation when we know our ancestors and our children would never forgive us if we did not "stand up and be counted" for freedoms we hold dear.
After all, I've never met you; but I'm guessing that like me, you are getting involved because you feel you have to. Yes, you get knackered; and tired feet, and are "out like a light" when your head touches the pillow...
...but we would be even more tired if we did nothing, because we could not sleep at night knowing that the battle might be lost because we were not at our post*
*sorry about the pun for all you letter-stuffers!
