Q&A: Subjectivity
Subjectivity
Question
Hello Rabbi, in light of reading the Rabbi’s book on fundamentalism:
How does the Rabbi know that those intellectual and sensory categories exist among the whole human species? As I understand it, the main criticism of Rabbi Shagar and his tendency toward postmodernism was from this point—that in fact we cannot know what another person thinks or feels. If so, it could be that in his mind and feeling, murder is something blessed, and killing for family honor is an exalted value?
Thank you in advance
Answer
Why speculate about what another person thinks? Ask him, and you’ll find out whether in his opinion murder is something positive and blessed or not.
Discussion on Answer
I didn’t say there are no differences, only that they are fairly marginal. There is quite a lot in common (the whole core). Even those who support murder for family honor apologize and explain themselves, and they too agree that murder is forbidden except in those circumstances. There are also arguments about targeted killings, abortions, and other things. So what?
That’s exactly what I’m saying: if we ask Arabs, they will say that murder for family honor is something moral and exalted. By contrast, we judge it as murder and say that such a person should be put in prison.