Q&A: Pluralism
Pluralism
Question
Many thanks for the lecture at Cafe Luda—great concept.
The Rabbi distinguished there between negative, contradictory pluralism and positive harmonism. As an example of positive harmonism, you brought the Rambam’s parable of the elephant.
My question is: if one of the observers of the elephant claims that there is no elephant at all, would that also be similar to positive harmonism?
Answer
For some reason it seems to me that I already answered this. I’ll answer briefly again. Pluralism is not negative but mistaken. Harmonism is not positive; it is the truth. This is a question of right and wrong, not of bad and good.
If one of the observers claims there is no elephant, he is probably mistaken. Still, there is room to ask why he thinks that. Maybe from his angle the elephant can’t be seen, or maybe he defines “elephant” differently.
Discussion on Answer
Yes. That the elephant isn’t there, as I wrote. You can examine what his arguments are, but it’s clear that he’s mistaken.
Regarding the chocolate example, why do you say that in that case no one is mistaken?
It’s true that both reasons are valid, but maybe there is still only one truth regarding their weighting as well? If one person says that healthy is preferable to pretty, he is right; that would mean that the person who says pretty is preferable to healthy is mistaken.
No?
Of course. I explained that there. In the weighting, it is definitely possible that only one is right.
Okay.
Is there any claim in the elephant parable that could be considered pluralistic and mistaken?