Who wants more control over our lives, the “right” or “left”?
Who wants more control over our lives, the “right” or “left”?
To be rational is to recognize that (1) there is absolute truth, but that (2) one cannot claim to know it. Yet a religion is a passionate claim to know a belief, or set of beliefs, as absolutely true. Religiously held truths are therefore irrational. This should also shock no one, but the left and right both have “religions”. In addition, humans need others to share their religions with them in order to feel psychologically safe in their pursuit of them. In the extreme it appears as narcissism (pathological defense of self). I believe that this is the engine of human control.
As a result ….
The Right
The political right claims it know absolute truth on matters relating to the existence and nature of God, and some other matters of faith. The political right also claims absolute knowledge of morality. This can be oppressive and controlling to both the irreligious and the religious.
Nevertheless, the right benefits enormously by claiming to know that God’s existence is absolutely true (i.e. in irrationally). In fact, for many on the right, God makes possible their capacity to reason. God is a powerful tool that can prevent the faithful’s minds from claiming the myriad of personal subjective beliefs are absolutely true. They aren’t, and this is key to reason. The human mind wants to KNOW that its beliefs are the absolutely correct ones. Yet this is the very definition of irrationality. Whereas, in faith, the right accepts that absolute truth is known only to God, and in this way their potential to reason is enabled. I think this position is righteous irrationality.
Some of the faithful decide that that can speak on behalf of God, but this is an aberration. It is controlling. It is wrong. And it is irrational. It is certainly not righteous. This is produced in the narcissism of the religious right.
The Left
The political left claims to know absolute truth on everything. Or, more specifically, they believe that their subjective truths are the TRUTH. Critically, the woke begin by claiming to know that God does NOT exist. This particular “truth” may be the reason that rationality fails to naturally develop within the woke (Marxist, Critical Theorist, postmodernist). Moreover, the Marxist, Critical Theorist, and postmodernist, as a matter of philosophy, reject the existence of objective truth. This is the principle handicap for the development of rationality within these sub-groups of the left. The resulting irrationality produces their “religious” control. They hold hold their truths “religiously” because of narcissism.
The Vast Middle
The vast in-between are irrational on some subjects emotionally important to them. But, these individuals are not narcissistically (pathological defense of self) holding them. This cannot be said about the individuals in the prior two groups. They, by contrast, are emotionally devoted to their truths. Their truths define their psychic-self. The vast in-between are distinguished by an absence of narcissism.
ANSWER
In general, I believe that only the narcissistic are controlling. The woke (Marxist, Critical Theorist, postmodernist) will be the most controlling (i.e. not all the left). These leftist groups are completely irrational because they reject objective truth—by philosophical design. However, those that think that they can speak for God, are equally as irrational and controlling (i.e. not all the right). They too, are irrational by design. In fact, representations that they can speak for God are the instruments of their control. Both of these extreme groups are narcissistic and suffering from a pathological need to protect their “psychic-self”.
The segment of the right that acknowledges God, but does not claim to KNOW God’s truth, will be mostly rational and not necessarily controlling. They may control others to the extent it recognizes their faith, but that should be the limit of their irrationality and resulting control.
The vast in-between, both left and right, without narcissism, can be irrational, but will lack an emotional desire to control those that disagree with their beliefs.