I have been looking forward to this podcast from the Daily Wire. The four guys from the Daily Wire, Ben Shapiro, Andrew Klavan, Michael Knowles and Jeremy Boreing, are all terrific human beings. It is such a treat to learn from each of them. And today's podcast includes Jordan Peterson, who joins them at the 1:20 mark. There is a summary of the discussion here, but here are my notes on points that interested me.
Ben: The Declaration of Independence was an act of great bravery! A document enshrining slavery? Ridiculous! It was a call to freedom that had gone unfulfilled.
Andrew: The existence of evil proves God's commitment to freedom!
Andrew: Watching westerns as a child shaped his concept of America. Individual liberty meant individual responsibility (Gary Cooper in High Noon).
Ben: When was the last time you saw a patriotic movie? Do they even make them any more?
Ben: You are an immigrant to America? Assimilate! Jeremy: Why did you make the choice to leave the country you came here from? Ben: His grandparents left everything behind when they immigrated to America. There was no social safety net (welfare). They came here with nothing and no guarantee they would get anything.
Jeremy and Andrew: America is a creed. Jeremy: The Left believes America is a place, not a creed. By fortune and conquest. Jeremy: The Left wants us to take away the idea of gratitude and replace it with the idea of covetousness.
Andrew says he is an imperialist: we should sell our ideas!
Ben: Every one of the founding fathers believed in balancing the pursuit of happiness with virtue.
Ben: The only way the conservative movement survives in the long run is if libertarians realize conservatives are right about culture and conservatives realize libertarians are right about government!
Ben: Too many religious leaders have decided that religion has nothing to say about the major issues in politics.
Jeremy: The Left does not find wisdom in the past. They don't look back. Millennials know very little about anything that happened before them. Ben: We were born on third base and we think we hit a triple! Millennials have cell phones connected wirelessly to the internet and think they are advanced! They are technologically advanced, but not in terms of what they know of foundational principles.
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God! Ben: what gives our life meaning is words. Our country is based on words. Human existence is based on words. The Left says no, you're based on material, on things. All the shortcomings in your life are based on material privilege.
At this point Jordan Peterson joins the group. He picks up on the discussion about words. The Egyptians thought the world was created as a consequence of the use of language. The Mesopotamians and the Egyptians were also interested in the ability to pay attention. Attention precedes reason. Attention is also dependent on the structure of your values.
Jordan talks about the ancient Hebrews constantly being walloped by God. They had no victimization culture, so they asked themselves, "What did we do?"
Jeremy: What are the words that brought us here? (On Canada Day and Independence Day)
Jordan says, responsibility! He talks about the malevolence and suffering we experience. How to contend against that? Responsibility! Without becoming bitter, vengeful and cynical, adopt as much responsibility as you can.
At the 1:33:35 mark Andrew asks Jordan, "Where do you direct people's faith? Is there something other than space and time on which this world is supported? Jordan answers, "Whatever is at the top of the hierarchy of values is in some sense de facto God. Andrew asks, "Doesn't there have to be something above the hierarchy of values to which those values tend? Jordan answers, "I think you could say, yes. The highest value in the hierarchy isn't exactly a value, it is the process by which values are generated."
Jeremy points out that the West is premised on the idea of one God, monotheism.
Jordan talks about brains and specialization. The right hemisphere is specialized to deal with chaos and your left hemisphere is specialized to deal with order.
He also talks about the sovereignty of the individual, a western concept that is catching on worldwide.
Ben finally speaks! "There is something dangerous about our values. To do the right thing, to act responsibly in the world."
Jordan ends by saying maybe there is something the Left and the Right can agree on: Big is bad! As it stands now, the right doesn't like big government and the left doesn't like big corporations.
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