Everybody Wants What’s Good-- Even If The Good For Them Is Distorted

Right Thinking

Professor Gill's Answer To My Question—Pope or Pragmatist
(Dr. Gill's comments paraphrased from his 1971 article,
“The Definition Of Freedom”)


"You've missed the point," my old Professor said, "To my way of
thinking, `knowing,' even knowing about material objects, is less
about the discovery than it is about the `doing.' You have to look
before you discover. Astronomers look to the sky because they `know
where to look,' and, what to look for. Science, like other forms of
knowledge, is a value. It’s what you do with it that counts. The formal
sciences with their axiomatic deductive arrangements illustrate
knowledge, but so to do other ordered and consistent conceptual
schemes. Of course, there is always a direct relationship between
knowledge and the social milieu that a person finds himself/herself in.
But, the important structure of that knowledge, the systematic
ordered whole built by each person for himself, is what determines the
intensity of the level of commitment to act responsibly. If you want
to call that Authority, go ahead. It doesn't change a thing. Every
decision we make is made in accordance with some existing rule or law.
Every valid law or valid code of behavior connects with other valid
laws. That's what validity is—`right thinking.'"

"If that's true, then what laws do bigots, crooks, and rapists
follow?" "How much `theory' is required before they—the criminals,
excel?" I said.

"That's my point," replied Dr. Gill. "Everybody wants what's good—even
if the good for them is distorted and confused. Getting what you want
comes with a price. `Knowing what you ought to want’ pays that price.
That's too high a price to pay for a lot of people. It requires hard
choices, tough decisions, and intelligent plans of action. Rules must
be followed, laws paid attention to. In our own personal worlds we
obey the rules to which we owe allegiance; else it would be impossible
to decide anything at all. But, far too often what we want is
inconsistent with what we need. In fact, far too often what we want
today is inconsistent with what we wanted yesterday, or will want
tomorrow. There is an inescapable requirement between action and
thought. Consequences exist if rules are not followed. Self-control is
necessary if a responsible individual, or a society for that matter,
can act as a unit, and be counted on not to break valid laws, or in
the case of the rapist, not to commit acts of violence. I am neurotic
as an individual, or we are corrupt as a society when we become
fractured by conflicting obligations. Contradictory obligations or
unreconciled legitimate demands break down an individual's ability to
function responsibly as a citizen. Each fragment of shattered
personality appears to the rest of the personality as enemy, as death
drive. Violence is slavery. Tyranny is a nation enslaved. If an
individual is radically fractured, sanity becomes the issue.
Self-contradictory behavior, obeying rules that say everything and
nothing at all, is nothing less than insanity."