How about we take the opposite tact......Do you think Osama is brave?
No, I've seen no indication of bravery.
Placing "cowardly" within the grouping of demonstrably false descriptions is somewhat indicative of the meaning that you ascribe to words.
Are you referring to my second list? My second list was, as I stated, an arbitrary list of descriptors that have a negative connotation. I think that some of them are true of Osama, some false, and others, I don't have any way to know. Of that list, I would say that Osama was cold and violent, that he was not ugly, short, fat, unmanly, or stupid, probably not disloyal or dishonest. He might be dirty, considering where he lives. He probably can't dance given that his religious practices preclude music, although he appears to be graceful, which suggests the potential to be a good dancer. The point of the list was, as I stated, a test of whether people can identify both good and bad characteristics in Osama or whether they are over-generalizing.
I have found this discussion of cowardice extremely interesting. My posting has not been to argue the case one way or the other but to try to understand the difference of opinion. In an earlier post, I postulated that perhaps some people are engaging in black-and-white thinking, a common practice on SI, and that explains why they insist Osama is a coward. Coward is a negative descriptor, Osama is horrid, ergo Osama is a coward. The bad guy MUST BE a coward.
A second theory that has been mentioned during the discussion is that people all have different ideas what cowardice is. The dictionary definitions have been brought in. Some people are dismissive of the dictionary definition and adamant that their personal definition. Others claim to be following the dictionary definition but simply interpret it from their own experiences and perspectives.
You mention the absolutist-relativist question, which pervades the topics discussed on this thread. Of course, we, the posters, have historically had trouble with who is or isn't a relativist and what that means. I did not think of that as a factor in the coward discussion, but I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts on how it is.
As I have said several times now, I'm less interested in whether or not Osama is a coward than I am in the reasons for the differences in assessment. Even people who are on the same side are there for different reasons. Solon just said it was about fear, for example, where I think it's about spirit.
I am still of the opinion that he is not a coward. I explained my rationale based on the dictionary definition. I have not yet heard a rebuttal of my rational, only others expressing a preference for theirs.
I find all that very interesting, indeed.
Karen |
