In the system of the universe, it does not matter if Jupiter is full of noxious gases or an ice covered terrain, but it does matter if there are stars and planets, otherwise, the universe would be quite different. Now, admittedly, in some contexts one might deem the surface of Jupiter important, for example, for potential colonization, but the basis of the configuration of the universe is much more important.
If I were trying to determine what to teach for a course in American history, I would consider it more important to touch on slavery and the Civil War than on the Gilded Age, should a choice be forced. For a course on philosophy, I would consider Plato to be more important than Plotinus, and Aristotle's Metaphysics to be more important than his book on dreams. For a course on literature, I would consider Shakespeare more important than Christopher Marlowe, and Dickens more important than Charles Kingsley. These are all objective judgments, that is, based on the criterion of what was more central and what more peripheral to the subject at hand (although the application of the criterion might foment debate)........ |
