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Luck,Gratitude,andtheReturntoBecauseIsaidso

Whatisdistinctiveaboutmodernismorperhapsjustmodernmoraltheoryisthat
thereisnolongeranydividebetweenthequestionofwhyIamhereandwhyyouarethere.
Whysomeoneisinabettercircumstanceandwhysomeoneisinaworseone.Nolongeris
theretheChosenFeworGodorsometorturedmetaphysicalreadingofrealitytojustifyor
evenexplainwhysomeoneborntoanuppermiddleclassfamilyinthemidwestwasnot
borntomuchpoorerparentsinRaqqa,Syria,orviceversa.Theonlyresponse,whichhas
appealedtomanyovertheyearsandhastakenmanydifferentforms,iswell,thatsnothow
itturnedoutdidit?Or,abitmoredodgyanddefensive,Idontthinkthatitmattersall
thatmuch.Understandablereactionsbutnonethelessflimsyasfarastheygo.
TheideathatIwasborntoamiddleclassfamilycan,then,onlybeattributedtopure
luck.Modernismthatbeautifullynegatingideahasahardtimeexplaininghowitcanbe
anythingelse.Luckofcircumstance,luckofparents,luckofclass;itsluckthroughand
through.AndsincetheAmericanDreamisprettymuchdeadtheideathatsocialmobility
isopentothosewiththerightskills,determination,andmerititseemstofollowthatmy
luckofcircumstancewillprettymuchdeterminetherestofmylife,evenadjustingfor
suddenoutburstsofpersonalresponsibilityorheroiceffortstoclimboutofwhateverholeI
happenedtofindmyselfin.Outliersthatbreakthemoldofbirthandcircumstancearejust
that:outliers.Yetitwasonthemodeloftheoutlierthattheoriginaldreamwasdreamt,and
itisthestatisticalmodelthatwakesusupfromthatpleasant,butalwayslight,sleep.
TheLeftsinstantiationofthisideaofluckistobelieveinarigideconomicorsocial
determinism;theRightsstrategyistoinsertitselfintheequationaspersonalresponsibility
andthus,inasense,freewill.Bothextremes,bothpresuppositions,areabsurdtakenin
isolationwhich,asithappens,isquiteoftenbutwhencombinedproduceamixtureof
confusion.Thisconfusionmanifestsitselfinthequestion:Howfardoesmymoral
obligationtoothersgoandwhen,ifatall,doesthepersonalresponsibilityofthosevery
sameotherskickin?Ifeverythingboilsdowntoluck,ourmoralobligationtoothersis
unbounded.Ifthebalancetipsinfavorofpersonalresponsibility,ourobligationisseriously
diminished.HencetheconflictbetweenLeftandRight,betweencollectivismand
individualism.
Theproblemmakesitselfmanifestonthepracticallevelaswell.Theideathatluck
kickstheballandsometypeofdeterminismkeepsitrollingseemstohaveinteresting
consequencesforthoseinless-than-desirablecircumstancesaswellasthosehelpingthosein
less-than-desirablecircumstances.Ifeverythingisluckanddeterminism,whyshouldntyou
helpme?Thejumpfrompleasehelpmetoyouareobligatedtohelpmehasnosmall
consequenceonbothparties.
Inonesense,then,thefeelingofgratitudeisliftedfromthosewhoarehelpedfor
afterall,theywereborninaparticularsituationoutofabsolutelynofaultoftheirown.We
dontshowourgratitudetowardgravitywhenwereleasethepenfromourgrip.Ifitcould
bethatthosewhoneedhelpbelievedonlyinpersonalresponsibilityandthosedoingthe
helpingbelievedonlyinluckanddeterminism,thiswouldsurelybeabetterstateofaffairs.
Butourgutfeelingsometimestoucheduponbytherightbutalmostalwaystaken
toanextremeisthatpeoplestillare,insomesenses,responsiblefortheirsituations.That
thereissomethingtobesaid,howeversoftthevoicemaybe,forpersonalresponsibility.Itis
whyitissometimeseasiertosympathizewiththesightofananimalbeingtorturedthanitis
tosympathizewithsomeonewhoisinthethickofahardtime.Innocence.Idontmeanto
becallouswiththisillustration,butonlytoshowthatourwanttohelp,orfeelingorneedto
helpthoseinworseoffcircumstancesisoftenlimitedbywhetherwethinktheyareinnocent
orwhethertheyare,forbetterorworse,takingresponsibilityfortheiractionsinsomesense.
Notonlythis,butwhethertheywillshowgratitudeforthehelp,eveninthefaceofthemost
saintlyamonguswhorefusecommendationfortheiractionsandsorefusetobelievethat
altruismisinanywaymotivatedbyego.Imintheoddplaceofsayingwhetherornot
altruismismotivatedbyegoisbesidethepoint.Evenifitweretruethatitwasmostly
egothusnotaltruismweshouldoperateonthefictionthataltruismismostlygoodwill
andnot,asitwere,motivatedbyego.
Butgoingbacktothisideaofinnocenceforamoment,theresanoldjokethat,like
mostjokes,hassomuchtruthtoitthatweoftenmissit.Itgoessomethinglikethis:Ifyou
wanttofigureoutwhyadogisamansbestfriendandnotyouractualbestfriendoreven
yoursignificantother,lockyourdogandbestfriendinatrunkforseveralhours.Whenyou
letthemout,useyourskillsofdeductiontofigureoutwhosmoreexcitedtoseeyouand
whyyoumighthaveadoglickingyourfreshwoundsandbruises.
Thedoginthetrunkwas,asfarasheknows,strickenbyfate;heprobablylookedfor
awaytogethimselfoutbeforelyingdowntoacceptthefatehehasnowfoundhimselfin.
Inotherwords,thesituationjustwas.Therewasnointernalorexternalblame.Yourfriend
willhavereactedquitedifferent.Hemayhavelookedforawayoutmoderntrunksallhave
anemergencyreleaseforjustsuchexperimentsIimaginebuthewasalwaysoperating
undertheassumptionthatthesituationhefoundhimselfinwasnofaultofhisown.Itwas
purelyduetoexternalcircumstance.Insomecases,thisangermightevenpreventhimfrom
lookingfortheescapeleverorapracticalwayout.
_____
TheLeftwantstoask,then,Howcanweblamepeople?Wecannomoreblamethe
teenturningtogangsthanwecanblametheflowerfordyinginpoorsoilandsunlight.The
Rightwantstoask,Dontyoualwayshaveachoice?Ihesitatetosaythatbothviewsare
mistakenifonlybecauseofthebarrageofMiddleGroundFallacy-thumpersandaccusations
offence-sittingthiswouldinevitablyinvite.Iwonder,though,ifthosewhoseefoolishness
ofsomesortoranotherineverycallformoderation,everyproposaltostrikeamiddleway,
seethatbecausewehavebecomesoextremeandpolarizedthatthemiddlegroundnow
coverssuchalargesurfacearea.Ifatonepointfence-sittingrelegatedonetoquiteliterally
standontheendofapin-point,nowitmeanssomethingquitedifferentthereareacresto
wanderinthemiddleground.Perhapsprudentisanaltogetherbetterterm.
Inanyevent,itseemstomethatwecannotditchgratitude.Evenifithappenstobe
thecasethatluckisthebestexplanation,orthatdeterminismeconomicorotherwiseisa
plainfact,itdoesntfollowthatanyonedeserveswhatcomestheirway.Itscuriousthatsome
ofthemoreimpoverisheddeterminismsoftheLeftseetoitthattheypainttheleast
fortunateinthegraysandblacksofHowcoulditbeotherwisebuttheysplashillustrations
oftherichandwell-offwithcolorsofevil,greed,andselfishness.Idontimaginetheysee
theinconsistencyofthisdoctrine,thoughIsympathizewiththeirview.
Ifluckiswhatsdistinctiveaboutmodernmoraltheoryoratleastluckisanew
conceptthatmustbetakenintoaccountoverthinkingandhyper-selfconsciousis
distinctiveaboutmodernismingeneral.Tobefair,overthinkingisntsomethingwereknown
for,somaybeitsbettertosaythatweoverthinkeverythingweoughttounderthinkand
underthinkeverythingweoughttospendalittlemoretimeinthoughtwith.Ifonewantsto
ripasolutionfromallthis,IwouldsaythattheLefthasoutliveditsoverblowneo-marxist
analysis,thussendingtricklesofingraciousnessdowntothelowestrungsofsocietywho,
uponbeinghelped,onlyfeelentitledtothatandmore.Ifchargesofelitismandindifferent
besomewhereonthehorizon,oneonlyneedtotalktoafewdoctors,nurses,policemen,
paramedics,andmentalhealthworkers.ButtheRighthasoutlivedtheirPuritanpurityand
Protestantworkethicphilosophy.Throughthedeadlycombinationofarroganceandalack
ofself-awareness,theyhaveunderthoughttheirowncircumstancewhilecastingthyholy
lightuponothers.
WhatwillcomeofthismaybeaNewCenter?noonereallyknows.Butthemore
theLeftshovestheirunyieldingdeterminismdownthethroatsofeveryoneelse,themorewe
willhearchantsofhardwork,personalresponsibility,andfancifultalesaboutbootstraps.
AndthatsanotherstoryaboutaninvisiblehanddoingsomethingthatImnotsureIcan
stomachatthispoint.
SotothequestionsWhybelieveinpersonalresponsibility?weshouldanswerlike
ourparentshaveansweredthequestionWhydoIhavetodohomework?Because.Same
goesforthequestionWhyhelpothers;whybegood?BecauseIsaidsoisusuallyasfar
asanybodyneedstogo,andgoingfurtherhasonlyservedtoexerciseourjustificationsfor
neitherhelpingothernorbeinggood.


- Wheredoespersonalresponsibilityendandmoralobligationbegin
- Pokeranalogy?
- Thecrisisormodernismoratleastthecrisisofmodernmoralreasoning
- TheLeftseconomicdeterminismwiththeRightspersonalresponsibility

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