Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

In reply to Irfan Khawaja. “Can the party currently being held hostage by Donald Trump really point at the Democrats as the paradigm of irrationality?” – frankly, yes. The center-left’s lack of objectivity on Ukraine is just one…

In reply to Irfan Khawaja. I think we agree on this issue. We differ, perhaps, on the weight to give justice being done (in respect of Ukrainian self-rule) and the relevant moral statuses (being an aggressor primarily, acting in defense primarily) of t…

In reply to Irfan Khawaja. Of course, your first sentence is true. My question is how to decide whether the rest of them are (and what weight to give to justice being done, it not being preordained that justice and prudence always line up). Perhaps ano…

In reply to mlyoung57. (Responding to Michael Young) I agree with your rejection of IR realism, and of Mearsheimer’s version of it. But I think that all of that theory is a red herring. There is a more moderate libertarian version of Mearsheimer&…

In reply to mlyoung57. A commitment to justice doesn’t require a commitment to self-defeating and overly risky/costly courses of action. Ukraine’s war against Russia cannot be won. An insurgency would prolong it and widen it. It would also …

In reply to sean samis. My sources on our intention to defend Ukraine are all inferences from fact: You can’t intend to do something that’s impossible. But defending Ukraine militarily against a Russian invasion is impossible. I don&#8217…

Hi Irfan, At over 5000 words, this is quite a broadside! Unfortunately, I believe most of the energy is misdirected. Let’s remember the context of what I said. The purpose of my post was to make a systematic case against “cancel culture” of the distinc…

In reply to Irfan Khawaja. With some slight differences in degree and emphasis, I agree with pretty much all of that. And it does capture the spirit of my [4]. No need to answer, as it might be private, but what are the circumstances of this correspond…

In reply to Irfan Khawaja. “Do you mind if I categorize it under ‘Memorials and Obituaries’?” No prob, go nuts! 😛 LikeLike

In reply to mlyoung57. Yes. There is a more moralized, typically left-wing way of getting to a similar downstream conclusion regarding what it is best to do in foreign affairs. But such a position probably should not be characterized as foreign-policy …