Religion and Ethics Forum

General Category => Politics & Current Affairs => Topic started by: Walt Zingmatilder on July 07, 2022, 05:38:34 PM

Title: Johnson invokes Darwin
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on July 07, 2022, 05:38:34 PM
Johnson has stated that the process which produces Tory leaders is Darwinian.

What did he mean by it?

Source: Any news organ.
Title: Re: Johnson invokes Darwin
Post by: Dicky Underpants on July 07, 2022, 05:51:22 PM
Johnson has stated that the process which produces Tory leaders is Darwinian.

What did he mean by it?

Source: Any news organ.
Coupled with his reference to "the herd", it sounds like a vague nod to Nietzsche. Maybe he thinks the Tory selection process is a good means of producing the Übermensch.
Title: Re: Johnson invokes Darwin
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on July 07, 2022, 05:56:30 PM
Coupled with his reference to "the herd", it sounds like a vague nod to Nietzsche. Maybe he thinks the Tory selection process is a good means of producing the Übermensch.
I'm sure your'e right. Is Nietschze Darwinian do you think?
Title: Re: Johnson invokes Darwin
Post by: jeremyp on July 07, 2022, 06:05:38 PM
Johnson has stated that the process which produces Tory leaders is Darwinian.

What did he mean by it?

Source: Any news organ.

He's clearly wrong. The Tory leader selection process has got nothing to do with descent with modification. If it did, the candidates would have to be BJ's children.
Title: Re: Johnson invokes Darwin
Post by: Dicky Underpants on July 07, 2022, 06:11:54 PM
I'm sure your'e right. Is Nietschze Darwinian do you think?
Not really. N invoked Darwin as an important element in his philosophy, though maybe this was filtered through Spencer's interpretation (instruct me here).
N's philosophy seems rather contradictory, with the Übermensch set in opposition to the Eternal Recurrence.
Boris returning  for evermore! Kill me now...
Title: Re: Johnson invokes Darwin
Post by: Dicky Underpants on July 07, 2022, 06:13:37 PM
He's clearly wrong. The Tory leader selection process has got nothing to do with descent with modification. If it did, the candidates would have to be BJ's children.
Yup.
Title: Re: Johnson invokes Darwin
Post by: Anchorman on July 07, 2022, 07:03:11 PM
Does this make Dorries the missing link?
Title: Re: Johnson invokes Darwin
Post by: Walt Zingmatilder on July 07, 2022, 07:22:11 PM
He's clearly wrong. The Tory leader selection process has got nothing to do with descent with modification. If it did, the candidates would have to be BJ's children.
Lots of Conservatives probably are.
Title: Re: Johnson invokes Darwin
Post by: Steve H on July 07, 2022, 10:59:26 PM
I'm sure your'e right. Is Nietschze Darwinian do you think?
No. Darwinism is science; Nietzchianism is bollocks.
Title: Re: Johnson invokes Darwin
Post by: Dicky Underpants on July 08, 2022, 03:17:12 AM
No. Darwinism is science; Nietzchianism is bollocks.
Not sure what 'Nietzchianism' is. There is certainly a lot of bollocks in Nietzsche, but there are many facets to his thought, and he deserves to be read. The connection with the Nazis was not inevitable, though it's perhaps not surprising that certain hysterical outbursts of his appealed to Hitler.
Adolf would not have liked what N said about anti-semites at all.
Title: Re: Johnson invokes Darwin
Post by: Steve H on July 08, 2022, 06:55:52 AM
Nietxche not only inspired the Nazis, he also inspired a notorious murder in the 20s by two students who thought that, being brainy, they were above ordinary morality. His defenders say that the Nazis and the stuudents misinterpreted him, perhaps wilfully, but it's significant how easy it is to misinterpret him in that way. You don't hear of Kierkegaard or Wittgenstein being used to defend murder.  Of course, the Nazis misinterpreted Darwin to their ends as well, but Darwin (who was liberal in his views for his time) was a scientist, whose work has been backed up by masses of later discoveries, whereas Nietzche was not.
Title: Re: Johnson invokes Darwin
Post by: jeremyp on July 08, 2022, 11:00:24 AM
Lots of Conservatives probably are.

What makes you think that BJ's children will share his political views?
Title: Re: Johnson invokes Darwin
Post by: jeremyp on July 08, 2022, 11:02:46 AM
Of course, the Nazis misinterpreted Darwin to their ends as well, but Darwin (who was liberal in his views for his time) was a scientist, whose work has been backed up by masses of later discoveries, whereas Nietzche was not.

Hitler once explicitly repudiated Darwinian evolution. In Mein Kampf he literally used the "rabbits only give birth to rabbits" trope.
Title: Re: Johnson invokes Darwin
Post by: SqueakyVoice on July 08, 2022, 06:51:12 PM
Johnson has stated that the process which produces Tory leaders is Darwinian.

What did he mean by it?
He was talking about getting another incompetent lieing drunk idiot, or maybe another hard-working sober competent person.

And 'working' to try and get a compromise in his position.

To me, it sounds like he believes in Marxism...
Title: Re: Johnson invokes Darwin
Post by: Steve H on July 08, 2022, 10:37:45 PM
Hitler once explicitly repudiated Darwinian evolution. In Mein Kampf he literally used the "rabbits only give birth to rabbits" trope.
I'm very pleased to hear it.