The acquisition of knowledge
Posted: Tue Feb 04, 2025 6:38 am
Of course, this incident did not go unnoticed, and the editors-in-chief of the "Spiegel" made it even worse with a subsequent explanation: "The "Spiegel", which sees itself as a medium of enlightenment even on historical topics, does not want to promote the sale of such a book." The great Enlightenment thinker Voltaire (1694 - 1778) saw things very differently; the quote is attributed to him: "Sir, I do not share your opinion, but I would give my life to ensure that you can belarus rcs data express it." Of course, there are limits to freedom of expression. But only the freest possible clash of different opinions, including and especially unpopular ones, promotes progress, and is the basis of the modern civilization fought for by the Enlightenment. Limits are set by the law, not by self-appointed Grand Inquisitors, the new Juste Milieu, which believes it is in possession of the truth and the knowledge of what is good.
It is embarrassing and laughable that the "Spiegel" itself did everything in its power to ensure that this narrow-minded work found a wide readership. With the fatal power of well-intentioned intentions, which actually always have the opposite effect to what is desired, it has brought attention to a collection of notes that has been demonized as a dangerous fabrication that it probably does not deserve. So the topic cannot be its content, but the state of the important German news magazine. The fact that it has set out to prevent the "end of the world" and to write Donald Trump out of office is laughable and arrogant enough. But the fact that it stumbles so badly when dealing with an unpopular opinion that can be interpreted as a "philosophical masterpiece" or a "nationalistic fear fantasy" is fatal. What uncertainty, what tension, what despair, what rigidity, what intellectual gasping must prevail in the leadership bodies there.
It is embarrassing and laughable that the "Spiegel" itself did everything in its power to ensure that this narrow-minded work found a wide readership. With the fatal power of well-intentioned intentions, which actually always have the opposite effect to what is desired, it has brought attention to a collection of notes that has been demonized as a dangerous fabrication that it probably does not deserve. So the topic cannot be its content, but the state of the important German news magazine. The fact that it has set out to prevent the "end of the world" and to write Donald Trump out of office is laughable and arrogant enough. But the fact that it stumbles so badly when dealing with an unpopular opinion that can be interpreted as a "philosophical masterpiece" or a "nationalistic fear fantasy" is fatal. What uncertainty, what tension, what despair, what rigidity, what intellectual gasping must prevail in the leadership bodies there.