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In Praise of Prejudice: The Necessity of Preconceived Ideas
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Product Description
"Prejudice," wrote Edmund Burke, "renders a man's virtue his habit." How strange that sounds to modern ears! In recent times, the word "prejudice" has come to seem synonymous with bigotry. Racial prejudice is taken to be typical of prejudice in general, and therefore the only way in which a person can establish his freedom from bigotry is by claiming to have wiped his mind free from prejudice altogether.In this wise and sprightly book, Theodore Dalrymple shows that this is impossible. It is impossible because no one can keep his mind as a blank slate on all questions until those questions are examined one by one. He also shows that the attempt to free oneself entirely from prejudice has several bad consequences, both for the person who makes the claim and for society as a whole.
Product Details
- Amazon Sales Rank: #171223 in Books
- Published on: 2007-08-31
- Original language: English
- Number of items: 1
- Binding: Hardcover
- 129 pages
Editorial Reviews
About the Author
Today Theodore Dalrymple is a psychiatrist and prison doctor who treats heroin addicts. He writes a column for the Spectator, and contributes frequently to the Daily Telegraph. He also wrote Our Culture, What's Left of It and Life at the Bottom (Ivan R. Dee).
Customer Reviews
William you missed the point
The book is in praise of prejudice..or discrimination (in the literal sense) or the choice of one thing over another whether that is religion, ethics, taste, or anything else you may care to make choices about. In fact, in the context of this approach to "prejudice" on the truly vapid a free of prejudices.
Bigotry and folly
In praise of prejudice? Against reason then?
Certainly there's little sign here of any reasoning power. This is just a collection of splenetic, unthought-out, bigoted assertions.
If he has any consistent thought, it is that he favours following our preconceived ideas. Surely this raises the question - which are preconceived ideas?
In Pakistan, for example, these ideas are fairly likely, not inevitably, going to be reactionary and Muslim. Is that really OK by Dr D?
What if your preconceived ideas are those of liberty, equality and fraternity? Would DR D be happy with that?
Really, his thinking is just silliness and muddle, confused and confusing.
