The Possible Dream

In this episode of New Ideal Live, philosopher Harry Binswanger argues that moral perfection is both possible and desirable. “We hear from all sides that perfection is an ‘impossible dream,’ an ideal which always exceeds our grasp, and by doing so lures us on to ever greater achievements,” Binswanger observes. “Religionists and atheists, liberals and conservatives, whim-worshippers and duty-worshippers — they all agree that ‘Nothing is perfect in this world.’ It is all perfect nonsense. And it is dangerous nonsense. The idea that perfection is unattainable amounts to an assault on all values, on values as such. ‘Perfection,’ as the mystics use that term, makes self-esteem impossible.” (Originally published in New Ideal, February 23, 2022).

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