Category Archives: syncretism

Viewpoint diversity is as good as biodiversity

Extremism, Liberalism, Moral Humility, Philosophy/Ideas, Pluralism, Polarization, syncretism

 

If we really want to find the truth, we need viewpoint diversity. It is as important as biodiversity and basically for the same reason. Cross fertilization breeds strength. As John Stuart Mill, the great philosopher of liberalism, said,

 

“He who knows only one side of the case knows little of that.  His reasons may be good and no one may have been able to refute the reasons on the opposite side, if he does not so much as know what they are, he has no good ground for preferring either opinion.”

 

Such an attitude automatically respects that others may have some truth. We may have something to learn from others. As a result, such an attitude automatically leads us away from extremism.  We then can’t just shout hooray for our side.

Mill makes the point that if you have no viewpoint diversity and listen only to one side, and as a result your ideas are not exposed to challenge, you get stupid! You get intellectually lazy and you just believe dogmatically and then, if you are pushed to explain your viewpoint or defend it, you can’t.

Mill says you should listen to the other side because you might be wrong and because the other side might be right. If you are wrong and you listen to another viewpoint your error might be exposed and then you might avoid making a mistake. That is good!  Similarly, if you are right and yet you listen to another opinion you learn how to defend your opinion and strengthen it. Your opinion will be more solid, more defendable. That is good too! Such humility is also the basis of syncretism and pluralisms, two of my favourite things.

 

Will Braun is a person who enjoys talking with the other side, because he is curious about them, but also because he realizes he might actually learn something from them that he did not know before.

 

Braun, like me, lives in a very conservative area of Manitoba.  When Justin Trudeau was first elected, he said we must remember, “Conservatives are not our enemies; conservatives are our neighbours.” In nearly every debate of substance we must remember, the other side is not our enemies, they are fellow travelers. In Steinbach it is literally true. The conservatives are my neighbours not my enemies. Sometimes I forget that. When I do forget, I am wrong. My bad. Maybe Trudeau forgot that later too. It is easy to forget these wise words. We all do it.

 

Remembering we might be wrong can temper the extremes. That is another good reason to have doubts. Doubts are good.

 

 

Mohács: A place of Syncretism

2025 Cruise up the Danube River, Hungary, Moral Humility, Music, Philosophy/Ideas, Pluralism, religion, syncretism

 

After seeing the watermills, the next thing we did was to tour the town of Mohács. The first thing that struck me, was the lovely pastel colours of the buildings.  I could not remember seeing anything like them. I could not resist photographing them.

The most interesting thing in the city centre where we walked was a large concrete Catholic Church. What interested me is that the church was designed in the style of a mosque.  And as we know, imitation is the most sincere form of flattery. It was not a case of a mosque being taken over by Christians; it was a case of Christians giving a nod to Islam.

 

This area of the world had been rocked by wars with a deep element of religious opposition for centuries, but here was a case of one religion admitting maybe the other religion had something good as well. This was a case of them living together in peace. A marvel. Imagine that, Christians admitting they could learn something from Muslims. For once, after the Christians took over Mohács they did not have to destroy a mosque or cover it with a new building, they could admit we can learn from each other. Could this herald a new world order? I sure hope so.

I have for a long time thought that syncretism, as a philosophy, is the way to go.  Syncretism refers to the  blending of elements from one culture, religion, or philosophy with another to create something new in the process. Religions, or philosophies, or cultures don’t have to compete, they don’t have to claim superiority. They can join hands and make something better.

One good example, is the celebration of Christmas in Europe and North America actually merges various traditions of their own with traditions in the Egypt or the Near East  and with traditions of the winter solstice in northern Europe.  Some claim this is heretical. Personally, I celebrate the combination. Another good example is combining elements of Christian religion with spiritual traditions of North American Indigenous people. The fusion can create wonderful new creations.

This photo is from inside that church.

Musicians and artists have been doing this forever . For example, combining  Jazz artists with European musical notations and African elements  to produce a unique sound. For another , I have long loved the combing of rock, country, and bluegrass music.

No single genre or culture has the secret to it all. No single religion has a monopoly on truth. No philosophy has all the answers.  Culture is always a rich tapestry of strands that multiply the magic.  James W. Loewen, the author of the book Lies My Teacher Told Me, said this: “ultimately syncretism illustrates he interconnectedness of human societies and the shared nature of cultural development.”

In my view, syncretism can be used to defeat the narrow-mindedness of those who live under the illusion that their philosophy, or their religion, or their ideas are the fount of all wisdom.