(5) Finally, there are benevolent absolutisms. These societies respect human rights, but deny their members any meaningful role in political decision-making.
It is noteworthy, however, that while outlaw states and burdened societies are discussed in detail, very little is said about benevolent absolutisms.
In this paper, I will be primarily concerned with these benevolent absolutisms and their apparently uneasy status within Rawls's theory.
If I am right that benevolent absolutisms occupy an awkward position in the theory, one pertinent question to ask is whether the theory can be slightly amended so as to remove this awkwardness.
Absolutism in communication is another concept that general semantics attacks.
Our absolutisms attach themselves to the serious and the trivial, and sometimes conflate the two.
The temptation to absolutism and to the reassurance of answers that exclude "however" may recur precisely when standards are relaxed and judgment is mostly reserved, as it is in America today.
When you're tempted to feel-think-say that anything 'is' the 'best,' 'worst,' 'most,' 'least,' 'certain,' etc., pause and modify the
absolutism with, for example, "excellent," "not very good," "almost," "in my experience," "for the moment," etc.
English Minus Absolutisms (EMA) involves avoiding the use of
loaded words with E-Prime and English Minus Absolutisms gives us a
Absolutisms allow us to take a more empathic view of our own behavior,
Using E-Prime and English Minus Absolutisms allows us to sidestep almost
Whitehead and Korzybski are only two of a long list of philosophers that could be cited for their opposition to absolutisms. But what is desirable is to make this outlook available to a wide general public, and I wish to propose a device for doing so.
What I am proposing is the name "EMA," made from the initials of "English Minus Absolutisms." A wide popular vogue for EMA might sanitize and improve our use of English as a communicative vehicle.
When we find ourselves using the very common absolutisms such as always, never, forever, eternity, pure, final, ultimate, and so on, we could say to ourselves: "Was that term necessary?
