home | opinion index

COMMENTARY: METHODOLOGY

February 2007

Occasionally we hear someone argue that a confict is political rather than religious, for example the conflct between Israelis and Arabs. The latest comes from Reza Aslan, author of No God but God, seen debating Sam Harris on C-SPAN2. Social conflicts can consistent of at least two elements, and take away either of them and, voila, no conflict. Reza Aslan has a lot of academic titles, but he still thinks is simplistic absolutes: either something is A or B, not a combination.

As an aside I'll take this opportunity to complain also about Aslan's repeated passionate pronouncement that his opponent was "profoundly unsophisticated." There is no such thing as a profound lack of sophistication. There were a hundred fallacious statements made by Reza Aslan in the debate. He might have some sophistication, but he still needs to learn how to think -- not always a requisite in obtaining a degree.