#undermining

...I believe there is a legitimate aim of transcendence that is more modest and perhaps more realistic. We may not be able to rule out the skeptical possibility, and we may not be able to ground our normal capacity for understanding on something in which we can have even greater confidence; but it may still be possible to show how we can reasonably retain our natural confidence in the exercise of understanding, in spite of the apparent contingencies of our nature and formation. The hope is not to discover a foundation that makes our knowledge unassailably secure but to find a way of understanding ourselves that is not radically self-undermining, and that does not require us to deny the obvious. The aim would be to offer a plausible picture of how we fit into the world. Even in this more modest enterprise both theism and naturalistic reductionism fall short. Theism does not offer a sufficiently substantial explanation of our capacities, and naturalism does not offer a sufficiently reassuring one. ↗

— Thomas Nagel

#radically-self-undermining #skeptical #nature

Democracy is necessary to peace and to undermining the forces of terrorism. ↗

— Benazir Bhutto

#forces #necessary #peace #terrorism #undermining

Deficits must be cut, yes, but the rush to austerity risks undermining the fragile global recovery. ↗

— Alistair Darling

#cut #deficits #fragile #global #must

President Bush is endangering our safety, hurting our vital interests, and undermining American values. ↗

— George Soros

#american values #bush #endangering #hurting #interests

After all, sustainability means running the global environment - Earth Inc. - like a corporation: with depreciation, amortization and maintenance accounts. In other words, keeping the asset whole, rather than undermining your natural capital. ↗

— Maurice Strong

#accounts #after #asset #capital #corporation

This war of choice in Iraq is undermining the very fabric of American society. ↗

— Raul Grijalva

#american society #choice #fabric #iraq #society

Psychology keeps trying to vindicate human nature. History keeps undermining the effort. ↗

— Mason Cooley

#history #human #human nature #keeps #nature

If someone talks about union, fidelity, a monogamous relationship, love, blessing; I would say it sounds like marriage to me. And blessing, you see, I think is undermining our sacrament of marriage. ↗

— George Carey

#blessing #fidelity #i #i think #like

The Bush administration works closely with a network of rapid response digital brownshirts who work to pressure reporters and their editors for 'undermining support for our troops.' ↗

— Al Gore

#bush #bush administration #closely #digital #editors

Anytime you deny the acknowledgement of God you are undermining the entire basis for which our country exists. ↗

— Roy Moore

#anytime #basis #country #deny #entire