Conversation
frankly i think reading political theory and then proceeding to do nothing about it if you agree is a vice. since most people will do nothing about it, they shouldnt read it in the first place. if theyre intellectually curious, there are better things to read, things that will actually improve their life. for that matter, if it wont improve your life or someone elses, why read it?
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@georgia >since most people will do nothing about it, they shouldnt read it in the first place.

reading can have a positive effect even if it doesn't immediately stir the reader to action. it can inform the reader's thoughts and actions in the distant future and serve as a stepping stone in one's intellectual development.
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@genmaicha i think that knowledge without application is pointless. rote learning can be a form of ignorance, leading one to become set in their ways and to think they are erudite when they are not. youre right that reading even for pleasure is not merely pleasurable, it fosters virtues like creativity, curiosity, and yes, knowledge and critical thinking. but reading political theory without action? im skeptical of its utility. its one thing to read the communist manifesto in university and another to have your own pet political position and never go outside and act on it.
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