The Asimov interview, like so many of those presented by Moyers, offers a deliberate juxtaposition of opposites discussed and explored on multiple levels, and that is the source of its appeal and power.
OK. Describing the interview as a kumbayah-moment is a bit misleading. Moyers is a Baptist minister; but, he is also a political liberal, having served in both the Kennedy and Johnson administrations. But those facts underscore the purpose and the title of this post.
Though it took place in 1988, this interview highlights the central irony found in the political climate of 2014. Abraham Lincoln, the first Republican President, was a proponent of rational discourse and a passionate believer in the ability of opponents to find common ground. Today, it is the Party of Lincoln which stands in lock-step opposition to the political rationalism for which Lincoln lived and died.
Today's liberals have no problem sitting down with their philosophical opponents to discuss controversial issues in the hope of finding common ground. In contrast, conservatives - at least those currently in control of the GOP - have adopted the uncompromising "my way or the highway" mentality of fundamentalists the world over. Their goal is not to find common ground but to destroy and bury their enemies.
This attitude is rooted in an unmitigated fear of change in a universe where change is the only constant.
A World of Ideas (1988, 1990)
Isaac Asimov on His Faith in the Power of Human Reason
October 17, 1988
In this classic interview, Isaac Asimov explains why he believes that scientists are among the most moral people, why science and religion need not be opposed to one other, and why empowering women is the way to secure our very survival on the planet.
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