Philosophy Now Forum

Audrey Borowski briefs us on the very different ideologies of two superficially similar terrorist organisations.

https://philosophynow.org/issues/111/Al ... Apocalypse

Osama Bin Laden often denounced the hypocrisy and double standards perceived to be practiced by the West:

There is so much that Islamists like Bin Laden don't understand about the West, such as the fact that hypocrisy and double standards are some of the great building blocks of Western Civilization. It started with the Bible, whose subject matter has been a great source of debate and analysis because of the contradictions in embraces. This is something that doesn't occur with the reading of the Koran, because Islam doesn't leave any room for its translation. The juggling/balancing of hypocrisies and double standards the West has managed to pull off is what is behind its development and progress, and sustainability.

Islamists want to eradicate the contradictions of life. But that would be like doing away with reality, something the Islamists have a big problem with.

The latest issue of PN is about Humor. When you think about it, hypocrisy and double standards is what's behind humor - what gives it its irony and edge.