While reflecting upon the essential motivations of Democrats and Republicans or, I should say, the inherent thought processes of the two paradigms –processes that have been with humanity as long as humans have organized into governed masses- I came to the conclusion that humanity is not divided by good and evil.  Rather, humanity is divided by Sophistry and Rationality.  Contemporary Sophists go by the appellation ‘Republican’, Rationalists by ‘Democrat’.

What is a sophist? A sophist is someone who assumes that the only way to influence others to conforming to his will is through manipulating them through the most direct avenues of human psychology.  Key words are employed to trigger emotions – coherent thoughts are ignored as unnecessary.  Why does the sophist use these tactics?  Because they work; on an average populace they work better than any other means of influence.

What is a rationalist – a rationalist is someone who assumes that the only way to influence others to conforming to his will is through convincing them that what he wants is reasonable and for the good of all.  Rationalists attempt to make every critical detail evident and will go to great effort to paint a complete and informative picture.  Why does a rationalist use these tactics?  Because this is how he would expect himself to be convinced – through reason - for only with reason and truth can social progress be made.

Is either process right or wrong?  No, yet the rationalists view the sophists as conniving and the sophists view the rationalists as naïve, but both exist because both can achieve success through their methods.

Personally, I find it saddening that the sophists exist.  I admire the sophists for their skill with words and understanding of psychology but I hate their followers for responding to their methods.  Perhaps my contradictory thoughts are echoed in the history of our very language; sophists are sophisticated yet practice sophistry.

How does all this exclude good and evil?  I believe that evil results from the dehumanization that occurs through sophistry; to sophists, people are not individuals – they are masses and as ‘not individuals’ they are not human and, as such, horrible things may be inflicted upon them without moral restraint.  It is not to respect someone as both as a human and as a tool. 

The logic flows like this: If I can not reason with you I will attempt to ignore you, if I may not ignore you, I will use you as a tool and I will try my hardest not to care for your suffering; it is yours for your ignorance.