I'm a self-centered pluralist. It means I'm the best.
I'm also an ethnocentric pluralist. It means my people (Lebanese, and more particularly Maronite Lebanese) are the best.
Now, very important: My being the best does not exclude many other bests.
Here's the definition for "best" from the dictionary: One that surpasses all others.
Ok, now "surpasses all others" needs to be qualified.
In what respect I surpass all others?
I surpass all others precisely in my being this particular individual that I am. All the notes that make me myself.
Say, temporal notes (about the time I've lived so far), character notes (character is the set of all consensual behaviors of witnesses about me), psychological notes (memories, desires, hopes, etc),
physical notes (gender, sex, race, endurance, etc), behavioral notes (what I do in the world), skill notes (what I'm good at), etc. You get the idea.
The same with you, with similar results.
Suppose you retort: well, you're not a better cook than Daniel Boulud, are you? So how could you be best? I'm not saying being best chef, nor the best French chef, which means being best in all possible French-chef notes. Boulud (whom I admire) is the best French chef I know, but not the best Chinese chef, nor the best Mexican Chef, and so on.
Best is not an unqualified universal category.
Say, temporal notes (about the time I've lived so far), character notes (character is the set of all consensual behaviors of witnesses about me), psychological notes (memories, desires, hopes, etc),
physical notes (gender, sex, race, endurance, etc), behavioral notes (what I do in the world), skill notes (what I'm good at), etc. You get the idea.
The same with you, with similar results.
Suppose you retort: well, you're not a better cook than Daniel Boulud, are you? So how could you be best? I'm not saying being best chef, nor the best French chef, which means being best in all possible French-chef notes. Boulud (whom I admire) is the best French chef I know, but not the best Chinese chef, nor the best Mexican Chef, and so on.
Best is not an unqualified universal category.
"Best" is more a regional category, otherwise there's no way to even know what's best. As when I say:
"John (my mechanic) this is the best SAAB mechanic in Coral Gables." I don't doubt there are better mechanics than John in Miami.
"Best" is function of all the notes that make a respective particular.
f(ni) = p
Why is this good? Because without a balanced sense of SELF & community one is more prone to be dispossessed.
"Best" is function of all the notes that make a respective particular.
f(ni) = p
Why is this good? Because without a balanced sense of SELF & community one is more prone to be dispossessed.
