Paradox of Pragmatism and Moralism
When you discuss warfare in moralistic terms of right and wrong and good and evil, then people’s heads heat up, and they yearn to commit evil themselves, for War is Hell; but when you discuss warfare in pragmatic terms of gain and loss and life and death, then people’s heads cool down, and they yearn to flee from Hell.
On the other hand, if your speech is too coldly pragmatic, then hothead moralists will sound better than you, and win elections.
So sometimes pragmatism is more moral than moralism, but moralism is more pragmatic than pragmatism.
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