Friday, October 16, 2015

Addicts, Mythmakers, and Philosophers

In Alan Brody’s short article “Addicts, Mythmakers and Philosophers,” the smaller section known as ‘The Devil’s Gambit’ brings an interesting view to the read. Brody begins by analyzing the assumption that many people assume that, “when an addict expresses a commitment to stop an addiction, but doesn’t, they’re expressing either an unresolved ambivalence or a resolution to stop at some later time” (24). In other words (135), the addict has an urge and understanding to stop whatever they’re addicted to, but believe they don’t have to quit just yet. Instead, the addict can just push off. To put it another way (135), the addicts are “lazy,” meaning they can quit now, but due to their addiction they just won’t. In Brody’s view, “continued drug use (for example) might not be due to an inadequacy over self-regulation, but a result of choice” (46). To take a case in point (136), this is what the section is all about. Brody’s main argument is that it’s not up to the “inadequacy over self-regulation” but instead it’s up to the addicts choices. This is better explained with Brody’s story about the devil and the man “who loved the drinking parties there” (136). The man was offered a way out of hell and into heaven. The Devil proclaimed that “as long as he was willing to quit drinking he could immediately go to heaven, where he would forever have a better time.” The protagonist has an easy way out, but the devil also offered to a “great send-off party now” for him. The man decides to have the party. The devil continues to offer him this party every day, showing that the man will never leave the parties, even though if he does, he’ll be able to return home. The story agrees completely with Brody’s idea that the addict has a choice, but instead they just can’t quit due to the “inadequacy over self-regulation.”

Graff, Gerald, Cathy Birkenstein, and Russel Durst. They Say / I Say. 3rd ed. New York: W.W. Norton, 2015. Print.

Brody, Alan. "Addicts, Mythmakers, and Philosophers." Philosophy Now. Philosophy Now: 2012. Web. 15 Oct. 2015.

2 comments:

  1. I thought this was excellent use of the They Say, I Say templates. The templates helped make the introduction of your argument look organized. Overall, this is short and down to the point, without any unnecessary information.

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  2. Hey Jack, I enjoyed reading your post and thought that you correctly identified the argument and elaborated well. I also think that your use of They Say, I say paradimgs was great. It flowed well and they enhanced your claims. Good job.

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