Atheism and Hope

[Edwardo Piet]

It has been mentioned that social darwinism is irrational and abhorrent by another commenter in this thread. I, too, used to hold these positions. I earnestly want to be shown how this is so. I want to be wrong. Yet, merely claiming that I am mentally ill and thus the position is compromised does not constitute demonstrating how these claims are invalid. That is, respectfully, an ad hominem. I am mentally ill, depressed, but I can still be right about claims and I believe, until shown otherwise, that these claims are correct.

My thinking was very black and white when I was depressed too.

Although I never succumbed to thinking social Darwinism was anything but abhorrent and irrational.

Still though, we don't think clearly when we're severely depressed.

You don't have to keep me anonymous you know. Social Darwinism is irrational and abhorent and if someone is severely depressed that is not an insult and nothing to be ashamed of. I would only be committing Ad Hominem if I said that your reasons for believing in Social Darwinism (if that is what  you are claiming now) must be invalid simply because you are 'mentally ill'. I never said anything of the sort.
Furthermore I never called you mentally ill or even said you were severely depressed. I'm just saying that if you are then that may affect your thinking because we don't think clearly when we are severely depressed, as I didn't when I was.

If someone believes in Social Darwinism the onus is on them to give evidence to support it, I don't need to refute it to find it irrational and abhorrent until such an unethical irrational Ideology has been demonstrated to in fact be valid.

By the way, I'm not getting at you... not at all. I completely sympathize with your pain and I also empathize with what it's like to be suicidal.

I'm merely defending myself here because I don't like to have my comments mentioned without me being mentioned and then accused of the Ad Hominem fallacy and I feel offended if you think that severe depression is anything to be ashamed of. I understand that you didn't directly say that and I also understand that it is somewhat unclear as to whether you fully subscribe to Social Darwinism... but that is why I'm asking now: Do you think that suggesting someone is severely depressed or mentally ill is an insult? It's nothing to be ashamed of, of course. And do you believe in Social Darwinism?

And in future please ask for myself to clarify also, because I really was not comitting an Ad Hominem fallacy or insulting you at all... mental illness is not an insult and it's nothing to be ashamed of. I'd rather you asked me for clarification than mention me as a "commenter on this thread" and what I said but not directly quote me and instead misrepresent my position. I feel somewhat hurt that you couldn't just mention me normally and let me respond normally like everyone else here. If I hadn't been paying attention I could have completely missed my chance to respond to this. I don't particularly want people thinking I would ever be using mental illness as an insult or I would be posting in this thread to commit an Ad Homninem fallacy. "mentally ill" is not an insult, "severely depressed" is not an insult, it's nothing to be ashamed of, I didn't even directly say you were necessarily mentally ill or severely depressed - I was being hypothetical - and I didn't commit that fallacy at all.