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I’m Not A Marxist, But I’ve Read Marx
Understanding different perspectives is important
Politically, I consider myself to be a traditional liberal. However, I have read works by people across the political spectrum.
I’m not a Marxist, but I’ve read Das Kapital. I abhor Nazism, but I’ve read Mein Kampf. I have read works from both the left and the right and everything in between.
When I do so, I try to read in two ways — first in an open and accepting manner, and then critically. Sometimes that is hard to do. It takes work.
That’s the point though.
If you don’t exercise your brain, like any muscle, it atrophies.
From a religious viewpoint, I became a Christian in college.
However, prior to that I read religious works from other traditions such as the Ramayana, the Koran, various works on Buddhism, and works by atheists and agnostics such as Bertrand Russell. For a while I was somewhat anti-Christian, as I went through an Ayn Rand/Objectivist phase. I even read Dianetics at one point.
Again, this process was work but I think it was worthwhile because it helped me to understand myself and the world around me.
