Drinking

Tim doesn't seem to see any good in drinking alcohol. He's not alone. Partially in reaction to this view, I'm convinced that, while it is of course harmful-to-devastating in some cases, it is also an actively good thing if used properly. I'm trying to tell whether I'm alone (how alone I am?) in this.

It's easy to find people arguing that it's value-neutral, the same miserably inadequate defense of every societal evil from guns to computers. In active favor of it, though, there's less substantial material. A lot of people like to drink, of course, which may count for something. Plato, in the Laws does indeed have an argument that it is good in the right place at the right time (the old people can drink at festivals, and it will help them practice self-control, if I remember correctly--but it's been a while since I read the laws, I didn't nearly finish it, and the part I did read I didn't read very closely). Any argument I offer, if I expand this page, will probably hinge on the value of periodic releases from discursive thought.

Originally created 28 July 1999