"The word comes to us from Latin, and has to do with choosing among: INTER + LEGERE, to READ, that is to PICK OUT the words; to CHOOSE; cf. SELECT, to CHOOSE and CULL OUT; ELECT, to CHOOSE FROM. It is cognate with Greek LEGEIN, to GATHER, hence to CHOOSE YOUR WORDS, to SPEAK; cf. LOGOS, WORD."
The use of the intellect has, in the past, been marked by the making of distinctions, then, making choices between one thing and another. Hence the old Latin phrase: Qui Bene Distinguit, Bene Docet: He who distinguishes well, learns well. The key words here are the repeated words: "well". There is also a temptation and a tendency to make bad distinctions, and they are a catastrophe.
Up until fairly recently, the word 'distinguishes' could have been replaced by its near synonym, "discriminates." There was a time when the ability to discriminate- that is, the ability to tell the difference between one thing and another thing, or the difference between one thing and two things- was held in high regard. Hence, the old compliment of "He's a man of discriminating tastes," meaning, he is a man capable of discerning the finer things in life and pursuing them. Today, however, the word discrimination has become a term of opprobrium and it would be very unwise to refer to anyone in most circles as someone who is capable of discriminating. Being distinguished, however, hasn't become a curse. Yet.
The fact that the term 'discrimination' has become defined and reviled purely from it's negative side is rather telling in our society and people as a whole. In our efforts to cease making unjust distinctions- a truly noble purpose- we have often fallen into the pit of refusing to make distinctions at all. That refusal means that we are also refusing to use our intellect, which, from the very beginnings of the word, meant to choose and distinguish to see there is a difference between this thing and that thing, between one thing and two things. The efforts of some people to make us all better by fiat has also made us all dumber.
The fact that the term 'discrimination' has become defined and reviled purely from it's negative side is rather telling in our society and people as a whole. In our efforts to cease making unjust distinctions- a truly noble purpose- we have often fallen into the pit of refusing to make distinctions at all. That refusal means that we are also refusing to use our intellect, which, from the very beginnings of the word, meant to choose and distinguish to see there is a difference between this thing and that thing, between one thing and two things. The efforts of some people to make us all better by fiat has also made us all dumber.
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