I think the issue w a lot of people invested in like “SJ” sorts of things is that they conceptualize ethics as *only* being abt these structural oppressions, so as long as you are acting in accordance w those precepts you literally cannot do anything unethical.
But like, you can be completely Right Politically in a situation and still be acting in a cruel, greedy, careless, vicious, or harmful way. And that doesn’t give that complete absolution.
We need to like, not mistake structural analysis w ethical formation, tho they are obviously connected
I think that’s a part of what’s been so like, volatile about SJ spaces for the last couple of years: people think that if you sublimate your individual ethics into some kinda framework that you’re good and that you can act like an incredibly petty asshole
yeah it’s like people were told ‘you can’t be reverse racist because that is not how the social structure of oppression works’ and heard ‘anything you do to someone who’s more privileged than you is righteous’ which is… not great
This is the issue I have with Richard Dawkins – the guy is smart as hell and says logical, well reasoned things about atheism as a concept but he’s also a fucking jerk to people who do have faith.
The man is such a dick that 15% of UK scientists surveyed by a research team mentioned that they hated him without any prompting whatsoever. I’m an athiest through and through but there’s no need to be an ass about it.
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