Comments on: Am I contradicting myself? http://www.davecole.org/blog/2010/02/02/am-i-contradicting-myself/ Just another WordPress site Thu, 23 Jun 2011 13:31:23 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: David Willumsen http://www.davecole.org/blog/2010/02/02/am-i-contradicting-myself/#comment-1570 David Willumsen Thu, 04 Feb 2010 17:28:39 +0000 http://davecole.org/blog/?p=2131#comment-1570 Test. 1 2 3 test Test. 1 2 3 test

]]> By: David Willumsen http://www.davecole.org/blog/2010/02/02/am-i-contradicting-myself/#comment-1569 David Willumsen Thu, 04 Feb 2010 17:11:29 +0000 http://davecole.org/blog/?p=2131#comment-1569 I actually don't think it's a question of degree - it's binary. Either something harms someone else (directly), or it doesn't. And we should be exceedingly wary of going down the path of banning things that are (at best) indirectly harmful. I actually don’t think it’s a question of degree – it’s binary. Either something harms someone else (directly), or it doesn’t. And we should be exceedingly wary of going down the path of banning things that are (at best) indirectly harmful.

]]> By: Dave Cole http://www.davecole.org/blog/2010/02/02/am-i-contradicting-myself/#comment-1568 Dave Cole Thu, 04 Feb 2010 17:06:50 +0000 http://davecole.org/blog/?p=2131#comment-1568 Indeed. It is a question of degree, and not absolute. Indeed. It is a question of degree, and not absolute.

]]> By: David Willumsen http://www.davecole.org/blog/2010/02/02/am-i-contradicting-myself/#comment-1567 David Willumsen Thu, 04 Feb 2010 16:55:22 +0000 http://davecole.org/blog/?p=2131#comment-1567 The problem with accepting that something that does not directly harm someone else is, in fact, other-regarding, is that it always ends in a total mess...where do you draw the line? I applied to a phd-programme (self-regarding), but I harmed someone else at one step removed (by denying them a place). Every single action can be seen as other-regarding with just a little imagination. And wearing the burka does not harm someone. We may dislike it (and I do), but we do so because of the fact that it symbolises the repression of women, not because it hurts anyone (would you have a problem with un-married female partners in major law firms wearing a burka in their free time? No, because they are not oppressed [insert lawyer joke here]). The problem with accepting that something that does not directly harm someone else is, in fact, other-regarding, is that it always ends in a total mess…where do you draw the line? I applied to a phd-programme (self-regarding), but I harmed someone else at one step removed (by denying them a place). Every single action can be seen as other-regarding with just a little imagination. And wearing the burka does not harm someone. We may dislike it (and I do), but we do so because of the fact that it symbolises the repression of women, not because it hurts anyone (would you have a problem with un-married female partners in major law firms wearing a burka in their free time? No, because they are not oppressed [insert lawyer joke here]).

]]> By: Dave Cole http://www.davecole.org/blog/2010/02/02/am-i-contradicting-myself/#comment-1566 Dave Cole Tue, 02 Feb 2010 21:36:21 +0000 http://davecole.org/blog/?p=2131#comment-1566 DW - in answer to the second point, I agree but that's not what I'm interested in here. There's a non-trivial argument that wearing the burka is a partially other-regarding issue as it sets up a social pressure to conform. Do we insist adoption agencies are even-handed because we believe equality is a priori right, good for society (or its opposite bad) or a combination of the two? Not sure. xD. DW – in answer to the second point, I agree but that’s not what I’m interested in here.

There’s a non-trivial argument that wearing the burka is a partially other-regarding issue as it sets up a social pressure to conform. Do we insist adoption agencies are even-handed because we believe equality is a priori right, good for society (or its opposite bad) or a combination of the two? Not sure.

xD.

]]> By: David Willumsen http://www.davecole.org/blog/2010/02/02/am-i-contradicting-myself/#comment-1565 David Willumsen Tue, 02 Feb 2010 14:44:33 +0000 http://davecole.org/blog/?p=2131#comment-1565 Isn't this just the old chestnut about self- and other-regarding actions? Wearing a burka does not harm anyone other than (possibly) the wearer, whereas discrimination on the labour market (for non-job relevant reasons) does harm other people (i.e. the job-seekers who are, in this case, gay). That said, nothing wrong with not doing something because the downside would outweigh the upside... Isn’t this just the old chestnut about self- and other-regarding actions? Wearing a burka does not harm anyone other than (possibly) the wearer, whereas discrimination on the labour market (for non-job relevant reasons) does harm other people (i.e. the job-seekers who are, in this case, gay).

That said, nothing wrong with not doing something because the downside would outweigh the upside…

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