It was observed by Haidt (2012) based on his moral foundations theory that the difference in perspective between liberals and conservatives is not so much in the values they espouse as in the weights they assign to them, with liberals in particular citing the embodiment of care (kindness) as the overriding moral imperative at the… Continue reading The Decline of Virtue
Category: Philosophy
Beyond the Culture Wars – An Enactivist Approach
To understand the Culture Wars which characterise much of what passes for political debate in Anglophone countries these days, it is important to understand their roots in identity politics, defined as political or social activity by or on behalf of a racial, ethnic, cultural, religious, gender, or other group, usually undertaken with the goal of… Continue reading Beyond the Culture Wars – An Enactivist Approach
On Stereotyping, Part 2 – Should stereotyping be considered harmful?
In Part 1 of this article where I asked Is it OK to stereotype people?, I pointed out how modern cognitive science, understood in particular in terms of the paradigm of Active Inference, leads us to conclude that stereotyping is intrinsic to all observing, understanding and learning. So any attempt to stigmatise people for engaging… Continue reading On Stereotyping, Part 2 – Should stereotyping be considered harmful?
On Stereotyping, Part 1 – Is it OK to stereotype people?
It is a commonplace assumption that stereotyping people is a bad thing which we should do our utmost to avoid. Perhaps this is a position you would agree with, on the grounds that it is wrong to make generalisations since this can result in us misjudging people and potentially treating them unfairly. But I would… Continue reading On Stereotyping, Part 1 – Is it OK to stereotype people?
Don’t be a victim! Beyond the culture of entitlement and anxiety
A paper that came out in 2014 by two sociologists, Bradley Campbell and Jason Manning, made the argument that with the rise of a more diverse and egalitarian culture, particularly in the academic world, combined with the rise of powerful administrative sectors therein, a new form of social morality has emerged that they referred to… Continue reading Don’t be a victim! Beyond the culture of entitlement and anxiety
‘The Re-Enchantment of the World’ as Theoretical Critique and Social Practice
Introduction ‘The re-enchantment of the world’ emerged as a concept in the 1980s in the work of Maurice Berman, in a work on the philosophy and psychology of science of that name and became adopted as a tellingly evocative motif among certain environmental writers and theologians. Ironically, until now it has not featured much within… Continue reading ‘The Re-Enchantment of the World’ as Theoretical Critique and Social Practice
The Illusory Quest for Shared Values
As we look around us at an ever-increasing number of apparently intractable conflicts, what is the scope for the discovery of shared values to offer us a way forward?
Maaate! Your virtue-signalling is tiresome.
Much breath has been expended criticising Sadiq Khan’s recent “Say maaaate to a mate” campaign. Opinions tend to be divided between those who criticise the campaign over its likely ineffectiveness and those who criticise it as inappropriate use of public funds. But are there not more fundamental issues at stake here which deserve greater scrutiny?
From certainty to dialogue: furthering the project of modernity
One of the accusations thrown at postmodern theorists and activists, such as the purveyors of identity politics is that they are advocates of relativism and deniers of facts. I am going to argue that this is actually their greatest virtue. They go downhill from there on in, as they seek to impose their own brand… Continue reading From certainty to dialogue: furthering the project of modernity
Is Name Bias Discrimination Real?
In a recent essay Are We Biased in Our Attitude to Bias?, I sought to argue that the idea of bias is a subjective one and that an attempt to infer it is likely in itself to be subject to bias. Nonetheless, it continues to be regularly argued that evidence exists of bias in our… Continue reading Is Name Bias Discrimination Real?