Moral debate and the problem of relativism
Moral relativism is a lazy and irresponsible way to engage with the suffering of others, in that it accepts that suffering as being right – at least according to someone else’s standards.
The possibility of moral debate
Many of us end up as moral absolutists, or moral relativists. Unfortunately, neither of these positions is well-suited to moral debate, or to changing the minds of others.
Burning the closet
The burning of The Closet makes at least one thing clear: Being a student at a top university in South Africa seems to offer no guarantee of enlightened attitudes, or an ability to see outside of the closet of your own prejudices.
Devils in the City of Angels
Chris Mooney confirmed that he’s somewhat smug and superficial, Eugenie Scott showed how it’s possible to make accommodationist politics sound sensible (to audiences who aren’t paying attention), while PZ Myers and and Victor Stenger demonstrated saintly patience in the face of serious provocation.
Don’t even burn the silly books
Even if books are silly, misleading, or part of belief systems that cause serious confusion, we should still not burn those books. But nobody should stop us, either.
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