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> In my world their opinions get no respect at all. You should try separating the opinion from the man and analyze the former without taking the shortcut of ap

> In my world their opinions get no respect at all. You should try separating the opinion from the man and analyze the former without taking the shortcut of appealing to the authority of the latter.

TheOtherHobbes 11y ago
So you don't agree that the process by which someone reaches a moral position is open to question? The simpler argument is that Dr Piper is really in no position to act like anyone's external conscience. He has no basis whatsoever to claim that he's either qualified or competent to act in that role. Now, clearly he believes otherwise. That's very much his prerogative. It's everyone else's prerogative to decide whether or not they agree. I'd suggest that anyone who claims to be promoting genuine independent thought is going to be willing to engage in an open debate. "You're acting like a child and you shouldn't feel the way you do about the things I say" is neither an open position nor an honest one. It's an attempt to shut down debate about an ethical position, not an attempt to encourage it.
- stefantalpalaru 11y ago
  > So you don't agree that the process by which someone reaches a moral position is open to question? Only if you agree that it has nothing to do with the intrinsic value of the proposed ideas. > "You're acting like a child and you shouldn't feel the way you do about the things I say" is neither an open position nor an honest one. Nor is it the position of the author. When somebody tells you to grow up, they are not telling you how to feel, but how to act based on those feelings.
mikeash 11y ago
Can't we analyze both the opinion and the man? I think it's legitimate to point out that this person complaining about how students can't handle dissent also wants to impose his own opinions on the entire country through force of law, even if he may have a point in this particular case.
- stefantalpalaru 11y ago
  > Can't we analyze both the opinion and the man? We can, if we keep them separate. Just like we can analyze Polanski's movies separately from his child-raping persona.

> In my world their opinions get no respect at all. You should try separating the opinion from the man and analyze the former without taking the shortcut of appealing to the authority of the latter.

TheOtherHobbes 11y ago

So you don't agree that the process by which someone reaches a moral position is open to question? The simpler argument is that Dr Piper is really in no position to act like anyone's external conscience. He has no basis whatsoever to claim that he's either qualified or competent to act in that role. Now, clearly he believes otherwise. That's very much his prerogative. It's everyone else's prerogative to decide whether or not they agree. I'd suggest that anyone who claims to be promoting genuine independent thought is going to be willing to engage in an open debate. "You're acting like a child and you shouldn't feel the way you do about the things I say" is neither an open position nor an honest one. It's an attempt to shut down debate about an ethical position, not an attempt to encourage it.

stefantalpalaru 11y ago
> So you don't agree that the process by which someone reaches a moral position is open to question? Only if you agree that it has nothing to do with the intrinsic value of the proposed ideas. > "You're acting like a child and you shouldn't feel the way you do about the things I say" is neither an open position nor an honest one. Nor is it the position of the author. When somebody tells you to grow up, they are not telling you how to feel, but how to act based on those feelings.

mikeash 11y ago

Can't we analyze both the opinion and the man? I think it's legitimate to point out that this person complaining about how students can't handle dissent also wants to impose his own opinions on the entire country through force of law, even if he may have a point in this particular case.

stefantalpalaru 11y ago
> Can't we analyze both the opinion and the man? We can, if we keep them separate. Just like we can analyze Polanski's movies separately from his child-raping persona.