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Sucks for folks like Socrates doesnt it ?

by geggam 8y ago

dvtrn 8y ago
Heh Galileo, similarly came to my mind.
geggam 8y ago
LOL ...the hemlock folks are downvoting this
slg 8y ago
Sure, the standards change over time. You would likely be shunned 200 years ago if you said whites and blacks had equal intellect. You would likely be shunned today if you said the opposite. Society generally moves in the right direction. "The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice." I was simply pointing out that this phenomena is not new or limited to the internet. It is inherently human. It also is neither completely negative or positive. It just is.
- malvosenior 8y ago
  > Society generally moves in the right direction. Does it? Because it's currently ok to say that "white people suck" and various other overtly racist statements that would have been interpreted as such by society as little as 10 years ago.
  - slg 8y ago
    Firstly, the context of the quote from my next sentence is that things must be viewed from a distance to see the bend toward justice. Individual setbacks might make it seem incorrect over short periods, but history has generally showed it to be correct. Secondly, it is not currently ok to say that "white people suck". The huge uproar over that is evidence of such. However, society has decided that saying "white people suck" is inherently different than saying "[any historically repressed minority] sucks". Society has also decided that context of those statements matters. Saying that offhandedly on Twitter as a joke is different than saying it in a campaign speech.
    - malvosenior 8y ago
      > However, society has decided that saying "white people suck" is inherently different than saying "[any historically repressed minority] sucks". Society has also decided that context of those statements matters. I think that debate is far from settled.
- tbrownaw 8y ago
  * "The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice."* No, it bends towards wherever it ended up going. Which by some remarkable coincidence, will be whatever most people currently approve of. Equating that with "justice" is a tactic to bash people who don't like whatever change is being discussed, without having to actually explain why that change is good.

Sucks for folks like Socrates doesnt it ?

by geggam 8y ago

Sucks for folks like Socrates doesnt it ?

dvtrn 8y ago

Heh Galileo, similarly came to my mind.

geggam 8y ago

LOL ...the hemlock folks are downvoting this

slg 8y ago

Sure, the standards change over time. You would likely be shunned 200 years ago if you said whites and blacks had equal intellect. You would likely be shunned today if you said the opposite. Society generally moves in the right direction. "The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice." I was simply pointing out that this phenomena is not new or limited to the internet. It is inherently human. It also is neither completely negative or positive. It just is.

malvosenior 8y ago
> Society generally moves in the right direction. Does it? Because it's currently ok to say that "white people suck" and various other overtly racist statements that would have been interpreted as such by society as little as 10 years ago.
- slg 8y ago
  Firstly, the context of the quote from my next sentence is that things must be viewed from a distance to see the bend toward justice. Individual setbacks might make it seem incorrect over short periods, but history has generally showed it to be correct. Secondly, it is not currently ok to say that "white people suck". The huge uproar over that is evidence of such. However, society has decided that saying "white people suck" is inherently different than saying "[any historically repressed minority] sucks". Society has also decided that context of those statements matters. Saying that offhandedly on Twitter as a joke is different than saying it in a campaign speech.
  - malvosenior 8y ago
    > However, society has decided that saying "white people suck" is inherently different than saying "[any historically repressed minority] sucks". Society has also decided that context of those statements matters. I think that debate is far from settled.
tbrownaw 8y ago
* "The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice."* No, it bends towards wherever it ended up going. Which by some remarkable coincidence, will be whatever most people currently approve of. Equating that with "justice" is a tactic to bash people who don't like whatever change is being discussed, without having to actually explain why that change is good.