3 ms·

Yes, but it's course material that sets him up in a position of authority. It's fine for people to study Nazi-ism, but people would probably question MIT if Jos

by moomin 11y ago

Yes, but it's course material that sets him up in a position of authority. It's fine for people to study Nazi-ism, but people would probably question MIT if Joseph Goebbels were giving the lectures. TL;DR; context matters, he's not a unique snowflake the sum of human knowledge hasn't been impacted.

jessriedel 11y ago
> people would probably question MIT if Joseph Goebbels were giving the lectures. If Joseph Goebbels had something useful to say that would add to the intellectual discussion, then MIT should host him. This could be him trying to defend himself, or it could just be him lecturing on a topic completely unrelated to his horrific views. Some people would surely strongly object, but they would be wrong.
- dalke 11y ago
  I have something to say which I think would add to the intellectual discussion. Should MIT host my comments? In any case, there's no need to reach towards Nazis - plenty of people protested when the war criminal Kissinger wanted to teach at Columbia. See https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1350&dat=19771108&id=0gpPAAAAIBAJ&sjid=XwIEAAAAIBAJ&pg=2888,5024985&hl=en https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1350&dat=19771108&id=... for example, where he made it in to Georgetown but mention that 135 faculty and 1,000 students at Columbia "registered their disapproval and Mr. Kissinger withdrew from the negotiations."
  - jessriedel 11y ago
    > I have something to say which I think would add to the intellectual discussion. Should MIT host my comments? It doesn't matter whether you think you would add to the intellectual discussion, it matter whether MIT think so. > In any case, there's no need to reach towards Nazis Agreed. There are many real life cases. There are lots of things that go into who you should hire as a professor (which is obviously distinct from who you should host for a discussion), but there mere fact that a bunch of people registered their disapproval doesn't much speak to them.

by moomin 11y ago

jessriedel 11y ago

> people would probably question MIT if Joseph Goebbels were giving the lectures. If Joseph Goebbels had something useful to say that would add to the intellectual discussion, then MIT should host him. This could be him trying to defend himself, or it could just be him lecturing on a topic completely unrelated to his horrific views. Some people would surely strongly object, but they would be wrong.

dalke 11y ago
I have something to say which I think would add to the intellectual discussion. Should MIT host my comments? In any case, there's no need to reach towards Nazis - plenty of people protested when the war criminal Kissinger wanted to teach at Columbia. See https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1350&dat=19771108&id=0gpPAAAAIBAJ&sjid=XwIEAAAAIBAJ&pg=2888,5024985&hl=en https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1350&dat=19771108&id=... for example, where he made it in to Georgetown but mention that 135 faculty and 1,000 students at Columbia "registered their disapproval and Mr. Kissinger withdrew from the negotiations."
- jessriedel 11y ago
  > I have something to say which I think would add to the intellectual discussion. Should MIT host my comments? It doesn't matter whether you think you would add to the intellectual discussion, it matter whether MIT think so. > In any case, there's no need to reach towards Nazis Agreed. There are many real life cases. There are lots of things that go into who you should hire as a professor (which is obviously distinct from who you should host for a discussion), but there mere fact that a bunch of people registered their disapproval doesn't much speak to them.