What I am arguing for are principles of kindness, empathy, and decency.
When you engage in actions that hurt people, I think it is a good thing to address that hurt and make things right, and mitigate the damage as much as possible. I do not think Bostrom achieved this goal with his apology.
I do not oppose people stating beliefs that might be upsetting to some people, if such beliefs are relevant and important to a discussion at hand. However, when those beliefs are stated, they should be done so in an empathetic and sensitive manner, with the appropriate context in mind.
For example, if your friend has a problem with obesity, you should not address that by calling them a “fatso”, even if said claim is arguably true. You should certainly not do so at their wedding. Instead you would take them aside at an opportune time and start something like “hey, I know you’ve been struggling lately, and I’m concerned about you”.
The paragraphs on eugenics were not relevant to the apology. They should not have been brought up in that context, and the controversial topics were not treated with appropriate levels of sensitivity or kindness to the people he harmed. This is not dishonesty. This is human decency.
What I am arguing for are principles of kindness, empathy, and decency.
When you engage in actions that hurt people, I think it is a good thing to address that hurt and make things right, and mitigate the damage as much as possible. I do not think Bostrom achieved this goal with his apology.
I do not oppose people stating beliefs that might be upsetting to some people, if such beliefs are relevant and important to a discussion at hand. However, when those beliefs are stated, they should be done so in an empathetic and sensitive manner, with the appropriate context in mind.
For example, if your friend has a problem with obesity, you should not address that by calling them a “fatso”, even if said claim is arguably true. You should certainly not do so at their wedding. Instead you would take them aside at an opportune time and start something like “hey, I know you’ve been struggling lately, and I’m concerned about you”.
The paragraphs on eugenics were not relevant to the apology. They should not have been brought up in that context, and the controversial topics were not treated with appropriate levels of sensitivity or kindness to the people he harmed. This is not dishonesty. This is human decency.