I think everything after the words “Christian Blind Mission” was unnecessary and if he had ended the statement there, it would have been less provocative. I don’t think that would have been the best possible choice but it would have been better than what we got.
That’s something I couldn’t have predicted before he posted the thing, but I’m sure a more skilled communicator could have.
The reason the words afterwards were harmful is because irrespective of their truth value, they raise an issue that is potentially harmful just to get into. By talking about it in a particular context when it isn’t necessary, you give it airtime you don’t need to. I think that’s the dimension that is missed here.
Words aren’t just truth claims; they are also locutionary acts that draw readers’ attention to certain topics. The words “smoking is bad for your lungs” are true and even helpful in many contexts, but they may also remind a smoker about smoking which could have an unintended consequence of causing a smoker to smoke. There may also be unintended negative consequences from jumping into a discussion about what you do and don’t believe about eugenics or genetics and IQ.
That’s a fair point. But Rohit’s complaint goes way beyond the statement being harmful or badly constructed. Ze is beating around the bush of a much stronger and unsubstantiated claim that is left unstated for some reason: “Bostrom was and is a racist who thinks that race directly affects intelligence level (and also, his epistemics are shit)”.
What ze does say: “his apology, was, to put it mildly, mealy mouthed and without much substance” “I’m not here to litigate race science.;” “someone who is so clearly in a position of authority...maintaining this kind of view.”; “If you believe there are racial differences in intelligence”; “a third of the community seems to support him” [implied to be a bad thing]; “applauding someone for not lying is great but not if the belief they’re holding is bad”; “Do not mistake ‘sticking with your beliefs’ to be an overriding good, above believing what’s true”; “sticking with the theory that ‘race X is inferior in Y’”; “leaders of your movement is saying these things that are just wrong”.
I think everything after the words “Christian Blind Mission” was unnecessary and if he had ended the statement there, it would have been less provocative. I don’t think that would have been the best possible choice but it would have been better than what we got.
That’s something I couldn’t have predicted before he posted the thing, but I’m sure a more skilled communicator could have.
The reason the words afterwards were harmful is because irrespective of their truth value, they raise an issue that is potentially harmful just to get into. By talking about it in a particular context when it isn’t necessary, you give it airtime you don’t need to. I think that’s the dimension that is missed here.
Words aren’t just truth claims; they are also locutionary acts that draw readers’ attention to certain topics. The words “smoking is bad for your lungs” are true and even helpful in many contexts, but they may also remind a smoker about smoking which could have an unintended consequence of causing a smoker to smoke. There may also be unintended negative consequences from jumping into a discussion about what you do and don’t believe about eugenics or genetics and IQ.
That’s a fair point. But Rohit’s complaint goes way beyond the statement being harmful or badly constructed. Ze is beating around the bush of a much stronger and unsubstantiated claim that is left unstated for some reason: “Bostrom was and is a racist who thinks that race directly affects intelligence level (and also, his epistemics are shit)”.
What ze does say: “his apology, was, to put it mildly, mealy mouthed and without much substance” “I’m not here to litigate race science.;” “someone who is so clearly in a position of authority...maintaining this kind of view.”; “If you believe there are racial differences in intelligence”; “a third of the community seems to support him” [implied to be a bad thing]; “applauding someone for not lying is great but not if the belief they’re holding is bad”; “Do not mistake ‘sticking with your beliefs’ to be an overriding good, above believing what’s true”; “sticking with the theory that ‘race X is inferior in Y’”; “leaders of your movement is saying these things that are just wrong”.