Philosophy
With North Carolina's enshrinement of bigotry into their state constitution and Obama's evolution to accepting the need for gay men and lesbians to receive fair and equal treatment under the law, there has been lots of talk about the ethical dilemma of gay marriage. O.k., sure I teach and write professional articles about ethics, so one would expect that I could clearly enunciate the conundrum that accompanies this issue. But I've got to tell you, as far as I can see -- there just ain't one.
The question is whether we should discriminate against a minority and make sure that they have second class status or whether we should afford all citizens equal treatment under the law with all the rights, protections, and responsibilities that come with it. Ummmm...o.k., so where's the hard moral question?
Is it contrary to some theologies? Yeah. But being theologically problematic does not make it moral so. Orthodox Jews won't drive on Saturday. Doing so isn't immoral, it just means you're not a good orthodox Jew. Catholics won't eat meat on Fridays during lent. Doing so isn't thereby immoral, it just makes you not a good Catholic. Theology and morality are completely different subjects.
Abortion? Yeah, hard moral issues. Balancing security and privacy? Yeah, hard moral issues. Balancing social justice and economic growth? Yeah, hard moral issues. Gay marriage? Where are these hard moral issues?
Someone please help. Where, oh where are these moral issues in the gay marriage debate?
- Modern Mencken
Tomorrow is Mencken day at the Enoch Pratt Library, honoring one of the great intellects of Baltimore. Who would be the modern day version of H.L. Mencken? Is there a writer who is smart, ascerbic, conservative, and wry? P.J. O'Rourke? ...
- Can You Really Own A Position?
I've been thinking about the use of the verb to own with respect to an intellectual view. When a student is being wishy-washy about a proposition he or she is arguing for and clearly believes, I'll tell the student to "own the position." ...
- Historians, Archaeologists, And Scientists
Are historians scientists? They frame hypotheses about the causes and effects of real events and use empirical evidence to support their accounts. But they don't do not look for regularities to make into laws; to the contrary, they account...
- The Moral Responsibility To Friends And Family
We grant special moral considerability to people who are our friends. Friendship comes with responsibility. You care about your friends in ways you do not care about strangers and therefore there will come times when you have to do things...
- Grammar Curmudeons
Had a student ask yesterday about grammatical pet peeves. His was "irregardless." My big three are: 1) "Quote" used for "quotation." Quote is a verb. You quote someone. What you write down is not a quote, but a quotation. ...
Philosophy
So What Are These Ethical Issues Around Gay Marriage?
With North Carolina's enshrinement of bigotry into their state constitution and Obama's evolution to accepting the need for gay men and lesbians to receive fair and equal treatment under the law, there has been lots of talk about the ethical dilemma of gay marriage. O.k., sure I teach and write professional articles about ethics, so one would expect that I could clearly enunciate the conundrum that accompanies this issue. But I've got to tell you, as far as I can see -- there just ain't one.
The question is whether we should discriminate against a minority and make sure that they have second class status or whether we should afford all citizens equal treatment under the law with all the rights, protections, and responsibilities that come with it. Ummmm...o.k., so where's the hard moral question?
Is it contrary to some theologies? Yeah. But being theologically problematic does not make it moral so. Orthodox Jews won't drive on Saturday. Doing so isn't immoral, it just means you're not a good orthodox Jew. Catholics won't eat meat on Fridays during lent. Doing so isn't thereby immoral, it just makes you not a good Catholic. Theology and morality are completely different subjects.
Abortion? Yeah, hard moral issues. Balancing security and privacy? Yeah, hard moral issues. Balancing social justice and economic growth? Yeah, hard moral issues. Gay marriage? Where are these hard moral issues?
Someone please help. Where, oh where are these moral issues in the gay marriage debate?
- Modern Mencken
Tomorrow is Mencken day at the Enoch Pratt Library, honoring one of the great intellects of Baltimore. Who would be the modern day version of H.L. Mencken? Is there a writer who is smart, ascerbic, conservative, and wry? P.J. O'Rourke? ...
- Can You Really Own A Position?
I've been thinking about the use of the verb to own with respect to an intellectual view. When a student is being wishy-washy about a proposition he or she is arguing for and clearly believes, I'll tell the student to "own the position." ...
- Historians, Archaeologists, And Scientists
Are historians scientists? They frame hypotheses about the causes and effects of real events and use empirical evidence to support their accounts. But they don't do not look for regularities to make into laws; to the contrary, they account...
- The Moral Responsibility To Friends And Family
We grant special moral considerability to people who are our friends. Friendship comes with responsibility. You care about your friends in ways you do not care about strangers and therefore there will come times when you have to do things...
- Grammar Curmudeons
Had a student ask yesterday about grammatical pet peeves. His was "irregardless." My big three are: 1) "Quote" used for "quotation." Quote is a verb. You quote someone. What you write down is not a quote, but a quotation. ...