It is a strange matter with the alt right racism: it rejuvenates. It is a hydra like. One geneticist had his work rejected for publication in 1940’s on the grounds that it was too similar to Nazism only for the same book almost entirely without any revision or updates (I reviewed it at the time1 and checked almost every reference and almost all dated before 1945 ) to be published in 1970’s to rave reviews. J R Baker sought…
In an earlier piece on defining racism I wrote: ‘Contemporary western philosophers are so committed to identifying racism with mental aberration that they loose any sense of reality. Unless there is a guilty mind or a guilty thought there can be no racism in their opinion. This absurdity is cover for their wish to exculpate themselves. “I did not intend a racist result or have a racist thought in mind so I cannot be racist.” 1 Some might feel…
Racism is assumed in most Western philosophy to be a singular and widespread phenomena. However we should consider whether racism is more like a virus or bacteria. It can evolve and adapt to different environments. In addition some virus and bacteria mutate from virulent to innocuous and back again. Racism could be a family of human behaviours. While we identify the virulent strain as objectionable any suggestion that elements of it are widespread might suggest that the underlying behaviour…
Avram Alpert of Princeton has written an interesting piece, ‘Philosophy’s systemic racism‘ exposing the absurd defence of establishment philosophy that the racism of major European philosophers had no impact on their philosophy. I have been studying this issue for many decades and in 1974 I described this nexus as ‘western philosophy’s self misunderstanding’. However Alpert makes a couple of wrong turns. He claims dialectic was born in Greece and is infected with racism and needs saving. Dialectic does not…
We are witnessing a sanctification. However, there are many unanswered questions about RBG. It is uncivil to speak ill of the recently departed so this will await a later period. After the movie about her was released I attended a private view for artists and writers in London. I asked some of the makers of the film who were present some hard questions about her only to be told by them and the audience that they were in no…
Baggini has written a piece in Prospect magazine ‘ Is the University of Edinburgh right to “cancel” David Hume?’ 15 Sep 2020. He is seeking to defend Hume from accusations of racism while accepting his ‘unfortunate’ statements. He writes: ‘Hume was both a product of his time and like people of every time, had his blind spots.’ This statement implies that Hume’s views were uncontroversial during his time. This is completely untrue. His views were seriously challenged and…
I am not speaking of ALL democrats but of some powerful cabal within the Democratic Party. Why should they want to loose? That is the wrong question. We have to ask: under which circumstances do they want to win? Here the question arises whether if they could only win by changing their agenda would they rather loose? We have had a similar play in the UK where it is alleged that a strong party group in the Labour Party…
Much discussion of history, particularly the history of the development of Europe and its impact on the rest of the world takes as its starting point that Europe is Christian. This is an assumption that needs to be openly challenged. Claims of a Christianity vs Islam conflict and mosts claims about the underlying valuea of the West start from the assumption that the West is Christian. The concept of apostolic succession allows the Catholic church to say ‘we are…
It is with some hesitation that we address this issue and mention names. It does seem to be both important and implausible without naming names. With the insurgency of BLM Dr Kofi Bright may be able to find some cover. On 8 November 2019 in London Dr Bright, assistant professor in philosophy at London school of Economics, gave a public lecture on ‘Why do scientists lie?’ for the Royal Institute of Philosophy. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNs1sumAT68&t=774s) Only the formal lecture is presented…
Skidelsky writes on 20 July 2020 in Project Syndicate: ‘I still regard economics’ detachment from culture as a serious shortcoming in understanding human behavior. But I now see considerable merit in this cultural neutrality, because it provides a “safe space” for thinking amid the culture wars that currently convulse the non-scientific intelligentsia and about which journalists love to pontificate.’ and later: ‘Another point in favor of economics is its valid claim to be color- and gender-blind. ‘ Skidelsky, R….
