Re:MIT Faculty Votes for Statement on Freedom of Expression ...
by hotpotamus on Monday December 26, 2022 @10:39AM
(#34138447)
Ethically speaking, I think there are all sorts of things that just shouldn't be said, regardless of legality. I'm not sure if my personal sense of ethics is relevant though?
[ Parent
| on HN ]
Re:MIT Faculty Votes for Statement on Freedom of Expression ...
by naasking on Monday December 26, 2022 @10:45AM
(#34138525)
Firstly, "things that shouldn't be said" include matters of etiquette and not just ethics, so just be clear about the line between being a good/ethical person vs. being a polite person.
Secondly, your personal ethics are absolutely relevant because ethics advances by persuasion in rational debate. Everyone's views on such matters are relevant, if not persuasive.
Re:MIT Faculty Votes for Statement on Freedom of Expression ...
by hotpotamus on Monday December 26, 2022 @11:32AM
(#34139121)
Well, personally, if I attended or worked at MIT, I would not want Nazis on campus and would accept banning them.
Re:MIT Faculty Votes for Statement on Freedom of Expression ...
by naasking on Monday December 26, 2022 @12:42PM
(#34139838)
Great, you're free to not want them, but everyone has to justify their actions, so an action like banning a group still requires justification. If that justification is sound and based on accepted ethical principles, it should arguably become an ethical rule. I personally haven't seen an argument that satisfies the requirements.
Re:MIT Faculty Votes for Statement on Freedom of Expression ...
by hotpotamus on Monday December 26, 2022 @01:36PM
(#34140389)
I don't think I've ever met a human who was incapable of justifying their actions.
Re:MIT Faculty Votes for Statement on Freedom of Expression ...
by naasking on Tuesday December 27, 2022 @08:21AM
(#34148352)
They're all capable of attempting to justify their actions, but rarely is that justification sound. "Justification" here means a deductive argument from principles, sort of like what you'd find in a court of law based on except based on ethical rather than legal principles.