Well I'll press you a little there. Imagine the same social worker applies the same fallacious reasoning in choosing a life partner. It seems to me that this is something one might remonstrate about if one cared for the social worker as a friend, but not something socially unacceptable in the way that it would be applied to professional life, and that because the social worker has power qua social worker as distinct from the privilege of personal foibles in private life. Liberty requires us to accept the one and find the other unacceptable. — unenlightened
A stereotype is unacceptable when the (pre)judgement is acted on, and is directly proportional to the power and authority of the actor. — unenlightened
... then you are not powerless. The power behind the throne is still power. I'm not sure I want to fall down the definitional rabbit hole, but I agree stereotypes are always potentially harmful, and that because no one is entirely impotent. So speech is an act, as has been mentioned; muttering under one's breath is an act and we know that some people's speech acts are more influential than other's. If no one hears me, or no one pays any attention, then my act has no real effect. To the extent it affects anyone it has power. I think that is clear enough?Define acted on. Let's say I'm entirely powerless but I tell an important CEO constantly that blacks are lazy. I'm not really helping and if he takes me seriously ... — Benkei
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