• Harry Hindu
    5.1k
    We do not have black man and white man experiences. We have human experiences.
    — Harry Hindu

    That is not always the case. You are conflating an ideal with reality. The fact of the matter is that prejudice has not been eliminated. A white man in the US will not experience this discrimination when buying a house or applying for a loan or applying for a job or being stopped for a motor vehicle check.
    Fooloso4
    But that's not a black man or white man experience per se. It is a human experience of finding yourself in an environment that is hostile to you based on the differences of skin color. I'm sure a white man's experience will be like a black man's experience depending on where they are. Any human is capable of feeling discriminated against. It just depends on your skin color and the environment you find yourself in.

    The banning of books is a topical example. "Cancelling" is another. Restrictions on speech.Fooloso4
    You said,
    Both extremes come close together in excluding what is regarded as 'other', even though they do so for very different reasons.Fooloso4
    I asked what was different about the reasons and you give me the ways in which the extremes exclude others, not the reasons they do so. Both extremes are the same in their reasons and in how they implement them. Hate and ignorance are the reasons of both extremes. They implement their hate and ignorance by banning books, canceling each other and restricting each other's speech.
  • Paulm12
    116

    This raises questions for epistemology and ethics, let alone aesthetics.
    Does being a white male mean you have white male experience? I have no idea what that means.
    To go back to your original point, which is a good point, say I am a white male. Then I can say that I have the epistemological experience of a white male with sample size n=1. If I am 100% white, then that means I have no epistemological experience of a black male (sample size n=0). In other words, in my case, I wouldn't claim to know what it is like to have the "experience" of a black male. However,
    how can any person claim to speak/have the authority to speak for "white males" even if they are white, because as far as I know, nobody has memories of multiple lives? Now, this gets tricky. Say someone is a half white and half black male. Can they claim to have a white male experience and a black male experience? Or is the usual white experience also defined in terms of the exclusion of the experiences of other groups.

    I think the idea of someone/something having an "X perspective" is tricky and fuzzy. Perhaps a better, more precise statement is "I am/identify X. I also believe Y." In order to claim that X's have "Y" experience, you have to first create or agree upon a category of X. Then you have to show that a randomly selected sample of them have "Y" experience (or enough of them do to make the statement compelling).

    This is why I do not understand things like California's board diversity law (which I guess was just ruled unconstitutional). California tried to pass a law saying that boards of companies in California must have underrepresented minorities on it. Is the assumption that there simply needs to be more underrepresented minorities on boards (why?), or that the underrepresented minorities bring a different perspective (what would this be? Is this on average or overall?)
  • Jackson
    1.8k
    This is why I do not understand things like California's board diversity law (which I guess was just ruled unconstitutional). California tried to pass a law saying that boards of companies in California must have underrepresented minorities on it. Is the assumption that there simply needs to be more underrepresented minorities on boards (why?), or that the underrepresented minorities bring a different perspective (what would this be? Is this on average or overall?)Paulm12

    How about someone on the board who is not a capitalist! That's diversity.
  • I like sushi
    4.9k
    By the same logic how about someone you is a nazi. That’s diversity!
  • Jackson
    1.8k
    By the same logic how about someone you is a nazi. That’s diversity!I like sushi

    I have no idea what that meant.
  • I like sushi
    4.9k
    - someone WHO is -

    Brain fart when typing :)
  • Jackson
    1.8k
    Brain fart when typingI like sushi

    Got it, thanks!
  • Paulm12
    116

    LOL, now that’s a good point


    It’s interesting, because in some ways I think the progressive left would actually consider (Neo)-Nazis to be an oppressed group and an underrepresented minority. Based on the theory, they are so socially stigmatized that they are unable to advocate for themselves politically or even be recognized as a group that needs political or social action taken on their behalf. They are marginalized, face discrimination in hiring, all the usual social justice buzzwords. However, unlike race or sex, they are an unprotected class by the law, so they are also institutionally marginalized as well.

    Now, whether or not this is a good thing is a separate issue. But I’ve heard some liberal people say that, for instance, child molesters are an oppressed group.

    It makes you wonder if the groups who are able to claim they are marginalized/underrepresented and be taken seriously aren’t quite as marginalized/underrepresented as those who do not have or cannot have a voice…
  • Jackson
    1.8k
    It’s interesting, because in some ways I think the progressive left would actually consider (Neo)-Nazis to be an oppressed group and an underrepresented minority.Paulm12

    No one on the left would say such a foolish thing.
  • Changeling
    1.4k
    @NOS4A2 what the hell man? I thought we thought alike when it came to our dislike of the CCP. You've changed...
  • Deleted User
    0
    I have the experience of being a biped, too.Jackson

    You concede you have the experience of being a biped. When you look down you see two legs.

    By the same token, though you do not concede it, you have the experience of being a male. When you look down you see testicles and penis.

    Again, by the same token, though you do not concede it, you have the experience of being a white person. When you look in the mirror you see a white face, and a white body.

    To understand what white, male experience is (supposing your inquiry is in some sense sincere), ask yourself the following questions:

    (I don't know where on Earth you live. I can make these questions better if you tell me where you live.)

    1. When I look at the political leaders of my country do I see preponderantly bipeds who are white and male? Or do I see preponderantly quadrupeds who are black and female?

    2. When I turn on the nightly news to listen to pundits preach and teach, do I see preponderantly bipeds who are white and male? Or do I see preponderantly quadrupeds who are black and female?

    3...
  • Jackson
    1.8k
    (I don't know where on Earth you live. I can make these questions better if you tell me where you live.)

    1. When I look at the political leaders of my country do I see preponderantly bipeds who are white and male? Or do I see preponderantly quadrapeds who are black and female?

    2. When I turn on the nightly news to listen to pundits preach and teach, do I see preponderantly bipeds who are white and male? Or do I see preponderantly quadrapeds who are black and female?
    ZzzoneiroCosm

    I do not see your point.
  • Deleted User
    0
    I do not see your point.Jackson

    Good.


    Imagine: Tomorrow when you wake up you look at the political leaders of your country and it's all quadrupeds. Tomorrow when you wake up you turn on the nightly news to listen to pundits preach and teach and it's all quadrupeds.

    Has your experience of being a biped changed?
  • Jackson
    1.8k
    Imagine: Tomorrow when you wake up you look at the political leaders of your country and it's all quadrupeds. Tomorrow when you wake up you turn on the nightly news to listen to pundits preach and teach and it's all quadrupeds.

    Has your experience of being a biped changed?
    ZzzoneiroCosm

    The fallacy is that my experience is determined by the way others see me.
  • Deleted User
    0


    I asked a yes-or-no question. Is the answer yes or no?

    Has your experience of being a biped changed?ZzzoneiroCosm
  • Jackson
    1.8k
    Has your experience of being a biped changed?ZzzoneiroCosm

    no
1234Next
bold
italic
underline
strike
code
quote
ulist
image
url
mention
reveal
youtube
tweet
Add a Comment

Welcome to The Philosophy Forum!

Get involved in philosophical discussions about knowledge, truth, language, consciousness, science, politics, religion, logic and mathematics, art, history, and lots more. No ads, no clutter, and very little agreement — just fascinating conversations.