The words “woke” and “wokeness” have recently entered the political lexicon. These words puzzle me as to what they mean and why people use them. “Woke” and “wokeness” are used mostly, if not exclusively, as an insult. They are used […]
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Tag: Bigotry
How About We Just Get Rid of Gender Labels?
My article from three years ago “The Problem with the Transgender Label” asked a question some people don’t want asked: does that label cause more problems than it solves? It remains one of my most-read articles with mostly positive responses. […]
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Inserting Philosophy Into Ancient Aliens
There is a TV show. Inside it are many tall tales. It demands we give up all the critical thinking we have ever been taught. Its absurdity is everywhere. Its nonsense is right before our eyes. They are not honest, […]
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What Lurks Behind Conspiracy Theories? A Philosophy of Conspiracy Theories.
Some people, despite all proof to the contrary, believe the moon landings were faked. Some people, despite all proof to the contrary, believe the last election was stolen. And those are just two of the many conspiracy theories that […]
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Let’s Call Racism What It Is: Structural Cowardice
What is racism? Hatred? Yes. Ignorance? Yes. But the hatred spewed within ignorant racist views are symptoms of a deeper dis-ease. We need to call racism what it really is — something larger than any individual but is an emotion […]
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Rabbi Sacks on Making Space for Difference
Space for difference “The test of faith is whether I can make space for difference. Can I recognize God’s image in someone who is not in my image, whose language, faith, ideals, are different from mine? If I cannot, then […]
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Misogyny Is the Wrong Word for It
I know what people are getting at when they call a man a “misogynist.” It’s not a bad term, all things considered, to describe men’s mistreatment of women, but it misses something important. I’m interested in treating causes not symptoms […]
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The Key to Social Justice
Why do injustices continue to happen? We say it is because of prejudice but what is prejudice? It is difficult to fight something that we cannot define and one of the important tasks in philosophy is understanding what is behind social phenomena like prejudice. Recognition is the key.
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Misogyny is Cowardice: An Example
Of course I know some think this way, but it’s still a shock to see it. But as a philosophy professor, I recognize a teaching opportunity when I see it. I wrote before about how racism is cowardice and now […]
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Refusing To Wear Face Masks is Masking a Deeper Fear
One of the terms bandied about lately is “toxic masculinity.” The basic idea is obvious—that some men are so fixated on demonstrating how “manly” they are that they harm themselves and others in the process. I tend to frown on […]
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