On December 15 2006 16:08 nA.Inky wrote:
I know that things like this strike a lot of you as silly and pointless. Maybe they are. The point is that we ought to be critical of how we see gender, sexuality, and everything else. We ought to ask ourselves what it means to be a man or a woman, and WHY it means that. Does it always mean that? Should it mean that? Etc. I praise the effort of these people because it shows they are attempting to be critical. The result of their efforts may fall short of what is optimal, but I think it is better to be thinking and critically engaging with culture and stereotypes and ideas, rather than just accepting the status quo.
It may seem so petty and simple and insignificant, but I think that is because you take for granted the status quo, when maybe you should be questioning it.
Another seemingly silly thing to call into question is our use of language when we refer to humanity as "Man." Or refer to a person of unspecified sex as "he." This seems so common to us that it seems weird to even talk about it. But really, if you get into it, the fact that we DO talk this way indicates a very deep, ingrained bias that favors men over women. The language we use is just a symptom of a larger culture that oppresses or degrades women.
Have whatever opinion you want, but do yourself and everyone else a favor, and THINK first. The process of being critical and questioning should never stop. Morality is in the process of questioning, not in the process of answering.
no, i dont want a street sign to tell me to contemplate the morality of sex differences whenever i cross a street. That someone out there should think crossing the street is an occasion to contemplate these matters makes me wonder how the heck do they manage to get across teh street in teh first place. I know that things like this strike a lot of you as silly and pointless. Maybe they are. The point is that we ought to be critical of how we see gender, sexuality, and everything else. We ought to ask ourselves what it means to be a man or a woman, and WHY it means that. Does it always mean that? Should it mean that? Etc. I praise the effort of these people because it shows they are attempting to be critical. The result of their efforts may fall short of what is optimal, but I think it is better to be thinking and critically engaging with culture and stereotypes and ideas, rather than just accepting the status quo.
It may seem so petty and simple and insignificant, but I think that is because you take for granted the status quo, when maybe you should be questioning it.
Another seemingly silly thing to call into question is our use of language when we refer to humanity as "Man." Or refer to a person of unspecified sex as "he." This seems so common to us that it seems weird to even talk about it. But really, if you get into it, the fact that we DO talk this way indicates a very deep, ingrained bias that favors men over women. The language we use is just a symptom of a larger culture that oppresses or degrades women.
Have whatever opinion you want, but do yourself and everyone else a favor, and THINK first. The process of being critical and questioning should never stop. Morality is in the process of questioning, not in the process of answering.
One can see many meanings in symbols/pictures, but that does not mean putting up certain symbol/pictures signify every meaning the symbol/picture commonly hold. If i put up a stickman with the words "do not shoot people" you must be a special idiot to think I am discriminating against women.
For those who see offensive things behind everything and want to wipe off every offense by physically rearranging teh world, try some introspection.