How to know if your world view is unfairly biased.
((An Experiment in Ethical Morality))
TEST IT:
Envision a social system in which you would want to live, a perfect world - where things were RIGHT. GREAT! But ..... is your world also fair?
In other words, let's test how your values work out - for people that aren't you:
1. Imagine your very best version of a realistic society - with Utopian rules of governance. The world, as you think it should be.
2. Then, think of all the classifications that challenge people in today’s culture: rich or poor, sick, too young or too old, racial minority, gay, mentally or physically handicapped, unattractive, devout or non-religious, female or male, short, fat, non-traditional lifestyle, too tall, transgendered, too skinny, illiterate or uneducated, etc…
3. Now ... Randomly select any two of those factors, and imagine them applied to you. Yes, you are now (insert the minority, here) and (here).
Write down the details you selected.
Now examine the following:
- Does your utopia treat people like you with the same general respect afforded to others?
- Do you have ALL of the same civil and legal rights as others who are not like you?
- Are there protections and regulations designed to help marginalize your handicaps so that you have a reasonable chance as a Citizen to succeed in life?
- Are you free to do anything that anybody else could do without expectation of social or legal prejudice?
If your imagined society is reasonable and fair to you, no matter what combination of minority factors you apply - you must be a pretty open minded person! Thumbs up, you!
However - if the questions reveal some concerns about your answers, then it's possible that your preferred worldview is constructed around the preferences which you wish to see validated, even though they are not concurrent to the reality that other people actuality experience, every day.
In fact, you may be acting upon those very perspectives in your interactions with others - inadvertently contributing to the dehumanization and oppression of those who you think should be less entitled than the right people.
You know... people like yourself.
Thus, you are inherently unethical. Sorry!
-C.D.
*Note from the author:
Admittedly, I was half awake when I devised this test, so I would be the first to admit that it could use some "mental tightening". Overall though, I feel its a decent conversation starter and an introspective device by which to reveal some things that none of us like to own up to. Certainly - we're all biased in some way... that's human. Frankly, I doubt such influence would be avoidable in even the most Utopian of societies.
But to actually act toward others in ways which penalize, minimize, denegrate or otherwise denounce them, merely for the sake of our own life preferences? That's obscene. It's also inhumane. Would your perfect civilization really go so far as to deny others the same rights and protections you enjoy?
And let's be clear here: No one is talking about creating a society which allows people to have sex with children and dogs. Don't be an idiot. Any non-consensual contact being enacted upon beings who aren't able to make viable choices is inherently wrong. If you're one of those people who thinks that being accepting of gay marriage means that I would also advocate bestiality and pedophilia - you're intellectually dishonest and probably need to demonize other people in order to compensate for the raging gaps in your own inability to explain your world view.
Do grow up.
Do grow up.
Rational people, even those with differences, are able to come to reasonable conclusions which are inclusive, respectful, and generally fair. If they are ethical as well, they likely dream of a world where there is room enough for all world views - including yours.
It is only the unethical-at-heart who are compelled to rationalize discrimination.
Keep in mind, the purpose of this article was to expose such thinking, not denounce it.
Ultimately, everyone should be free to have any opinion they want -- Welcome to Utopia.
- C. D.
The answer to the question: You shouldn't.
Just don't be a dick to people who aren't like you... just because they aren't like you.
Golden Rule.
