I find certain things Derbyshire says morally repugnant and indicative of a culpable prejudice against black people.
What moral theory are you using to make this judgement? Also what exactly to you mean by “prejudice” and how does it differ from a Beysian prior?
Also since you won’t state your definition of racist, let me ask you some questions about it. Is someone who believes group X has lower average IQ, for example, then group Y a racist? Does it matter how much lower? Does it matter if he has evidence? Does it matter if this belief corresponds to reality? Is the person still morally culpable in some/all of the above cases?
As for me, if someone believes that group X has higher average IQ than group Y and that belief is not caused by them having seen evidence that group X actually has higher average IQ than group Y, I’d call them racist.
Hint: If someone’s belief that white people have higher average IQ than black people was based on evidence that white people have higher average IQ than black people, they’d very likely believe that East Asians and Ashkenazi Jews have even higher average IQ. If they don’t also believe that, I’d strongly suspect their belief is based on something else.
If someone’s belief that white people have higher average IQ than black people was based on evidence that white people have higher average IQ than black people, they’d very likely believe that East Asians and Ashkenazi Jews have even higher average IQ. If they don’t also believe that, I’d strongly suspect their belief is based on something else
I agree with this assessment, since such a person is likely just searching for good things to say about one group and bad things to say about another.
I meant what I said about not wanting to continue the conversation, but since you’re asking me questions, I’ll give you (some) answers. I hope you won’t hold it against me if I don’t answer further questions, though.
What moral theory are you using to make this judgement?
None. I don’t think morality admits of theoretical systematization. I’m sympathetic to moral particularism.
Is someone who believes group X has lower average IQ, for example, then group Y a racist?
No. I believe there are differences in average IQ between racial groups, and I don’t consider myself a racist.
Derbyshire’s belief in racial IQ differences is not why I think he’s a racist. It’s things like advising his children not to assist black people in distress, and offering as a reason a single news story about some black people who killed a man who was helping one of them. Or advising his children not to go to an event where there will be a large number of black people, and offering as support a single news story about a shooting at an event with a large number of black people. Or asserting without evidence that 5% of all black people are ferociously hostile to whites and will go to great lengths to harm them, and that 50% of blacks will passively go along with this 5%. Or saying that one should scrutinize a black candidate for political office much more carefully than a white candidate. These are all claims he makes in the column that got him fired.
According to the data in your link, 12.9 % of murders of white people were committed by black people. Black people constitute 12.6% of the population. I don’t see how this particular data makes it reasonable to advise white children not to help apparently distressed black people, or to believe that 50% of black people will go along with white people being harmed on purely racial grounds, or to believe that black candidates to political office should be scrutinized with more care.
The male-female differential in commission of violent crimes is greater than the black-white differential. Do you really believe that Derbyshire thinks male candidates to political office should be held up to greater scrutiny than female candidates, or that he advises his children not to attend events where there will be a large number of men?
According to the data in your link, 12.9 % of murders of white people were committed by black people. Black people constitute 12.6% of the population.
Well, whites interact more with follow whites then with blacks.
Let’s put it this way. Assuming you live in the US, walk through the nearest black neighborhood at night, every night for about a week. If you aren’t willing to do this, why not?
What moral theory are you using to make this judgement? Also what exactly to you mean by “prejudice” and how does it differ from a Beysian prior?
Also since you won’t state your definition of racist, let me ask you some questions about it. Is someone who believes group X has lower average IQ, for example, then group Y a racist? Does it matter how much lower? Does it matter if he has evidence? Does it matter if this belief corresponds to reality? Is the person still morally culpable in some/all of the above cases?
As for me, if someone believes that group X has higher average IQ than group Y and that belief is not caused by them having seen evidence that group X actually has higher average IQ than group Y, I’d call them racist.
Hint: If someone’s belief that white people have higher average IQ than black people was based on evidence that white people have higher average IQ than black people, they’d very likely believe that East Asians and Ashkenazi Jews have even higher average IQ. If they don’t also believe that, I’d strongly suspect their belief is based on something else.
I agree with this assessment, since such a person is likely just searching for good things to say about one group and bad things to say about another.
I meant what I said about not wanting to continue the conversation, but since you’re asking me questions, I’ll give you (some) answers. I hope you won’t hold it against me if I don’t answer further questions, though.
None. I don’t think morality admits of theoretical systematization. I’m sympathetic to moral particularism.
No. I believe there are differences in average IQ between racial groups, and I don’t consider myself a racist.
Derbyshire’s belief in racial IQ differences is not why I think he’s a racist. It’s things like advising his children not to assist black people in distress, and offering as a reason a single news story about some black people who killed a man who was helping one of them. Or advising his children not to go to an event where there will be a large number of black people, and offering as support a single news story about a shooting at an event with a large number of black people. Or asserting without evidence that 5% of all black people are ferociously hostile to whites and will go to great lengths to harm them, and that 50% of blacks will passively go along with this 5%. Or saying that one should scrutinize a black candidate for political office much more carefully than a white candidate. These are all claims he makes in the column that got him fired.
Well that’s a start. What about differences in propensity to commit violent crimes?
Near as I can tell, your complaint about Derbyshire is that he takes the implications of this difference seriously and is willing to openly say so.
According to the data in your link, 12.9 % of murders of white people were committed by black people. Black people constitute 12.6% of the population. I don’t see how this particular data makes it reasonable to advise white children not to help apparently distressed black people, or to believe that 50% of black people will go along with white people being harmed on purely racial grounds, or to believe that black candidates to political office should be scrutinized with more care.
The male-female differential in commission of violent crimes is greater than the black-white differential. Do you really believe that Derbyshire thinks male candidates to political office should be held up to greater scrutiny than female candidates, or that he advises his children not to attend events where there will be a large number of men?
Well, whites interact more with follow whites then with blacks.
Let’s put it this way. Assuming you live in the US, walk through the nearest black neighborhood at night, every night for about a week. If you aren’t willing to do this, why not?