Those are real and important effects (that should probably have been included in the original post).
A problem with avoiding knowledge that could lead you to discriminate is that it makes it hard to judge some situations—did James Watson, Larry Summers and Stephanie Grace deserve a public shaming?
Stephanie Grace, definitely not, she was sharing thoughts privately.
Summers? Not for sexism, he seemed honest and sincere in a desire to clarify issues and reach truth, but he displayed stupidity and gullibility which should be cause for shame in his position at Harvard, and to some degree as a broad social scientist and policy adviser, though not as an economic theorist narrowly construed.
Watson, probably. He said something overtly and exageratedly negative, said it publicly and needlessly, and has a specific public prestige which makes his words more influential. It’s unfortunate that he didn’t focus on some other issue and public shame of this sort might reduce such unfortunate occurrences in the future.
I wasn’t really looking for answers to that question, I was trying to say that if we avoid “dangerous information” (to avoid confirmation bias, etc.), and encourage others to avoid it too, we’re making it harder to answer questions like that.
Those are real and important effects (that should probably have been included in the original post).
A problem with avoiding knowledge that could lead you to discriminate is that it makes it hard to judge some situations—did James Watson, Larry Summers and Stephanie Grace deserve a public shaming?
Stephanie Grace, definitely not, she was sharing thoughts privately.
Summers? Not for sexism, he seemed honest and sincere in a desire to clarify issues and reach truth, but he displayed stupidity and gullibility which should be cause for shame in his position at Harvard, and to some degree as a broad social scientist and policy adviser, though not as an economic theorist narrowly construed.
Watson, probably. He said something overtly and exageratedly negative, said it publicly and needlessly, and has a specific public prestige which makes his words more influential. It’s unfortunate that he didn’t focus on some other issue and public shame of this sort might reduce such unfortunate occurrences in the future.
I wasn’t really looking for answers to that question, I was trying to say that if we avoid “dangerous information” (to avoid confirmation bias, etc.), and encourage others to avoid it too, we’re making it harder to answer questions like that.