• tuckerm@feddit.online
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    24 hours ago

    Honestly, those two points don’t seem incompatible to me. For example:

    Teaching the history of fashion to undergrads in 1985 is bizarre because:

    1. They insist that standards of dress are entirely relative. Being dressed decently is a cultural construct; some cultures wear hardly any clothing whatsoever and being nude is a completely normal, default way of presenting yourself.
    2. And yet when I walk into class with my dick and balls hanging out, they all get extremely offended and the coeds threaten to call the police.

    (And yes I changed the year because I’m sick of so many of these issues being brought up as though “the kids these days” are the problem, when so often these are issues that have been around LITERALLY FOREVER.)

    I’m not trying to dunk on this Henry Shelvin guy – I’m certain that he knows a lot more about philosophy than me, and has more interesting thoughts about morals than I do. And I’m also not going to judge someone based on a tweet…aside from the obvious judgement that they are using Twitter, lol. But as far as takes go, this one kinda sucks.

    *edit: I’ll add that I hope this professor is taking this opportunity to explain what the difference is between morals being relative vs being subjective, which is an issue that has come up in this very thread. Especially since I bet a lot of his students have only heard the term “moral relativism” being used by religious conservatives who accuse you of being a moral relativist because you don’t live by the Bible. I know that was definitely the case for me.

    • SkyeStarfall@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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      20 hours ago

      No, that is not the direct equivalence. The direct equivalence for 2. Would be something like

      “But then they insist that being naked is never acceptable and is grotesque, and anyone that disagrees is a gross pervert”

      That’s where the inconsistency comes from

    • InverseParallax@lemmy.world
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      24 hours ago

      And yet when I walk into class with my dick and balls hanging out, they all get extremely offended and the coeds threaten to call the police.

      Cancel culture today is out of control.

      • tuckerm@feddit.online
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        23 hours ago

        We used to have academic freedom. Now we just have sensitivity trainings and PANTS. SHACKLES OF THE MIND, I TELL YOU!

      • kreskin@lemmy.world
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        24 hours ago

        Well because we have indecent exposure laws. Hanging your dick and balls out in public is not relevant to cancel culture or fashion.

        • melpomenesclevage@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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          20 hours ago

          plenty of people violate laws without comment or condemnation all the time. nobody makes a fuss about someone going 5 mph over the speed limit, or doing a fuck-ton of sexual assault, and it’s really hard to get anyone to care. you’re an asshole if you make a big deal about someone doing some drugs.

          laws and morality don’t really correlate.

          • kreskin@lemmy.world
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            14 hours ago

            you’re an asshole if you make a big deal about someone doing some drugs.

            Did you respond to the wrong person? I was talking about displaying your cock and balls in public being illegal. Where did this come from?

            laws and morality don’t really correlate.

            ok. yes thats right. what are you talking about though? when did we start talking about morality?

            • melpomenesclevage@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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              10 hours ago

              morality

              sorry used to talking to americans. they respond better to that word and can’t tell the difference. but yes. ethics.

              did you respond to the wrong person

              no. im pointing out that laws are about boots on necks, they have nothing to do with anything else.