Canadian Philosophy Professor Raises Tensions

[Fake Boris]

Oh, c'mon, he went to a demo and tried to argue with people. I see that done all the time. Biiig deal.

[Asher]

So what is the difference between his posting the cartoons on doors at this time and:
1) a Nazi sympathizer professor posting articles denying the holocaust on his door
2) a Pedophile professor posting articles defending pedophilia on his door
3) a Fundy Christian professor posting articles/cartoons on his door dehumanizing homosexuals?

All three of these "promote discussion and debate", but is it something that should be done?

[Asher]

Originally posted by BlackCat
ROFLMAO - you yet again shows that you haven't the faintest idea of what is happening.

I don't?

The fact is Muslims around the world are in an uproar over these cartoons.

This tenured professor (meaning it's virtually impossible for him to get fired) posted these cartoons, knowing full well how Muslims across the world feel about it.

This was a real-world example of trolling. It's one thing if he showed the cartoons in a class and started a dialog about them, it's quite another to post incendiary material on your door, knowing that there are hundreds of students on campus that will be deeply offended by it.

[Fake Boris]

Originally posted by Asher
So we pay taxpayer money for people to incite protests and be critical of their actions?

In case you never noticed, he's paid to teach and write. If he wants to go to a demo how is that funded by the taxpayers?

[Az]

We're discussing his actions, not the cartoons. That's precisely my point, thank you for repeating it.

Is that what we call "self-pwning"?

Oh, come on, you're whole pov on his actions is due to what you believe is the nature of the cartoons...

[Richelieu]

In all three cases the person doing the action is biased on one side of the issue. It's not the debate that they are promoting: it's who they are.

[Asher]

Originally posted by Oncle Boris
In case you never noticed, he's paid to teach and write. If he wants to go to a demo how is that funded by the taxpayers?

Please read what has been said. I don't care if he went to a demo.

I'm taking issues of what he did to start the whole protests, which is actually of no value whatsoever and shows a complete lack of ethical judgement on his behalf.

[Asher]

Originally posted by Richelieu
In all three cases the person doing the action is biased on one side of the issue.

It's the same case here, the professor has spoken publically against religions.

[Asher]

Originally posted by Az
Oh, come on, you're whole pov on his actions is due to what you believe is the nature of the cartoons...

I don't care about the cartoons.

The point is someone with good ethical judgement can realize when there is a "hot-button" topic that is a sure-fire way to offend people around the world, and not push those buttons. When people calm down about the whole thing, then it is relevant for him to bring it up in a classroom context and inspire debate.

But when it is his public opinion to be against religions, and then to post cartoons that are known to be very offensive to Muslims on his door, that shows a complete lack of ethical judgement. The people defending his actions similarly lack ethical judgement.

[Agathon]

Why is this man being persecuted for doing his job?

Why do people complain about all the controversial things that academics say when the main point of universities is to give people a place to think about and say radical things?

I thought that the papers that published them originally were being needlessly provocative. However, this is the sort of thing that universities are supposed to discuss.... that's what they are for... and everyone gets a say in what is usually a respectful and rational atmosphere.

[Asher]

Originally posted by Agathon
Why is this man being persecuted for doing his job?

Because people are starting to see how stupid his "job" is.

He didn't bring up the issue in an academic setting, he brought it up by posting incendiary cartoon on his door. Coupled with his known stance against religions, it becomes offensive -- especially given the current climate of the issue.

A rational discussion on the cartoons can wait for the situation to die down, and it would belong in a controlled classroom environment instead of on a door.

The fact that a professor of Philosophy, the field that supposedly handles ethics, sees no problem with his actions...and now that you also see no problem with his actions, just demonstrates how clearly detached many Philosophy professors are from the real world, and exactly why they should not be dictating ethics for the rest of the world.

[Agathon]

He didn't bring up the issue in an academic setting, he brought it up by posting incendiary cartoon on his door. Coupled with his known stance against religions, it becomes offensive -- especially given the current climate of the issue.

Don't be stupid.

What matters in this case is the place he posted it: on his office door, in a college where people are supposed to talk about such topics.

Universities are places that exist for the discussion of such things in a setting and context where the freedom allowed to do so is tempered by certain rules about how you do it (rational discussion, no violence, etc.).

U of T has several open lectures and debates on this topic in the coming week. I saw advertisements for them the other day. No doubt there will be a frank and perhaps heated debate and perhaps a few jeers here and there, but that's just U of T professors doing their ****ing job.

Any fool can see it would have been different if he had plastered a local mosque or the town square with the cartoons.

[BlackCat]

Originally posted by Asher

I don't?

The fact is Muslims around the world are in an uproar over these cartoons.

This tenured professor (meaning it's virtually impossible for him to get fired) posted these cartoons, knowing full well how Muslims across the world feel about it.

This was a real-world example of trolling. It's one thing if he showed the cartoons in a class and started a dialog about them, it's quite another to post incendiary material on your door, knowing that there are hundreds of students on campus that will be deeply offended by it.

You don't follow news that tight it seems.

Muslims per se isn't in uproar across the world because of these images.

They were published four months ago in both danish and egyptian papers and nothing happend. It was first when some imams took a tour in ME and presented them to some fanatic organisations (including some fake pics much worse that those publicied) that something happened. Yes, there has been demonstrations by common islamists, but the violence is purely extremist action.

It isn't trolling - it's taking up a subject that is important - have we freedom of speech or do we bend over for rules defined by some religion.

[Asher]

Answer me this:

Do you think that a professor with public opinions calling religions "odious" (which means "abominable: unequivocally detestable") posting a cartoon known to spark riots and protests around the world (and involving deaths) onto his door where he knows that hundreds of muslims would be offended by it is an ethical action on his part?

Anyone who says "yes" very clearly should have nothing to do with dictating ethics for the rest of us.

[Asher]

Originally posted by BlackCat
It isn't trolling - it's taking up a subject that is important - have we freedom of speech or do we bend over for rules defined by some religion.

No, "taking up a subject" means you hold a forum or class discussion on it.

Posting the cartoons in a public place where you know people will be offended by it is trolling.