[Vision2020] Edna's a kick

[Nicholas Gier]

Greetings:

This Edna character is a real kick in the pants! Yes, there have been far too many insults, so I would just like to make a friendly response to some things that she's posted.

With regard to ethics and what we should do with values, I've concluded that virtue ethics is the best perspective to take.  You can read my critiques of utilitarianism and Kantianism in my new book "The Virtue of Non-Violence" available at BookPeople, or I can send Edna the appropriate computer files.

With regard to the Jones-Church debate, I submit that the Rev. Church made a conscientious attempt to reach out to Jones, but of course it was Jones who nixed all overtures.  It's hard to believe Jones, Wilson, et al. when they say they want to be part of our community, but continue to say very nasty things about most of us in it.  They are a tough bunch to love, but I'm still trying.

With regard to factual errors in the slavery booklet's first paragraph, there is only one about the page length, which is so trivial as to be ridiculous.  The other three are questions about interpretation.  As I have written at www.class.uidaho.edu/ngier/wilsononslavery.htm, one cannot separate Southern slavery from its racism, so Southern slavery is indeed racial slavery.  I also argued there that there is no way that the conclusion "No one need lament the passing of slavery" can logical follow from everything that comes before it.  If Southern slavery was the most harmonious multiracial society that ever existed, why should it still not exist?

Sorry for the two posts in one day, but I've not posted in a long while.

Nick Gier