On Mon, 26 Apr 1999 10:00:03 GMT "soclab@uea"
<[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> Dear all,
>
> I, like all of you, find Singer's pronouncememts
> vile. However, one gets the impression that he is
> viewed as having a Svengali-like influence
> over Princeton's students by the some of the
> critics of his appointment. Singer is but one
> among many distinguished thinkers at Princeton,
> some of whom will no doubt present students with a
> very different perspective on these issues. There
> is no reason to suppose that students as a whole
> will be seduced into Singer's mode of thought.
> Don't we have to put a degree of faith in the good
> sense of Princeton's students to see the
> all too clear failings of Singer's arguments as
> Michael Peckett suggests and to be persuaded by
> superior arguments ?? Its also worth pointing out,
> if it needs pointing out, that there is the little
> issue of freedom of speech here. There has been no
> shortage of legitimately exercising this right by
> his critics. Whether we like it or not, Singer was
> also doing the same.
>
> Peter H
I agree here. I almost feel sorry fror Singer, he is a
brillant Ethicist, anyone who doubts this should read his
thoughts on animal liberation (Whichever side of the fence
you fall on this argument, you wil be amazed, I assure
you). He has built up quite a canon of work in his long
career (Phd thesis 1965), andthe case could be made that
such work should be rewarded. There is the issue of free
speech to consider. He has no shortage of critics, like any
philosopher, but I do find it strange that no one has tried
to refute his ideas on euthenasia (perhaps they have in
the book "Singer and his critics"). Philosophy like many
other subjects is prone to trend following - a philosopher
will be 'refuted' by talk or gossip, merely because he 'out
of fashion' - Saul Kripke's book on Wittgenstein received
like treatment. If you can't refute it, ignore it.
Michael
"I don't like quotes, tell me what you know." - Emerson
----------------------
M.G.Peckitt
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