Gregor et al,
About free speech:
> Disabled groups for thew
> most part have not much money. Obviously people who like Singer's
ideas
> and work have no problem in finding money to invite Singer all over
the
> world. This is an unevenness as to who hears whom and in that way free
> speech becomes a tool for the powerful to justify themselves
I'm not sure this argument is correct - Peter Singer made his reputation
via his ideas on Animal Liberation - not something that the "powerful"
took kindly to. He then went on to write a number of works on
philosophical issues, in accessible language, that attracted an
audience.
I don't want to dismiss your idea that there is discrimination which
prevents disability activist writers reaching a popular audience - I just
don't know enough of what goes on - but I do know that a lot of disability
writers put a hell of a lot of energy into writing for each other, for
obscure journals, for poorly publicised academic publishers, for limited
conferences, for ill-attended seminars, and often in incomprehensible
language, not to mention lurking on lists like this. I'm wondering what
prevents that energy from getting out and finding a wider audience? (I
might ask myself the same question, I must admit.)
> What should disabled peple do to confront people like Singer?
> We can't do it on academic level (we are just not enough academics out
> there.
Well, he's just one man, isnt he? Have any of the philosopher of the
disability rights movement attempted to dialogue with him?
> In Germany to that time the disabled people felt they only had one way
> to block him from speaking.
Yes, I can understand that you do have to be dramatic to get any media
attention...
> By the way. I find it dqangerous to focuss to much on Singer as thereare
> many USA bioethicists who write for decades he same as what Singer
> writes(Joseph Fletcher Tristam Engelhardt to name just two.)
Yes, that was my original question, why was Singer singled out? My partial
answer, an anti-semitic undercurrent, doesn't seem to have found any
supporters, even amongst other Jews - so I hope I was wrong. Maybe it was
simply, that he has the highest profile because he has made the choice to
write to a wider, non-specialist audience.
Judy
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