But while that feels satisfying to many, it is not necessarily a good thing:
Australia’s most famous – or most notorious – philosopher, Peter Singer, has been de-platformed in New Zealand. He was scheduled to speak about “effective altruism” at an event in Auckland in June. The disability community was outraged. The venue, SkyCity, a casino and entertainment venue, released a statement saying, “Whilst SkyCity supports the right of free speech, some of the themes promoted by this speaker do not reflect our values of diversity and inclusivity.” The organisers are scrambling to find a different venue.
The anger of the disability community is hardly surprising. Singer is a utilitarian ethicist and contends (this is a very rough summary) that consciousness is the touchstone of dignity. This compels him to support the infanticide of disabled infants.
Michael Cook, “In defence of Peter Singer” at MercatorNet
Yes, yes, it is a delicious thought that those who survived infanticide poushes are now coming for their intellectual would-be executioner. But wait…
Cook makes all the obvious points and you can read them for yourself. But he also says:
In 2012 students at the University of Sydney tried to prevent a pro-life club from starting up on the campus. They wrote to Singer to enlist his support, no doubt expecting him to damn their opponents. But Singer declined.
“I have been an advocate of legal abortion since I was an undergraduate myself, when abortion was illegal; but I am also a strong supporter of freedom of speech,” Singer wrote. …
Michael Cook, “In defence of Peter Singer” at MercatorNet
Now, here’s a prediction: Singer was invited to speak about “effective altruism” in curing world poverty. If Singer I supports infanticide and torturing babies to do good, Singer III will support killing off vast masses of poor people in order to deal with poverty. You may be sure that Singer III will find many supporters among the well-heeled secular people who contemplate with sympathy the killing of disabled people today.
And freedom of speech will be a distant, happy memory for those who oppose him (somehow not dead yet).
So hey kiddos, please fight for Singer I’s freedom of speech to display his agenda to the world while there is still a slight chance you can legally fight it. Leave the defense of censorship to those well-heeled woke who would also deprive you of your lives. So many of them will be only too happy to oblige in both cases.
Cook is chief editor at MercatorNet, which promotes actual ethics rather than woke ethics. (Yes, actual ethics depends on giving the promoters of death for people who don’t meet their standards a chance to speak before removing their influence, while following traditional ethics, from anywhere near the levers of power.)