Making Monsters by David Livingstone Smith

Author:David Livingstone Smith
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harvard University Press

It is a stretch to think that the founders of the United States endorsed the doctrine of liberty and equality in order to oppress Africans. Nevertheless, this doctrine contributed to their oppression. Hence, on the causal account, the ideals of liberty and equality constitute an oppressive ideology. And if Washington, Jefferson, and the rest had embraced these political ideals as a means to oppress Africans, this wouldn’t have made a bit of difference, because, on the causal account, the purpose of a belief, or the purpose for which a belief is held (a distinction that I will shortly explain), is irrelevant to its ideological status. In contrast, the teleological conception does not countenance accidental ideologies. Ideological beliefs are, by definition, aimed at producing oppression, even if they do not have this effect. On the teleological account, the ideals of liberty and equality might still be ideological, but for a very different reason, which I will now move on to explain.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.