Philosophy professor's comment on sex gets him banned from campus

[BidenPresident]

Stephen Kershnar, a philosophy professor, is in academic purgatory.

He is still employed by the State University of New York at Fredonia, but he has not taught or even been allowed on campus for more than a year — fallout from remarks he made in a 2022 podcast about whether it is ever moral for an adult male to have sex with a “willing” 12-year-old girl.

“It’s not obvious to me that this is, in fact, wrong,” he said on the philosophy podcast, as part of a wide-ranging thought experiment about ethics and consent. (As a matter of law, he has said that it should be criminalized.)

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/13/nyregion/suny-fredonia-professor-lawsuit.html

 

[BidenPresident]

“As soon as you accept that principle,” said Mark Oppenheimer, a lawyer in Johannesburg, South Africa, and a co-host of Brain in a Vat, “you can ban any speech you like.”

Philosophy, he said, is especially prone to misunderstanding by the public.

Philosophers “say the wildest stuff and come up with the strangest cases, and any onlooker would go, ‘But you people are all mad,’” Mr. Oppenheimer said. “That’s what happened with Steve.”

 

[Yakuda]

Stephen Kershnar, a philosophy professor, is in academic purgatory.

He is still employed by the State University of New York at Fredonia, but he has not taught or even been allowed on campus for more than a year — fallout from remarks he made in a 2022 podcast about whether it is ever moral for an adult male to have sex with a “willing” 12-year-old girl.

“It’s not obvious to me that this is, in fact, wrong,” he said on the philosophy podcast, as part of a wide-ranging thought experiment about ethics and consent. (As a matter of law, he has said that it should be criminalized.)

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/13/nyregion/suny-fredonia-professor-lawsuit.html

So if I understand this correctly he thinks it should not be criminalized but it's not obvious to him why it's wrong. Why would you want to criminalize something you don't obviously see as wrong?

 

[BidenPresident]

So if I understand this correctly he thinks it should not be criminalized but it's not obvious to him why it's wrong. Why would you want to criminalize something you don't obviously see as wrong?

You understand incorrectly.

 

[Yakuda]

You understand incorrectly.

How so? Show me

 

[BidenPresident]

How so? Show me

"he has said that it should be criminalized.)"

From the original post.

 

[Yakuda]

"he has said that it should be criminalized.)"

From the original post.

Fair enough. He also said, “It’s not obvious to me that this is, in fact, wrong,”

From the original oist.

 

[BidenPresident]

Fair enough. He also said, “It’s not obvious to me that this is, in fact, wrong,”

From the original oist.

Good, you finally read the post you pretended to respond to.

 

[AProudLefty]

So if I understand this correctly he thinks it should not be criminalized but it's not obvious to him why it's wrong. Why would you want to criminalize something you don't obviously see as wrong?

Because of modern society.

 

[Yakuda]

Good, you finally read the post you pretended to respond to.

Those are two conflicting statements. Reconcile them. BTW it was an asinine post.

 

[Yakuda]

Because of modern society.

What about modern society?

 

[BidenPresident]

Those are two conflicting statements. Reconcile them.

They are not conflicting. You prove they are.

 

[ExpressLane]

“As soon as you accept that principle,” said Mark Oppenheimer, a lawyer in Johannesburg, South Africa, and a co-host of Brain in a Vat, “you can ban any speech you like.”

Philosophy, he said, is especially prone to misunderstanding by the public.

Philosophers “say the wildest stuff and come up with the strangest cases, and any onlooker would go, ‘But you people are all mad,’” Mr. Oppenheimer said. “That’s what happened with Steve.”

He is free to say anything he wants but he isn't free of the consequences of the thing he says. Speech should not be criminalized however. If you walked up and called your boss a stupid MotherFer you should expect to get fired not go to jail.

 

[BidenPresident]

He is free to say anything he wants but he isn't free of the consequences of the thing he says. Speech should not be criminalized however. If you walked up and called your boss a stupid MotherFer you should expect to get fired not go to jail.

He made the statements in a philosophy podcast having nothing to do with the university.

 

[AProudLefty]

Societies set morals. They fluctuate over time.

 

[ExpressLane]

He made the statements in a philosophy podcast having nothing to do with the university.

And his feelings toward pedophilia does have a negative effect on the reputation of the University. As a parent I would not want my child taught by a person that thought pedophilia was philosophically OK

 

[BidenPresident]

And his feelings toward pedophilia does have a negative effect on the reputation of the University.

Nothing he said qualifies as pedophilia.

 

[AProudLefty]

And his feelings toward pedophilia does have a negative effect on the reputation of the University.

See a doctor wouldn't say such a stupid thing.

 

[ExpressLane]

Nothing he said qualifies as pedophilia.

He thinks it is philosophically OK and as a parent I would not want someone that is that philosophically screwed up teaching my child.

 

[BidenPresident]

He thinks it is philosophically OK and as a parent I would not want someone that is that philosophically screwed up teaching my child.

No, he said, what are the reasons. And my god, I cannot picture you or any of your progeny having the intelligence to sit through a philosophy class.