Is it unacceptable to hold certain views?

[Hockeycowboy]

It depends... what is “unacceptable? Having views or thoughts is like emotions, it’s what you do with them, and what they prompt. We can start straying into thought-police territory.

A thought is not what the OP is referencing. (We all have crazy thoughts, from time to time.)
A view goes deeper.....it is how we feel about certain concepts.
IMO, any view degrading others based on race, gender, nationality, or place in society is entirely inappropriate.

Bigotry & prejudice are alive & well, here in the U.S.
No one is born that way, these ideas are taught behaviors. People w/ these feelings, need to be re-taught. Unfortunately, in my experience, most aren't willing to change.

 

[Sunstone]

It's low-hanging fruit to point out there is a commonsense distinction between views and actions that's relevant here. I'm certainly not above picking low-hanging fruit, though. I do it all the time, and I understand the impulse to 'cover all the bases'. If I have any issue with it at all, it's only that most of the time, that's as far as any internet conversation gets.

That said, the behavior of deciding that something is true or false based solely on which choice is most beneficial to oneself is potentially dangerous beyond calculation in a democracy if a large enough portion of the voters indulge in it. If one categorizes the behavior's underlying notion -- 'self-interest decides whether something is true' -- as a 'view', then that view ought to be unacceptable to anyone who cares about their own well-being or the well-being of others.

I'll go a step further. At one time, the Lakota customarily put to death any scout they thought had lied to them. That's not a policy I would advocate making lawful -- except possibly in the case of Rush Limbaugh, since he seems to have been the 'first in', following the repeal of the Fairness Doctrine, to launch a successful propaganda broadcast. But what if extremely severe punishments (potentially including the death penalty) turned out to be the only way to significantly reduce the risk to hundreds of millions of people that was being created by the nihilists among them?

To at least some extent, that question -- horrific as it might sound -- can be boiled down to a much simpler question. "Does yelling 'fire' in a crowded theater ever warrant extremely severe punishment?"

To me, that's an interesting question. One I have recently become able to see two sides to.

Your own mileage may vary.

 

[WalterTrull]

Views aren't so much the problem. Actions are. Unfortunately, views often lead to actions. Dewars helps with that.

 

[Jainarayan]

A view goes deeper.....it is how we feel about certain concepts.
IMO, any view degrading others based on race, gender, nationality, or place in society is entirely inappropriate.

What is a view other than a thought or belief? How can you know if a person’s thoughts or beliefs are inappropriate if they don’t express them or act on them? That view has two parts. The action, whether verbal or physical is inappropriate. If we were telepathic it would be a different story.

 

[Daemon Sophic]

I voted that I “strongly agree” with the idea that some thoughts are unacceptable.
However, these posts are probably a better way of thinking of it.

There are certainly unacceptable actions motivated by sketchy views.

You can hold what ever views you want, no matter how repulsive they are.
But don't be surprised if you express those views and consequences follow.

That said, in my experience, a lot of people seem to find it nigh impossible to keep their unacceptable thoughts to themselves.

Like thinking its OK to serve salsa made in...*gasp*...New York City!

 

[icehorse]

Is it unacceptable for a person to hold certain views? Why or why not?

This thread was inspired by reading an article commentating on a survey that was done on a taboo topic. The commentary made some interesting assumptions related to this question, so I thought it might be fun to explore a bit.

This seems like a "philosophical / moral relativist" question for the philosophy forum.

Given that strict relativism is unfalsifiable (and therefore uninteresting to me), I voted that "yes" some views are unacceptable.

 

[Kooky]

Views aren't so much the problem. Actions are. Unfortunately, views often lead to actions. Dewars helps with that.

But, if I say something, is that a view or an action?
What if I'm saying it where everyone can hear me?
Have I acted, or only viewed?

 

[sayak83]

Is it unacceptable for a person to hold certain views? Why or why not?

This thread was inspired by reading an article commentating on a survey that was done on a taboo topic. The commentary made some interesting assumptions related to this question, so I thought it might be fun to explore a bit.

Yes. Because it's impossible to not act in a manner that is in accordance with those views at least some of the time when one thinks they can get away with them.

 

[WalterTrull]

But, if I say something, is that a view or an action?
What if I'm saying it where everyone can hear me?
Have I acted, or only viewed?

Hmmm... Do you think there's a third category? Speaking?
I think I'm going to stand up.
I say I'm going to stand up.
I stand up.
Probably all just degrees of the same thing.
Ohh...
There's probably a qualification on all three. Does it affect anyone else?
I think I'm being drawn into word games again.

 

[Kooky]

Hmmm... Do you think there's a third category? Speaking?
I think I'm going to stand up.
I say I'm going to stand up.
I stand up.
Probably all just degrees of the same thing.
Ohh...
There's probably a qualification on all three. Does it affect anyone else?

Would we speak if it didn't affect others?

I think I'm being drawn into word games again.

I don't think there's something wrong with games,
if they're fun for everyone involved.