Seriously, this is the last time I’m posting anything about statues. The first is a thoughtful piece that compares how we think about morality in history to the progress of science. The second is a podcast that delves into the questions around why we care about monuments and statues. For previous posts about this topic, click here.
Are these long-overdue corrections in the name of social justice, or simply ideologically driven acts of anti-historical vandalism? The answer depends on how we judge the moral actions of figures from the past, a question that in turn requires us to consider the nature of morality itself…
Knowledge is a relay race. It is a fundamental misunderstanding about how it works to criticize a swift runner who effectively passed the baton because he did not complete the race on his own….
All of which to say, there is a vital difference between being wrong and being blameworthy….
When it comes to praise and blame, intention and context matter, not just a snapshot of the final result.
https://quillette.com/2020/07/16/as-statues-fall-whats-the-best-way-to-evaluate-historys-heroes/
The Inquiry Podcast: Why do we care about statues?
The killing of African American George Floyd ignited anti-racist protests around the world – many centred on statues associated with colonialism and slavery. Why do these figures of bronze and stone generate such strong feelings? And what do they tell us about how countries deal with their past?
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3cszl3k
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