[Air-l] universal ethics?

[Radhika Gajjala]

>Though mostly a lurker here, I couldn't resist airing some thoughts on
>this one:
>
>>PT >> If there are universal ethics we can prove these on the Internet.
>>  >
>>  >
>>  RG> whose ethics will be universalised do you suppose? and what kinds
>of
>>  > intolerances might that validate/legitimize?
>>  >
>>Exactly the right questions - thank you, Radhika!
>>And I would gently reply: I think we can propose an ethics that begins
>in >part with the universal value implicit in the suggestion here that
>>"universal" claims have all too often in the past served as excuses for
>>colonialism, imperialism. . . .
>
>I would like to suggest that it is not only the concept of "universal"
>that we need to problematize in thinking about these issues, but the
>concept of "ethics" as well.


and the philosophical base (s)  which themselves are situated. I agree.

I am not arguing for relativism - the binary of "relativism vs 
universalism" misses the point.

I am asking for a careful examination of contextual praxis. Thus it 
matters who is dictating the "ethics".

but having said that - contexts are not contained in watertight (etc) 
compartments -  not that anyone in this discussion has really 
suggested that...

r


-- 
Radhika Gajjala
Associate Professor
School of Communication Studies
Bowling Green State University
Bowling Green, OH 43403

http://personal.bgsu.edu/~radhik