Wanker
29 10 11 - 08:44
"Those who have the privilege to know have the duty to act." - Albert Einstein
Scientists should be careful outside of science. It's a rare person that can balance both science and the less reactive thoughts need for politics or philosophy in one head. Einstein couldn't; every single statement I've seen from him is positive demagoguery to be sure, but ineffective as policy.
The statement above is no exception. It's pure manipulation. If you are privileged -- hey, I'd like to be privileged; that makes me feel powerful, smart, rich and beautiful -- then you have a "duty" to "act," neither of which are defined, but we assume the popular meaning e.g. give $5 to the homeless and spend $95 on yourself. Whatever you do, DO NOT design a better world so the homeless are handled in a better fashion.
Sometimes the best duty is to oneself. Rise above. Let nature handle the rest. You cannot fix the homeless, for example, by giving them $5 -- or $5 trillion. The defect is in them, with a few exceptions who are only temporarily homeless.
If you want to design a better social order, go for it. But basing that order on pity for the weak is a way to be merely a wanker, jerking off with their misfortune for your own feelings of superiority.
four comments
This is ridiculous. Einstein said that those who have the privilege to know have the duty to act, ANUS basically agreed with the guy but put words in his mouth assuming he meant charity. WTF?
adversary (Email ) (URL) - 29-10-’11 08:55
I don't think we need moral lessons from someone who helped invent the A-bomb...
just saying - 29-10-’11 19:49
The most important opinions are the ones that most people cannot see. They are blind to these opinions most commonly because they fear their implications, or are afraid to even peer down the path that leads to such dangerous ideas. Those whose opinions provoke no fear can boldly state them anywhere. Luckily for the important opinions, ANUS is a forum for banned and feared ideas.
So true...since '99 - 29-10-’11 21:42
Forgot quotation marks
Whoops! - 29-10-’11 21:43