The changing face of racism
Sunny Hundal
November 23, 2006 10:35 AM
http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/sunny_hundal/2006/11/the_changing_face_of_racism.html
One of the more common criticisms of New Generation Network's launch
manifesto has been that we've conflated religion and race into one
topic, and thus the reference to "demonisation of Muslims" does not
apply. But this betrays a misreading of clear statements.
On the contrary; this project has been developed from the opposite
premise: that we need to separate the two issues since many
anti-racists have jumped on the religion bandwagon without
understanding who they were in bed with.
We are all prone to evil
Theo Hobson
November 23, 2006 09:55 AM
http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/theo_hobson/2006/11/we_are_all_prone_to_evil.html
The moral life, for AC Grayling, is a calmly reasonable thing. A
non-religious ethical outlook, which he calls humanism, is simply a
matter of wishing everyone well: humanists "wish always to respect
their fellow human beings, to like them, to honour their strivings and
to sympathise with their feelings. They wish to begin every encounter,
every relationship with this attitude ... " Humanists aim "to live good
and achieving lives, to do good to others in the process, and to join
with their fellows in building just and decent societies." Humanism, he
concludes, "requires only open eyes, sympathy and reason."
The claim here is that humans are naturally benign. The problems that
arise are due to ignorance, and of course to superstition. If we are
enlightened, then we will rise free of the negative side of human life.
Are things really so simple? At one point he acknowledges "the other
side of what the human heart is - the unkind, angry, hostile, selfish,
cruel side; the superstitious, tendentious, intellectually captive,
ignorant side." At first this looks like an admission that we are all
prone to evil as well as good. But then it becomes a claim that other
people, less enlightened people, are prone to evil. This tendency can
be overcome, by rational humanists. If we listen to their humble
wisdom, we can be redeemed.
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