Unnatural Ethical Engagement: Journal

Jan 24

Jemisin's story seems to be a critique of the lack of resistance for the child’s suffering in Le Guin's story, and instead advocates for active resistance to unjust systems. Jesmin conveys the message that it is important for individuals to stay and fight for justice. Leaving a situation isn’t enough you sometimes need personal sacrifice.

In ‘The ones who stay and fight’ the protagonist stays in the city to bring about change. Through this, Jesmin implies that real change can only come through direct action and a willingness to confront injustice.

Perhaps Jemisin's story can be seen as a call to action, encouraging readers to take a stand against injustice and to be willing to fight for what they believe in.

Jan 26

Sexuality: homosexuality is often described as unnatural, while heterosexuality is seen as natural.

Gender: Non-binary or transgender identities can be viewed as unnatural, while traditional binary gender roles are generally seen as natural.

Childbearing: Infertility or assisted reproduction can be viewed as unnatural, while biological childbearing is generally seen as natural.

Food: Processed or genetically modified foods can be seen as unnatural, while organic or locally grown foods are generally seen as natural.

Farming: Industrial agriculture practices can be viewed as unnatural, while traditional, less destructive farming is generally seen as natural.

Beauty: Plastic surgery or makeup can be seen as unnatural, while a untouched appearance is generally seen as desirable.

Animals: Domesticated animals can often be seen as unnatural, while wild animals are generally seen as natural.

Development: Industrial developments are seen as unnatural, while pristine wilderness is seen as natural.

Medicine: Chemical or synthetic drugs may be viewed as unnatural, while natural remedies are seen as more natural/safe.

Relationships: Polyamorous relationships may be seen as unnatural, while monogamous relationships are seen as natural.

+ Nature

+ Discourse

+Extinction

Jan 31

Both texts make use of the concept of natural rights. A natural right is inherent to everyone and is something that existed before the foundation of any government or power. Locke argues that individuals have natural rights to life, liberty, and property, and that these rights can only be legitimately limited by a government that has the consent of the those under them. This original draft of the declaration of independence reflects this idea when it states that all men are equal and have the rights to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Natural rights are still useful for securing the equality of all people, as they provide a basis for learning the fundamental rights that everyone is entitled to, regardless of their race, gender or religion. It also provides a basis for challenging oppressive or unjust laws that go against these basic rights.

The concept of natural rights, whilst important, has also been criticized for its bias towards certain individuals. For example, it fails to account for the rights of marginalised such as indigenous Americans or people of colour. It can also be used to justify unjust or harmful actions, such as the exploitation of natural resources or the oppression of minority groups.

However, without these natural rights, we would lose a very powerful and widely understood framework for explaining and defending our freedom and equality. It can also allow us to create better understanding of rights that consider those marginalised communities perspectives of marginalized communities.

+ Natural Rights

+Social Contract

+Equality

February 2nd

In Martin Luther King Jr.'s letter from Birmingham jail, he uses the concept of natural law to argue for the equal rights of African Americans. He states that "an unjust law is a human law that is not rooted in eternal and natural law" and that it is a human duty to disobey unjust laws. He asserts that segregation and racial discrimination are unjust laws because they go against the natural law of equality for all people.

Dr. King uses natural law in a powerful way to secure rights for all. He appeals to human morals that transcend human laws and societal norms, arguing that segregation and discrimination are fundamentally wrong and go against the laws of nature. This idea that all people have the same inherent rights and should be all treated as such is still an important conversation today as these are still major issues in today’s world.

Dr. King’s arguments do not apply to all however as the concept of natural law is subjective and open to interpretation. This means that its use may not always be effective in securing equal rights for all people as some might interpret it in a way that justifies evil. Nevertheless, Dr. King's use of the concept of natural law highlights the importance of appealing to a higher moral standard in the fight for justice and equality.

+Injustice

+Nonviolent

+Moral Obligation

February 7th

The text discusses the concept of race and the persistence of racial thinking and racial hostility in society today. Despite the fact that many people recognize that we are all part of the same species and that biological differences along racial lines are meaningless, racialcategories still shape people's political affiliations and continue to be politically significant. This is seen in the continued existence of movements like pan-Africanism and the significance of race in international politics.

The author argues that it would be desirable to move beyond ethnoracial identities and towards a post-racial world, where solidarities are organized around citizenship and shared commitments that bind political society. Instead of making prejudice based off appearance or race its instead based off your positive impact on society. This would lead to more harmonious and productive relationships in society and would avoid misunderstandings based on imagined natural commonalities. However, given the psychological difficulty of avoiding essentialism and the power of ethnoracial identities, it would require a massive and focused effort of education to move towards a post-racial world.

While racial solidarity has been used for both positive and negative purposes in the past, the author suggests that the price of trying to move beyond racial identities is worth paying for the sake of a harmonious sociert. The dream of a world beyond race is, however, likely to be deferred for the foreseeable future.

I think that we should move beyond racial identities. On one hand, I understand the writer's point that focusing too much on racial identities can lead to negative social dynamics and limit our ability to work together in a harmonious and productive manner. However I think its also important to recognize the historical significance and value of racial solidarity in mobilizing for positive change, such as ending apartheid. I think it's important to acknowledge the difficulty of completely avoiding essentialism and the continued power of racial identities in our society. Achieving a truly post-racial world would require a significant effort in education and cultural change. In some ways we would be unable to stop for example parents instilling racist views in their children and it would take multiple generations to phase out.

Ultimately, I believe in the importance of promoting diversity, equality, and inclusiveness, regardless of race. While moving beyond racial identities may be a noble goal, it should not come at the cost of ignoring the experiences and perspectives of marginalized communities. Instead, we should strive to find a balance between celebrating cultural differences and building a society based on shared values and commitments.

+ Ethnoracial

+Essentialism

+Solidarity

February 9th

In Chapter 5 of "The New Jim Crow", Michelle Alexander argues that mass incarceration is the modern-day equivalent of Jim Crow segregation. She contends that while Jim Crow laws were abolished in the mid-twentieth century, a new system of racial control has emerged through the criminal justice system, which disproportionately targets and punishes Black people. Alexander explains that just as Jim Crow laws were used to maintain a system of racial hierarchy and segregation in the South, the criminal justice system today is used to maintain a system of racial control and inequality on a national level. She argues that the War on Drugs and other tough-on-crime policies have created a system of mass incarceration that disproportionately impacts Black communities, perpetuating the legacy of segregation and discrimination. Alexander cites several key statistics to support her argument, including the fact that Black people are more likely to be stopped, searched, and arrested than white people, and that they are more likely to receive harsher sentences and longer prison terms for the same crimes.

In calling mass incarceration "the new Jim Crow", Alexander is drawing a direct comparison between the historical system of segregation and discrimination against Black people in the South and the current system of mass incarceration. She argues that both systems are rooted in racism and a desire to maintain a system of white supremacy, and that they have similar effects in terms of limiting opportunities and perpetuating inequality. Whether or not one agrees with the analogy between mass incarceration and Jim Crow segregation, it is clear that the criminal justice system has had a disproportionate impact on Black communities. The effects of mass incarceration are not limited to the individuals who are incarcerated; they also have broader social, economic, and political consequences that perpetuate racial inequality.

+ Racial Caste

+Incarceration

+Injustice

February 14th

In "Hillary Clinton is the Only Man in the Obama Administration," Sarah-Jane Leslie uses the concept of "dual-character concepts" to analyse the ways in which gender is constructed and enforced through language and discourse. Leslie argues that gender is a dual-character concept because it is used to describe a set of characteristics and behaviours associated with masculinity and femininity, while also prescribing which individuals are allowed to exhibit those characteristics and behaviours based on their gender identity. She contends that these prescriptive meanings are often reinforced through language and discourse, which can create and reinforce gender stereotypes and hierarchies. For example, Leslie points out that in political discourse, masculine traits are often associated with successful political leadership, while feminine traits are devalued or overlooked. This creates a gendered hierarchy in which men are seen as more qualified and competent leaders than women.

Understanding the concept of dual-character concepts can help us to understand the social functions of discourses about gender by highlighting the ways in which language and discourse are used to create and reinforce gender norms and expectations. By analysing the prescriptive meanings of gendered terms and the ways in which they are used in discourse, we can better understand the ways in which gender shapes our perceptions and experiences of the world around us. Additionally, by recognizing the power of language and discourse to reinforce gender stereotypes and hierarchies, we can work to challenge and change these harmful norms and create a more equitable and just society.

+Dual Character concepts

+Gender

+Stereotypes

February 16th

Katrina Karkazis focuses on the medicalization of testosterone and the marketing of testosterone products to men. The authors argue that the medicalization of testosterone is based on flawed assumptions about the relationship between testosterone and masculinity, and that testosterone products are marketed to men using a combination of fear and desire, playing on anxieties about aging, loss of masculinity, and sexual performance.

+ Medicalisation

+ Masculinity

+ Marketing

February 21st

In the Loving v. Virginia decision, the Supreme Court overturned sections 258 and 259 of the Virginia Code, which banned interracial marriage, on the grounds that they violated the Equal Protection Clause and Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. The Court held that the freedom to marry is a fundamental right that cannot be denied based on race or ethnicity, and that any law that discriminates on these grounds is unconstitutional. The Court also rejected the argument that the anti-miscegenation laws were intended to preserve the "racial integrity" of the state, finding that such laws were rooted in a history of racial discrimination and prejudice.

+ Interracial Marriage

+ Equal Protection Clause

+ Racialisation

February 23rd

In "After Nature," Jedediah Purdy explores the meaning of nature in contemporary society and the ecological crisis that threatens the natural world. Purdy argues that the traditional concept of nature as a separate and pristine realm, untouched by human activity, is no longer tenable in the face of the massive environmental changes caused by human actions. Purdy contends that nature is still a useful concept, but it needs to be rethought in light of our current situation. Rather than seeing nature as something separate from humanity, he suggests that we should view it as a complex and dynamic system that is interconnected with human societies and cultures. This perspective acknowledges the impact of human activities on the natural world while also recognizing the value and importance of non-human life.

Purdy argues that democracy is the solution to the ecological crisis because it offers a way to balance competing interests and values. By giving people a voice in decisions about the use and management of natural resources, democracy can help to ensure that environmental policies are responsive to the needs and desires of all members of society, including future generations. This approach also recognizes that environmental issues are closely tied to social and economic inequality, and that environmental justice is an essential component of any sustainable future. By promoting greater participation and inclusion in decision-making, democracy can help to create a more just and equitable society, both for humans and for the natural world.

+Ecology

+Democracy

+ Anthropocene