Religion and Ethics Forum

General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: Keith Maitland on November 03, 2015, 10:48:24 PM

Title: Why Is Being Intelligent Never Included In A List of Unearned Privileges?
Post by: Keith Maitland on November 03, 2015, 10:48:24 PM
I read this on the University of California website last week.

Quote
Becoming aware of privilege should not be viewed as a burden or source of guilt, but rather, an opportunity to learn and be responsible so that we may work toward a more just and inclusive world.

Check your privilege:

White
Male
Class
Christian
Cisgender
Able-bodied
Heterosexual

Question:

Why is being 'intelligent' never included in a list of unearned privileges?

Shouldn't high IQ people give humble thanks every morning for their completely unearned gift?
Title: Re: Why Is Being Intelligent Never Included In A List of Unearned Privileges?
Post by: Owlswing on November 03, 2015, 11:21:25 PM
I read this on the University of California website last week.

Quote
Becoming aware of privilege should not be viewed as a burden or source of guilt, but rather, an opportunity to learn and be responsible so that we may work toward a more just and inclusive world.

Check your privilege:

White
Male
Class
Christian
Cisgender
Able-bodied
Heterosexual

Question:

Why is being 'intelligent' never included in a list of unearned privileges?

Shouldn't high IQ people give humble thanks every morning for their completely unearned gift?

A gift from whom?

Their parents?

And please do NOT say god!
Title: Re: Why Is Being Intelligent Never Included In A List of Unearned Privileges?
Post by: Red Giant on November 04, 2015, 07:26:56 AM
No mention of "Being American" either.

But you're right of course.
Title: Re: Why Is Being Intelligent Never Included In A List of Unearned Privileges?
Post by: Owlswing on November 04, 2015, 07:46:03 AM
Also I would like to know why the University of California considers female, non-Christian, Transgender and Homosexual/Lesbian people to be non-privileged.

I would not classify any of the statuses listed as privileges but as enforced compliance with bigoted standards.
Title: Re: Why Is Being Intelligent Never Included In A List of Unearned Privileges?
Post by: ippy on November 04, 2015, 03:30:12 PM
I read this on the University of California website last week.

Quote
Becoming aware of privilege should not be viewed as a burden or source of guilt, but rather, an opportunity to learn and be responsible so that we may work toward a more just and inclusive world.

Check your privilege:

White
Male
Class
Christian
Cisgender
Able-bodied
Heterosexual

Question:

Why is being 'intelligent' never included in a list of unearned privileges?

Shouldn't high IQ people give humble thanks every morning for their completely unearned gift?

Perhaps they just hadn't thought of it?

ippy
Title: Re: Why Is Being Intelligent Never Included In A List of Unearned Privileges?
Post by: Outrider on November 04, 2015, 03:46:39 PM
Perhaps because although capacity is strongly influenced by inheritable traits, to actually be at the point where your intelligence makes a difference you need to have put considerable effort into it as well?

Also, in the main, intelligence and education aren't necessarily the same thing: education itself rarely gets you anywhere, whereas your education does. There's plenty of people who will criticise the tendency of public school old-boys to pick public-school old-boys for plum roles in government and the civil-service - that's education, but it's no real judgment on their intelligence.

O.
Title: Re: Why Is Being Intelligent Never Included In A List of Unearned Privileges?
Post by: ekim on November 04, 2015, 04:01:19 PM
'Check your privilege' would have been better expressed as 'Check your prejudices'.
Title: Re: Why Is Being Intelligent Never Included In A List of Unearned Privileges?
Post by: Owlswing on November 04, 2015, 04:33:03 PM
'Check your privilege' would have been better expressed as 'Check your prejudices'.

Well said.
Title: Re: Why Is Being Intelligent Never Included In A List of Unearned Privileges?
Post by: Hope on November 04, 2015, 05:26:42 PM
Quote
White
Male
Class
Christian
Cisgender
Able-bodied
Heterosexual

Question:

Why is being 'intelligent' never included in a list of unearned privileges?

Shouldn't high IQ people give humble thanks every morning for their completely unearned gift?
I suppose you might as well ask why 'being a human' isn't included in such a list, Keith.  Or brown-skinned, or 'slant-eyed' (and, no, that wasn't meant in a derogatory way), or 1.82 metres tall, or ..., or ... .
Title: Re: Why Is Being Intelligent Never Included In A List of Unearned Privileges?
Post by: Hope on November 04, 2015, 05:29:12 PM
Also I would like to know why the University of California considers ... Transgender ... people to be non-privileged.
Seem to recall that Germaine Greer does regard male2female transgendered to be 'non-privileged'.  ;)
Title: Re: Why Is Being Intelligent Never Included In A List of Unearned Privileges?
Post by: Owlswing on November 04, 2015, 07:17:18 PM
Also I would like to know why the University of California considers ... Transgender ... people to be non-privileged.
Seem to recall that Germaine Greer does regard male2female transgendered to be 'non-privileged'.  ;)

I had the misfortune to meet Ms Greer when I lived in Australia - amazing as it may seem a lot of Aussies don't like her much either - she was then seen as being a pompuous opinionated arse who was almost totally incapable of taking criticsm.
Title: Re: Why Is Being Intelligent Never Included In A List of Unearned Privileges?
Post by: Bubbles on November 04, 2015, 07:26:12 PM
Also I would like to know why the University of California considers ... Transgender ... people to be non-privileged.
Seem to recall that Germaine Greer does regard male2female transgendered to be 'non-privileged'.  ;)

I had the misfortune to meet Ms Greer when I lived in Australia - amazing as it may seem a lot of Aussies don't like her much either - she was then seen as being a pompuous opinionated arse who was almost totally incapable of taking criticsm.


 :-\

That's sounds as if it didn't go too well ?

🐉