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diff --git a/content/entry/on-cultural-appropriation.md b/content/entry/on-cultural-appropriation.md index 157176e..cd6c0c6 100644 --- a/content/entry/on-cultural-appropriation.md +++ b/content/entry/on-cultural-appropriation.md @@ -7,9 +7,9 @@ There seems to be moral confusion about why cultural appropriation is bad. I'd l > "Cultural appropriation is the inappropriate or unacknowledged adoption of an element or elements of one culture or identity by members of another culture or identity" - [Wikipedia](https://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_appropriation), [CC BY-SA 3.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/) -Let's spend some time on that definition. First of all, it uses the weasel word "[inappropriate](/glossary/#inappropriate)". This is not a straw man picking on a particular definition either. I've seen several online articles accusing people of cultural appropriation that use words like "inappropriate", "offensive", "distasteful", and "disrespectful". These words tell us absolutely nothing about why cultural appropriation is morally wrong. +Let's spend some time on that definition. First of all, it uses the weasel word "[inappropriate](/glossary/)". This is not a straw man picking on a particular definition either. I've seen several online articles accusing people of cultural appropriation that use words like "inappropriate", "offensive", "distasteful", and "disrespectful". These words tell us absolutely nothing about why cultural appropriation is morally wrong. -Take the word "offensive" as an example. Non-indigenous people wearing a headdress may offend indigenous Americans, but is something morally wrong just because it offends someone? [Antihomosexualists](/glossary/#antigay) are offended by same-sex marriage. Does that make same-sex marriage wrong? Does any amount of offense taken by any number of people make same-sex marriage morally wrong? If not, then why is it morally relevant that indigenous people are offended? +Take the word "offensive" as an example. Non-indigenous people wearing a headdress may offend indigenous Americans, but is something morally wrong just because it offends someone? [Antihomosexualists](/glossary/) are offended by same-sex marriage. Does that make same-sex marriage wrong? Does any amount of offense taken by any number of people make same-sex marriage morally wrong? If not, then why is it morally relevant that indigenous people are offended? Let's talk about the word "unacknowledged" from the Wikipedia definition. If I take credit for someone else's idea, that's wrong because it's deceit and I'm robbing them of potential rewards and recognition. But unacknowledged imitation in many contexts isn't deceitful. We don't expect people to acknowledge everything they do that comes from a culture they didn't invent. None of us would ever make it through the day if that were the case. |