Q: Is it intellectually dishonest, even cowardly, not to investigate all aspects of the human condition? (posed here: bunfight-over-warrior-gene)
A: It's natural to feel affinity for those "like" us. And, so, degrees of aversion for those "unlike". Others in our family are like us; our friends are like us; those of our race are like us; our countrymen are like us; people who enjoy the same books, movies and music are like us.
Everyone else is different.
Every individual is an active member of multiple, ever-expanding, overlapping teams organized by common traits, goals and interests. There will always be opposite traits, incompatible goals, rival interests. There are rival families, rival schools and towns, rival races and rival fan clubs.
Everyone harbors prejudice. That's not ignorance; it's genetic, it's physical. It's even crucial at times. If your team doesn't win, it loses. Right?
But every prejudice should be open to regular reevaluation. Without the latest accurate information, each subsequent evaluation is unlikely to produce progressive results.
It is the failure to recognize our multiple memberships; the unwillingness to accept the recognition; the inability to accurately, objectively reevaluate our prejudices that is a function of ignorance and/or ignoble self-interest.
Neither will be overcome through institutionally mandated restrictions on acceptable knowledge.
Any objective reader will likely give caveats appropriate weight. Anyone swayed by AFP headlines is likely to have been leaning already.
It IS intellectually dishonest, even cowardly, not to investigate all aspects of the human condition.
