Brian Weatherson has an interesting post, inspired by the whole “Bright” meme, as to whether there is such a thing as right or wrong. Both it and the commentaries it provokes are a pretty good case study in why so few people pay much attention to academics: We* debate over rather arcane topics (like whether murdering babies is wrong) as if they matter, do so using language that most people can’t understand, and never come up with an answer. Meanwhile, everyone without a Ph.D. or a mental illness (and, no, those aren’t mutually exclusive categories) already knows damned well that murdering babies is wrong.
*I’m technically not part of academe these days but still qualify in many respects. And even make the Crooked Timber Scholar Bloggers list.
