From: T
Sent: Wednesday, February 27, 2019 8:35 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Critical theory/intersectionality

Hi Dr. Block,

I am sure you know about Critical Theory/White privilege/intersectionality. I am wondering if being philosophically for individual liberty one is able to show that this politically correct scourge being advocated by the state is dead wrong. Thanks! -T

From: Walter Block [mailto:[email protected]] 
Sent: Wednesday, February 27, 2019 8:42 PM
To: T
Subject: RE: Critical theory/intersectionality

Dear T:

This is all nonsense on stilts. Privilege comes out of the barrel of a gun. White and blacks, men and women, all violate the non aggression principle of libertarianism. Some of each group engage in the “political means,” not the “economic means.” Thus privilege has nothing to do with race or sex. There are criminals in all 4 categories. No one can be guilty of a NAP violation (or innocent of one) based only on pigment, sexual preference or internal plumbing.

Now, it just so happens that straight white males have contributed to civilization to a greater degree than many other groups. Think of baroque music, philosophy, physics, chemistry, biology, medicine, computers (Al Gore – a member of this demographic — invented them (:)), mathematics, economics, astronomy, engineering, architecture, the list goes on and on. And on and on some more. But that does not mean that because of these magnificent contributions straight white males have exploited others (they have, but that is another story). According to intersectionality, the more characteristics a person deviates from these three, the more this person has been exploited. No evidence of any sort is ever offered to document this claim. The only “evidence” put forth is that straight white males have made more accomplishments than others, but this hardly demonstrates exploitation.

Best regards,

Walter

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