Scott Hershovitz

“Why are some words bad? The idea that they could be bothered me as a kid. Words are strings of sounds. How could sounds be bad? But of course: words aren’t just strings of sound. They are strings of sound to which we attach meaning. And yet it’s not the meaning of words that makes them bad either. Just consider this list: poop, crap, manure, dung, feces, stool. It’s all the same s**t. And yet, it’s only “s**t” we shouldn’t say. Why is that? F**k if I know.”
― Scott Hershovitz, Nasty, Brutish, and Short: Adventures in Philosophy with My Kids

“I think Whites are in a similar spot. It doesn’t matter whether we personally participated in segregation, protested against it, or weren’t even born when it happened. We can’t wash our hands of it just because we aren’t responsible. We should take responsibility. Why? There’s an old common law formula: Qui sentit commodum, sentire debet et onus. It means: He who enjoys the benefit ought also to bear the burden.”
― Scott Hershovitz, Nasty, Brutish, and Short: Adventures in Philosophy with Kids