Ethics and psychology

 I'm really starting to hate this ethics class that I had such high hopes for. The readings are great, but the discussion is endlessly frustrating.

In this week's class we were discussing religion. I said something about ingroups always think they're better than outgroups - that all religions think they are better than all the other religions. And they were all like, nope that's not a thing. I didn't say, um, Tajfel (circa 1979) would tend to disagree. Strongly.

As evidence for this disagreement, one of the students tells a story about how she's a Druid and her sister is a Catholic and her sister doesn't look down on her, so that clearly disproves my point. I didn't point out that a single anecdote is not really adequate to discredit a well-established psychological theory.

Another student says he's an atheist but his parents are Christians and they wouldn't protest outside a Buddhist temple. (What?) I did reply to that: that is hardly the only way to measure a belief in one's superiority.

Then the professor seriously explains how, just because people think they're right, does not mean they think they're better. He uses as one example of several how he is married to the right person but he doesn't think his marriage is superior. The irony of this is that he is proving MY point, since he clearly DOES think his marriage is superior, but he wouldn't admit that he thinks this.

I was reminded how people refuse to acknowledge their priviledge - they just cannot see it or refuse to recognize it. 

It was especially odd that they all* jumped to defend Christianity (which they assumed I was referring to) because they all disavow it so fervertly. I have the gift for this - for stating the obvious but doing it in a way that gets people's back up. I certainly don't do it on purpose.

As further evidence of my special ability to irritate, I said early on in the conversation that the main purpose of religion is to create community (and establish an ingroup) and the professor dismissed this, but, towards the end of the class, stated that metaphysical concerns are not the essence of most religions, they are more about ritual and meals, etc. I let a lot of stuff go by during the class, but I did chime in at this point and say I said that at the very beginning. I think I am encrouching on his Sage on a Stage act and there is no way to redeem this pathetic experience...**

*The professor is Jewish and solemnly explained that Jews do not think they are superior, that is a misunderstanding of "Chosen People" - he clearly does not know I am Jewish because this is the boilerplate that we trot out for goyim - when we are together, we mostly embrace (and generally revel in) our God-given superiority...

**I went to one more class and then dropped it. There's just better ways to spend my time. I can read the books and articles the professor assigned without wasting my time listening to his drivel.