And don't we generally have contempt for those who are scatterbrained, obsessed with trivialities, remarkably uninformed, and/or incompetent for their position?
What's this "we" stuff? <g> You do. I don't. Except for the last on your list, professional incompetence.
if self- interest is the final arbiter of morality, shouldn't we have a duty to learn? It is obviously better for us than ignorance.
It's pretty obvious to me that it's better to learn. I certainly consider it to be in my self-interest.
If one opts not to learn, in the self-interest scheme, then one is either not as as enlightened as you or I, or he simply sees his self-interest elsewhere. He is entitled to the latter--it's his decision. If it's a shortfall of enlightenment, we can do him the kindness of trying to shed some light. It would be in our best interest to do him that kindness since a more enlightened world is a better world, from our perspective, at least. But the choice is his.
As for incompetent professionals, that is another matter because incompetence causes harm to others. Ignorance is a violation of the professional contract. |
