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Comment by Dig1t | Hacker News Reader

>The first ethical principle in AAA’s Principles of Professional Responsibility is to “Do no harm.” The session was rejected because it relied on assumptions that run contrary to the settled science in our discipline, framed in ways that do harm to vulnerable members of our community.

This notion of equating words with physical violence is so confusing to me. Where did it come from and why is it so popular?

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Its due to the rise of identity politics. If you like cheetos, and I say cheetos are bad, if liking cheetos is how you see yourself as a person, then it could seem like I'm saying "you are bad (for liking cheetos)". It's more nuanced than that, but the gist is that non-positive thoughts about an identity category could feel like personal attacks to the people who have integrated that identity category with their sense of self.

It's popular because it's effective. Paint yourself as so oppressed and vulnerable (but not fragile - that's for your enemies) that the wrong kind of criticism endangers your very existence. You are just a few wrong words away from being assaulted and killed by violent mobs.

Now if anyone says something that may endanger you, as determined by you, that's basically stochastic terrorism. It is reckless and irresponsible, and not legitimate debate (ignore whether or not it is true).

The victim's veto.

I don't think "harm" here refers to physical damage. "Don't physically injure others" would be a weird thing to include in a code of conduct for professional anthropologists.

Harm can mean a lot of things. I doubt the AAA intended "do no harm" to mean "don't run into the crowd and start swinging on people".

>This notion of equating words with physical violence is so confusing to me.

Nothing in what you quote is equating words with physical violence.

You seem to be confusing the concept of “harm” (which is what is referenced) with the much narrower concept of “physical violence” (which is not, except by you.)

I'm not sure where it originated, but you have to admit that it's a very effective way to silence people.

"The pen is mightier than the sword"? -- Edward Bulwer-Lytton

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