Misuses of the Concept of Culture

Some Muslims have had a violent reaction to some cartoons published in a Danish newspaper. This has led some to remark that Muslim “culture” is dangerous and a threat to the West.

“Culture” is a social scientific concept which is useful for some purposes. In the hands of lay people, it can be used as rationalization for hatred of people in certain ethnic categories. All you have to do is attribute some unpleasant action taken by a small minority within the ethnic category and attribute it to a “culture” which infects members of the category. A minute proportion of Muslims has rioted or committed violent acts in response to the Danish cartoons; therefore, it is possible to implicate all Muslims in the violence, even if they were not involved, because their “culture” is to blame. The non-participating Muslims have the same “culture”. Ergo, they are just as dangerous and blameworthy as the rioters. QED. This is collectivist thinking at work.

I could play the same game with people in categories of which I disapprove. Pat Robertson says idiotic and hateful things. Pat Robertson is a televangelist. Ergo, televangelists have a culture of idiocy and hatefulness that renders them all dangerous. Some murderous thug blew up an abortion clinic and killed a nurse. He was anti-abortion. Ergo, anti-abortionists have a culture of murderousness. A maniac whacked people with a hatchet in a gay bar. He was anti-gay. Ergo, anti-gay people have a culture of mayhem. Some yahoos burned down a black church. They were racialists. Ergo, anyone who acknowledges race has a culture of arson.