The Case for Disgust

Many rationalists reject the wisdom of disgust, but disgust is indispensable for community life.

Written by Bo Winegard.

Many liberal philosophers have insisted that disgust is an obstacle to enlightened morality. At best, it is unreliable. At worst, it is authoritarian. Dangerous, exclusionary and obsessed with imaginary harms. It dehumanizes minorities. Fosters stigma. Justifies bigotry. And therefore, like other destructive passions, it should be subdued, not encouraged.

However, this indictment misapprehends a more complex reality. Disgust plays a legitimate and indeed indispensable role in our moral lives. Like all passions, and like reason itself, it is not infallible. But when treated with appropriate caution and prudence, it is not the enemy of a just community, but its ally.