Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

To: jennyp

Read Post# 761.


762 posted on 10/13/2005 11:48:28 AM PDT by taxesareforever (Government is running amuck)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 760 | View Replies ]


To: taxesareforever
Read Post# 761.

Read post 760: All humans have such rights, because if you apply rights to only some people and not others, then it's no longer a principle but instead just an ad-hoc, self-serving rationalization.

It's true in one sense that my basis for morals is myself. But as I said, morality is a principle - a system or framework of judging behavior. You can't have a principle without applying it consistently in all similar contexts. This means that it must apply to everyone in a similar situation.

Is it moral to kidnap someone? Well, it's clearly wrong to kidnap me, except if I was judged guilty of a crime by a legitimate court. In that case they'd have the right to put me in jail. But to kidnap me "just because", or because I owe somebody some money, would be wrong.

You see? Your problem isn't really against a self-interested basis for morality. It's against self-serving morality. But a self-serving morality (where you don't apply the moral principles consistently) is a contradiction in terms. You're really arguing against "rationalization".

765 posted on 10/13/2005 12:45:43 PM PDT by jennyp (WHAT I'M READING NOW: Art of Unix Programming by Raymond)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 762 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson