Comments on: Can I Ruin Something that Has No Value?

By: Speak

Speak — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 23:57:05 +0000

I think most of the above moral question situations all boil down to human apathy, and laziness, desire to take the easiest most followed path. A river already has chemical pollution, so why not just pollute it more to your benefit? because that’s the problem. the endless cycle, and when will it stop if morals do not prevent a person from stopping it? Atheists criticize theists of their violence and intolerance against each other and atheists, but isn’t intolerance for theists the same thing reversed? If the Buddhists in the mall want to do that, and it’s not hurting anyone, why ruin it because of your own intolerance? I could continue but I think you get the point. morals and religion are completely different things, and I have abandoned religion, but morals are still very valuable to me.

By: Zach

Zach — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 01:33:24 +0000

I guess I was thinking more of Gandhi’s (?) “An eye for an eye makes the whole world go blind” in response to what seems like a self-perpetuating cycle of violence which would stem from feeling justified in force/fraud as long as you weren’t the initiator. I’m not sure if or how that would fit in with 2Q, though.

By: ideclare

ideclare — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 06:16:42 +0000

“(Also, I’d be interested in any 2Q or other ethical analysis of the statement “do not initiate force nor fraud, but it is perfectly fine to commit force or fraud against others who had initiated force or fraud against you”, which seems to be the sentiment of this comment.)”

I think you just did a good hunk of the analysis yourself. Nicely done!

By: Zach

Zach — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 04:09:50 +0000

So, you would help ruin a poll if the organization of that poll had “initiated force or fraud” against you? What if people were relying on that poll that had not “initiated force or fraud” against you? Ruining a poll can hurt much more than the organization that conducts it. (Also, I’d be interested in any 2Q or other ethical analysis of the statement “do not initiate force nor fraud, but it is perfectly fine to commit force or fraud against others who had initiated force or fraud against you”, which seems to be the sentiment of this comment.)

By: ed42

ed42 — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 00:48:30 +0000

IMO it boils down to “Do not initiate force nor fraud”.

If this poll was presented by an organization (e.g., religious) that initiated fraud against me or if this poll was presented by an organization (e.g., government) that initiated force against me, then I would feel no remorse in inserting fake information.