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Path: utzoo!linus!genrad!grkermit!chris
From: chris@grkermit.UUCP (Chris Hibbert)
Newsgroups: net.politics
Subject: Re: morality based on species survival
Message-ID: <456@grkermit.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 27-Jun-83 17:53:54 EDT
Article-I.D.: grkermit.456
Posted: Mon Jun 27 17:53:54 1983
Date-Received: Tue, 28-Jun-83 01:48:30 EDT
References: <248@isrnix.UUCP>
Organization: GenRad Inc., Concord, MA
Lines: 17

One problem with isrnix!tim's requirement that morality be based on
survival of the species is that most of us will never make any
decisions that will affect the survival of the species.  

I'm a Libertarian (because I hold individual rights as paramount) and
if it ever came to me to make a decision that gave me a choice of my
life versus the survival of mankind, I hope I would want to give up
my life.  (I didn't say sacrifice, because it isn't a sacrifice to
give up a lesser value to further a greater.)  

The mother in isrnix!tim's example saves her child because she has
come to value the child and its potentials higher than her own life.
In a rational war (perhaps WWI or WWII, certainly not Viet Nam, or El
Salvador) I would be willing to give up my life to defend a society
that was upholding the rights I believe in.