Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site mit-eddie.UUCP
Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!genrad!mit-eddie!nessus
From: nessus@mit-eddie.UUCP (Doug Alan)
Newsgroups: net.philosophy
Subject: Re: Life as the basis of morality
Message-ID: <403@mit-eddie.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 6-Jul-83 12:45:49 EDT
Article-I.D.: mit-eddie.403
Posted: Wed Jul  6 12:45:49 1983
Date-Received: Thu, 7-Jul-83 03:07:40 EDT
References: <5073@cca.UUCP>
Organization: MIT, Cambridge, MA
Lines: 20

This letter is in response to the previously posted utilitarian article
by Charlie Kaufman expressing the opinion that "good" is whatever causes
people to become happy.

Would you then say that the ultimate "good" thing to do would be to
permanently plug everyone in the world into a machine that maximally
stimulates the pleasure centers of the brain -- even if many people do
not want to be plugged into this machine?

I do not agree with Charlie's opinion, but I believe in an ethical
system that is somewhat similar.  I believe that the "good" thing is
whatever causes people's desires to be satisfied.  This is almost the
same, but not quite, since what people desire is not necessarily what
will make them the most happy.  Basically this ethical theory is just
the golden rule.

-- 
                                Doug Alan
				decvax!genrad!mit-eddie!nessus
				Nessus@MIT-MC