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From: ewp@ihuxn.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.philosophy
Subject: Morality among the crocodiles
Message-ID: <290@ihuxn.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 13-Jul-83 21:03:36 EDT
Article-I.D.: ihuxn.290
Posted: Wed Jul 13 21:03:36 1983
Date-Received: Fri, 15-Jul-83 04:43:58 EDT
Organization: BTL Naperville, Il.
Lines: 49


I will try to clarify some points about my explanation of the Golden Rule.

Laura Creighton states that *I* concluded being fed to the crocs, etc. was not
good in the reply where she misspells my name, but I won't mention that.  I
didn't conclude that.  The original article used these as examples of where
the Golden Rule breaks down.  *That* is where the implication that the actions
are not good comes from.

Alan Wexelblat thinks I missed the point.  I understood that you were trying
to show how the Golden Rule fails to work as a means of deciding what is the
*good* or *moral* thing to do.  What I was trying to explain is that I think
you are misinterpreting the Golden Rule and that is part of the reason that
it results in "immoral" actions.

For example, the heroin addict doesn't necessarily feel that everyone should
be a heroin addict.  That person may not even want to be one.  You must
allow some intelligence on the part of the people involved.  I may like blue
suede shoes, and think that everyone would like them, if they were shown
just how neat they are.  I also know that everyone else may not feel that
way.  If I am sincere in my beliefs, I may try to "help" you by getting you
to buy some blue suede shoes, or even give you a pair, but if you just didn't
like them I would stop.  I would have to consider your viewpoint.  In the
case where it is something of ultimate importance, like eternal bliss, I may
do more.

This is where you claim the rule fails and I disagree.  I don't see what
the Indians who fed the Spaniard to the crocodile did that could be
considered *immoral* on their part.  They did what they thought was in the
best interest of their friend.  You claim it was not.  What if they are right?
You merely see a different action as being in the best interest of the
Spaniard.  How does that make you right and the Indians wrong?  Doing what
you feel is moral may not in reality be in the best interest of others
(ie they may have been wrong).  Humans are fallible in their judgement.
One human has no way of knowing what is in the *best* interest of
another.  Sometimes we don't even know what is in our own best interest.
If a parent tells a child, "Eat your vegetables so you can grow up to be
an engineer just like mommy," is that immoral if the child doesn't like
vegetables?

In dealing with other people, the best, most *moral*, way of acting is by
doing what is in the interest of others as well as ourselves.  This is what
the Golden Rule says.  It may take a lot of thought.  We may have to study
some problems in great depth and learn more about ourselves.  We may not
always do what is ultimately the "best", but all you can do is try.

Ed Pawlak
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