Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10 beta 3/9/83; site grkermit.UUCP 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.