Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site pedsgd.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!bonnie!akgua!whuxlm!whuxl!houxm!mtuxo!mtunh!mtung!mtunf!ariel!vax135!petsd!pedsgd!bob From: bob@pedsgd.UUCP (Robert A. Weiler) Newsgroups: net.politics.theory Subject: Re: Explorations of "social-interest": Back to Basics Message-ID: <171@pedsgd.UUCP> Date: Mon, 1-Jul-85 13:07:36 EDT Article-I.D.: pedsgd.171 Posted: Mon Jul 1 13:07:36 1985 Date-Received: Wed, 3-Jul-85 07:08:16 EDT References: <657@whuxl.UUCP> <2380062@acf4.UUCP> Reply-To: bob@pedsgd.UUCP (Robert A. Weiler) Organization: Perkin-Elmer, Tinton Falls, NJ Lines: 34 Summary: Organization : Perkin-Elmer DSG, Tinton Falls NJ Keywords: In article <2380062@acf4.UUCP> mms1646@acf4.UUCP (Michael M. Sykora) writes: >>/* orb@whuxl.UUCP (SEVENER) / 12:48 pm Jun 24, 1985 */ > >>I think it is self-evident that the possibility of saving people's lives >>by the prompt arrival of a fire engine or ambulance far outweighs the >>possible cost for the average commuter of being 5 minutes late for work. >>Can you understand the worth of human lives, Mike? > >It is not at all self-evident. I could claim that 5 minutes of my time >are worth more "to me" than some stranger's life. You could not claim >I am wrong, because you have no way of knowing my values. This is the >central point here: the concept of "worth" is only meaningful in the >context of someone's values. > > Mike Sykora Well, this is why this argument is never going to end, most of us see why someones life is worth 5 minutes of Mike's time, and he doesnt. :-) ? In fairness, he does say he could make this argument, not that he does. And I agree that this is the central point, we all have different values. But I think thats how societies get formed, people of similar values get together and impose those values on everyone else. The libertarians are no different, they still want to impose values, just not quite as many. Property rights come to mind. Thats why there is no large libertarian society, there just aint enough people with exactly those values. One question for the libertarians out there, how does a libertarian society deal with seccesion? Suppose a large segment of the population decided that they would rather be socialists after all? In particular, what happens if the workers cease the factory?