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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?