Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!genrad!mit-eddi!rh From: rh@mit-eddi.UUCP (Randy Haskins) Newsgroups: net.philosophy Subject: Re: Life as a basis for good vs evil Message-ID: <319@mit-eddi.UUCP> Date: Sun, 26-Jun-83 15:20:39 EDT Article-I.D.: mit-eddi.319 Posted: Sun Jun 26 15:20:39 1983 Date-Received: Sun, 26-Jun-83 18:53:51 EDT References: mhuxt.11 Lines: 20 On the presumption of life as a basis for deciding EVIL: In Heinlein's "Stranger in a Strange Land," Mike (the human raised on Mars (yes, he was raised, not reared)) tells his friends on earth of 'the fifth planet' that used to be where the asteroids are. The Martians came to know the people of the planet, and grokked them, and thought they were a thing of beauty. And after a very long period of time (Martians take a very, very long time to make decisions. That's why earth was safe.), the Martians destroyed the planet, and that, too, was a thing of beauty. Mike said that this would never happen on Earth, because the humans would learn to grok and would be able to prevent it long before the Martians would get around to deciding to destroy Earth. Also, grass 'likes to be stepped on.' Also, not all societies are based on our presumption that killing is bad. So, evil is maybe in the eye of the beholder. The Martians didn't think destroying the fifth planet was evil. -Randy