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From: cher@ihlpm.UUCP (cherepov)
Newsgroups: net.philosophy
Subject: Re: Premises,Premises,Premises,... (is good logical?)
Message-ID: <294@ihlpm.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 11-Jun-85 15:45:05 EDT
Article-I.D.: ihlpm.294
Posted: Tue Jun 11 15:45:05 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 12-Jun-85 07:41:19 EDT
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> > 
> > I like it. I do. I really do. Do I like it! What else can I say to
> > justify acceptance of this dogma?
> 
> I'm not sure.  What is it you're looking for?

Well, you propose to judge a morality system based on how well it serves
individual's rights and public well-being (or some such good-intentioned
phrasing). But where did you get that?
Dracula's morality is for him to be able to drink lots of blood,  no matter
what the cost to the public.
Your values set the tone. Genghis Khan likes different things -
without a god to arbitrate you two, internal consistency of your
moral outlooks is the only measure I see.

> "The strong rule" is a fact of life no matter which morality you subscribe to.
> A morality that serves the needs of all the people as much as possible will
> gain the support of those people, and the support of the vast majority of
> people should be enough deterrent to you if you choose to believe there are
> no "rights of others".  And if it's not, the society should be strong enough
> to put a stop to any interference you might decide to evince.

Well, by "the strong rule" I meant cruel disregard for others.
You say that someone who subscibes to it is beaten into submission
by vast majority. Sometimes it is so.
But this is a suggestion to use such voting as the criterion
for morals.

It is an attempt to obtain absolute criteria to choose
among more or less self-consistent opinions of morals.
I see it as futile.
			Mike Cherepov
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What do you think of a wise cruel man?