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From: franka@mmintl.UUCP (Frank Adams)
Newsgroups: net.philosophy
Subject: Re: THe Moral Value of Conformity
Message-ID: <648@mmintl.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 10-Sep-85 02:05:27 EDT
Article-I.D.: mmintl.648
Posted: Tue Sep 10 02:05:27 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 16-Sep-85 08:27:59 EDT
References: <1622@pyuxd.UUCP> <1472@umcp-cs.UUCP> <1647@pyuxd.UUCP>
Reply-To: franka@mmintl.UUCP (Frank Adams)
Organization: Multimate International, E. Hartford, CT
Lines: 19
Summary: 



Rich argues that the desire to conform is purely the result of
indoctrination.  This does not seem to me to be correct; I think there
is an intrinsic desire to conform.  This is a psychological issue, not
a philosophic one.

In terms of morals, I would give much greater importance to independence
and/or freedom than to conformity.  I would assign a zero or negative
value to conformity, however.

There are certain instances where conformity has strong value.  Which side
of the road one drives on, for example.  In other cases, the value is
similar, but much less; one knows what to expect and can deal with it
more easily.  This potentially helps both the person conforming and the
other person, since one may be harmed (ranging from annoyance on up) by
inappropriate behavior by those around us.  Let me emphasize that I believe
this is generally of truly minor import, and of considerably less importance
than, for example, personal whim.  But there are cases covering the whole
spectrum.


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