Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site mmintl.UUCP
Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!pwa-b!mmintl!franka
From: franka@mmintl.UUCP (Frank Adams)
Newsgroups: net.philosophy
Subject: Re: THe Moral Value of Conformity
Message-ID: <677@mmintl.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 20-Sep-85 17:27:11 EDT
Article-I.D.: mmintl.677
Posted: Fri Sep 20 17:27:11 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 25-Sep-85 07:50:38 EDT
References: <1647@pyuxd.UUCP> <1524@umcp-cs.UUCP> <1672@pyuxd.UUCP> <120@l5.uucp> <1716@pyuxd.UUCP>
Reply-To: franka@mmintl.UUCP (Frank Adams)
Organization: Multimate International, E. Hartford, CT
Lines: 29
Summary: those who want you to conform benefit


In article <1716@pyuxd.UUCP> rlr@pyuxd.UUCP (Rich Rosen) writes:
>But WHY is conforming (in this case) in your self-interest, perceived or real?
>Only because the moral code of the society around you demands it, requires it,
>or at bare minimum encourages it.  And that is the central issue:  WHY should
>it do that?  What benefits does it offer to anyone?  Sure, it offers ME some
>positive benefit if YOU conform, but what benefit do YOU get for doing so?
>The whole point is that a moral code that encourages and practically requires
>conformity for survival in the first place is fucked.  Is there a mutuality
>here that is to everyone's benefit, the way refraining from interfering in
>other people's lives does?  Or is the only real benefit to that ephemeral
>entity called society as a whole?

Look at what you said.  Is there a mutuality here that is to everyone's
benefit? ... and ... it offers ME some positive benefit if YOU conform.
The benefit is not to "society as a whole", but to those who benefit
from your conformity.  Is this a net benefit?  It depends on the cases.

Even if you insist on a mutual benefit, it still depends on the cases.  It
is quite possible for my conformity to hurt me and help you, but that your
conformity is more help to me than my conformity hurts, and vice versa.
This is true, for example, of politeness.  (Not that impoliteness is never
justified.)

Now if you are talking about conformity of opinion, I have to agree.  The
only place I expect conformity of opinion on a subject is in an organization
whose purpose is to press that opinion.

Frank Adams                           ihpn4!philabs!pwa-b!mmintl!franka
Multimate International    52 Oakland Ave North    E. Hartford, CT 06108


Brought to you by Super Global Mega Corp .com