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From: rrizzo@bbncca.ARPA (Ron Rizzo)
Newsgroups: net.motss
Subject: Re: Re. Turning the other Cheek
Message-ID: <1650@bbncca.ARPA>
Date: Tue, 24-Dec-85 15:22:02 EST
Article-I.D.: bbncca.1650
Posted: Tue Dec 24 15:22:02 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 25-Dec-85 04:00:28 EST
References: <357@l5.uucp>
Organization: Bolt, Beranek and Newman, Cambridge, Ma.
Lines: 30

The end of my message got somewhat fuzzy (keyboard fatigue), but Laura
Creighton makes exactly the point I was trying to.

"Morality" certainly is one of the most loaded words you can use, and
I understand and respect the distinction between law & morality.  I tend
to favor legal minimalism (legislate only when necessary, & I think civil
rights laws beyond the US Constitution are necessary in this sense), which
means legally ignore any immoral or evil act however heinous it may be
considered unless it is not one of those which if neglected would signifi-
cantly damage the common good, as understood in a reasonably impartial & 
objective sense.  Or some such formulation.  (Further note: for me, legal
minimalism doesn't imply political or economic laissez faire: eg, I don't
think anti-trust or fair advertising laws are ipso facto bad law.)

But a moral impulse underlies the definition of what is a crime, even
if you believe that morality reduces to other notions, like pleasure/
pain (utilitarianism), non/coercion (Libertarianism), even if you don't
don't legislate against most immoral or evil acts.

Still, given the extremely common confusion of law with specific moral codes
& the fact that many (most?) members of the English-speaking world don't 
grasp even the most rudimentary notions of the common law tradition, it's 
certainly worth calling me to account for not being clear.

I guess we should continue this, if necessary, in personal mail, or
net.philosophy (no, no! not that! please!).


						Cheers,
						Ron Rizzo