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From: baba@spar.UUCP (Baba ROM DOS)
Newsgroups: net.politics.theory
Subject: Re: Reason gets no respect from Berman
Message-ID: <709@spar.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 16-Dec-85 15:11:33 EST
Article-I.D.: spar.709
Posted: Mon Dec 16 15:11:33 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 18-Dec-85 19:55:57 EST
References: <1538@hound.UUCP> <1671@cbsck.UUCP> <334@l5.uucp>
Organization: The Institute of Impure Science
Lines: 23

> In article <1671@cbsck.UUCP> pmd@cbsck.UUCP (Paul M. Dubuc) writes:
> >How does reason compel one to believe that all humans have equal value?
> 
> I don't think that it does.  But, if you value the ability to reason then
> it will be very clear that those who can reason are valuable.  And you
> then cannot use violence against people because they are valuable and it
> is inconsistent with your valuing of reason.
> 
> Laura Creighton
> 
> ps -- note I am not saying that the reason people value other people is
> because they reason, just that anyone who honestly values reason will
> be constrained this way.

I can accept the idea that those who can reason have some implicit
positive value.  I do not see how it follows from this that the
use of violence against such beings is *necessarily* inconsistent
with my valuing of reason, since there may be things to be gained
by the use of violence that I value *more* than the reasoning ability
of my victim.  Of course, depending on who I am, that might be anything
from the safety of my children to my next fix.


						Baba