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From: SAPPHO@SRI-NIC.ARPA
Newsgroups: mod.politics
Subject: libertarianism
Message-ID: <12232680725.38.MCGREW@RED.RUTGERS.EDU>
Date: Thu, 21-Aug-86 19:22:09 EDT
Article-I.D.: RED.12232680725.38.MCGREW
Posted: Thu Aug 21 19:22:09 1986
Date-Received: Fri, 22-Aug-86 09:19:06 EDT
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Approved: poli-sci@red.rutgers.edu


I think I can see Keith's point about wrong things being wrong even if
they are done for a good cause, because I believe the same thing about
war and killing.  Many times people pose pacifists the question of
whether they would not kill in this or that extreme case.  And perhaps
in one or another of those cases I would change my mind.  It is hard
to continue to believe in nonviolence when it is met, as it often is,
with violence, and when there doesn't seem to be a practical
nonviolent alternative.  But I see that a mentality of violence, war,
and terrorism is perpetuating itself in this world, and that people
who start out killing for the best of reasons can wind up killing for
the worst, and so I believe that all wars and killing are wrong, even
those in a good cause.

But I have a few questions.  Keith, when you say that something which
is wrong is always wrong do you mean that the only moral rules are
absolute ones?  Are there no actions you would consider moral or
immoral that depend on the situation?  And where do you derive your
beliefs about right and wrong to begin with?  I think I understand
why, given your set of values, you consider libertarianism to be the
most moral form of government, but I still don't understand what is
going to make someone who isn't libertarian become libertarian.  You
seem to be saying that these beliefs are not just your own whim or
personal value judgment, but are somehow inherently true.  Why are
they inherently true?

Lynn Gazis
sappho@sri-nic
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