The Philosophy Now Forum

mickthinks wrote: ↑Wed Aug 12, 2026 4:01 pm

Gary Childress wrote: ↑Tue Aug 11, 2026 2:04 pm

mickthinks wrote: ↑Sun Aug 09, 2026 12:20 pmWhy did you decide to post about yourself, Gary?

Because it's true.

Do you really think it’s okay to ignore the forum categories and post about yourself anywhere you like? Really? That’s an astonishing sense of entitlement, Gary!

You’re an attention whore, Gary. And it’s getting boring.

Fair enough. I won't break the forum rules anymore. I apologize for my carelessness and disorderly conduct.

I won't break the forum rules anymore.

We don’t show consideration for other people because of a rule. We do it because that’s who we want to be.

mickthinks wrote: ↑Thu Aug 13, 2026 10:38 am I won't break the forum rules anymore.

We don’t show consideration for other people because of a rule. We do it because that’s who we want to be.

Are you sure about that? What makes you think, for example, that many Iranians would not jump at the opportunity to put a bullet in me if I traveled to Iran right now, in spite of having rules against murder? Rules make a LOT of difference in human conduct when they are believed to be valid, legitimate, and followed. But when they are exposed as arbitrary, they lose that value, and some will gravitate toward destructiveness when rules are shown to be so.

What are you talking about, Gary?

Do you want to be the kind of guy who has consideration for other people, or don’t you?

Gary Childress wrote: ↑Thu Aug 13, 2026 10:58 am

mickthinks wrote: ↑Thu Aug 13, 2026 10:38 am I won't break the forum rules anymore.

We don’t show consideration for other people because of a rule. We do it because that’s who we want to be.

Are you sure about that? What makes you think, for example, that many Iranians would not jump at the opportunity to put a bullet in me if I traveled to Iran right now, in spite of having rules against murder? Rules make a LOT of difference in human conduct when they are believed to be valid, legitimate, and followed. But when they are exposed as arbitrary, they lose that value, and some will gravitate toward destructiveness when rules are shown to be so.

What you ought to avoid (in my view anyway) is the sort of moral reasoning that Immanuel Can frequently displays - or, quite coincidentally of course, psychopaths - which assumes that the only reason why you would chose to do the right thing is a frightening external force that compels.

Most people, and certainly all of the ones we might consider to actually be good people, are motivated by a preference for the right thing rather than a terror of being caught doing the wrong one.