Philosophy Now Forum

People who automatically follow the law under the assumption that doing so it's right by default have abdicated their morality. This is an enormous ethical problem as the government, it's constantly shifting elected representatives, and it's process are nowhere and never (US govt. in particular here) capable of producing good law.

If the law says you can't do something but it harms no one, you have no responsibility to follow the law. If the law says you can't do something but it's the right thing to do, you have an ethical responsibility to break the law. If a law says you must do something that is harmful to yourself or others, you have an ethical responsibility to break the law.

Law (and rules) is only useful when you don't have your own valid reasons for making a choice and is absolutely counterproductive both in keeping people from thinking for themselves, as good citizens must, and in perpetuating a lowest-common-denominator slave mentality. Rules are useful in an advisory capacity specifically in the case of ignorance, and generally harmful otherwise, for obvious reasons if you value freedom, autonomy, or responsibility.

henry quirk wrote: ↑Fri Sep 18, 2020 3:10 pm I am free because I know that I alone am morally responsible for everything I do. I am free, no matter what rules surround me. If I find them tolerable, I tolerate them; if I find them too obnoxious, I break them. I am free because I know that I alone am morally responsible for everything I do.

Bob was like the Mencken of science fiction, and so often right. TANSTAAFL is still true.

henry quirk wrote: ↑Fri Sep 18, 2020 3:10 pmI am free because I know that I alone am morally responsible for everything I do.

Yup. You, Robert Heinlein and everyone else on the planet.

[quote="henry quirk" post_id=471979 time=1600438250 user_id=472]
[b]I am free because I know that I alone am morally responsible for everything I do. I am free, no matter what rules surround me. If I find them tolerable, I tolerate them; if I find them too obnoxious, I break them. I am free because I know that I alone am morally responsible for everything I do.[/b]
[/quote]

Technical correction, it was Professor Bernardo de la Paz who said it in ch. 6 of The Moon is a Harsh Mistress. As an author, Heinlein cannot be necessarily be credited with the ideas of his characters, which he may or may not believe to be accurate representation of reality.

Stranger is still my fav. That book is an "it'll change your life" book.

I've always aspired to be a Henry Rourk or Jubal Hershaw, or whatever but reality just ain't like that unless you come with pre-installed resources or luck.

TANSTAAFL is still true

it'll always be true cuz that's how Reality works

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Heinlein cannot be necessarily be credited with the ideas of his characters

he can for this one (and a whole whack of others he crammed into his characters' mouths: he weren't no commie