Right. Anna ----- Original Message ----- From: Terry L Parker To: [email protected] Sent: Thursday, November 17, 2005 5:25 PM Subject: [Libertarian] Discussing Capitalism: the Good the Bad & the Ugly
Mark, of course I regard this discussion as 'good' :) I said nothing about abandoning discretionary judgements as to 'good' and 'bad' In fact, see what I wrote about this- 'MORALITY: Public, Private & Personal' at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Libertarian/message/42731 So TOOLS, like guns, hamers, capitalism, socialism, government, physical force, even fraud and many other things are A-moral. It is the person who employs the tool that can do so for 'good/bad' For example, a gun can be used in justified defense OR to commit unwarrented assault; but it's the person, NOT the gun, that is accountable for the morality of their use of the tool. Govt can be used to defend OR violates the just rights of persons; but, the 'morality' (good/bad) of that use is attributable to PERSONS. Capital (financial, political, human and so on) can be used in beneficial enterprises OR to, for example, murder people! A person's morality (good/bad) is their responsibility; that can NOT be exported to other things. Libertarian 'public morality' holds that it is 'bad' (immoral) for a person to initiate physical force against the person or justly held possessions of another person. It is not the force, per se that is immoral; it is choice by that person (entity that can have rights/obligations) -Terry Liberty Parker http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Libertarian --- In [email protected], "mark robert" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Terry, > > > > I can appreciate the value of that viewpoint. But I see more > value in the contrary viewpoint, that tools are inherently > "GOOD". If not, then we must use a too narrow definition of the > adjective. What is good, if not the materials that support our > lives? Is food not good because it can be eaten by criminals to > sustain their life of crime? With such a narrow definition, what > is left to qualify as deserving of praise? Under such a narrow > definition, I don't believe anything can qualify; the word > disappears and everything becomes "neutral". Nor can I see how > calling things "good" detracts from personal responsibility, as > does mislabeling things as "bad". > > > > Regarding your reasoning, I don't think making rational > distinctions between good and bad is the same as religious > moralism. Such moralism usually consists of wrongly labeling many > things as bad. I realize this moralism has given the words "good" > and "bad" a negative connotation for many folks like us, but > that's no reason to abandon making rational judgments. Such > critical thinking is the manifestation of intelligence and the > mechanics of progress. The quality of my life depends on my > knowledge of what is good and bad (and all the shades in > between). Besides, I'm not sure that anyone who communicates (a > position) can escape it. By stating an opinion, perspective or > position (or "fact"), one is putting either "good" and/or "bad" > labels on things. For example, you are putting "bad" labels on > the acts of moralizing, and calling capitalism "good"; kind of > like writing about the deleterious effects of writing. > > > > Is not this discussion "good"? > > > > -Mark > > > > _____ > > > > There is NOTHING inherent to capitalism per se, that precludes > its inclusion in crimes; as in many scandals for example. > > Capitalism is a tool that can be used for good or bad by persons. > > > To believe otherwise is to attempt to export responsibility away > from persons. > > Just like guns being Amoral, so is capitalism. > > Each of us is still on the hook to be moral :) > > It is so tiresome to me, to keep seeing capitalism religionized > > -Terry Liberty Parker > http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Libertarian > > > > > > _____ > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > ForumWebSiteAt http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Libertarian ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ YAHOO! GROUPS LINKS a.. Visit your group "Libertarian" on the web. b.. To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] c.. Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Get fast access to your favorite Yahoo! Groups. Make Yahoo! your home page http://us.click.yahoo.com/dpRU5A/wUILAA/yQLSAA/KlSolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> ForumWebSiteAt http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Libertarian Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Libertarian/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
