From: Terry Donaghe (terry@Donaghe.com)
Date: Thu May 09 2002 - 13:09:39 MDT
I've been reading Robert Anton Wilson's "Quantum Psychology" so that'll probably color my comments.
"The common good must always come first, whether we like it or not"
First off, this statement seems to me to fall under the category of "meaningless" statements. That is, it is unverifiable... you can't test for the condition in which the common good must always come first. "Whether we like it or not" doesn't really make a lot of sense since I'm not sure who "we" is. Is it the utterer of the statement and myself or a group of people or all of humanity?
Second, this moral platitude comes across as a dogmatic command, not unlike "THOU SHALT NOT STEAL." The word must, in particular, bothers me. The word MUST seems to denote that everyone has to follow this statement at all times, regardless. Just this sort of nonsense is what politicians use to coerce the public into stupid things "Now is the time when all good men MUST come to the defense of their country." Priests and other religious users will use similar statements to compel their sheep into all sorts of horrible things. I'd guess a kindly looking old priest probably once said, "You must do this my son whether you like it or not! It is god's will."
The idea of the common good really rubs me wrong too. Common to what? Humanity? The Earth? The Universe? The Catholic Church? Pagans? Nazis? Common to EVERYTHING?
Good is similarly complicated. Good in what way? Short term? Long term? As defined by whom?
In first reading I sort of agreed with it, but after thinking for a bit, I realized that it is a pretty dangerous, dogmatic sounding statement.
Then again, maybe I'm just full of crap.
Terry
---------- Original Message ----------------------------------
From: Brian D Williams <talon57@well.com>
Reply-To: extropians@extropy.org
Date: Wed, 8 May 2002 06:45:45 -0700 (PDT)
>
>
>I'm feeling a little faklempht!
>
>I'll give you a topic!
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>Discuss!
>
>
>"The common good must always come first, whether we like it or not"
>
>Homer Slottern, character
>page 556 "The Fountainhead" by Ayn Rand.
>
>
>
>Brian
>
>Member:
>Extropy Institute, www.extropy.org
>National Rifle Association, www.nra.org, 1.800.672.3888
>SBC/Ameritech Data Center Chicago, IL, Local 134 I.B.E.W
>
>
>
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