From: Rafal Smigrodzki (rms2g@virginia.edu)
Date: Wed Aug 07 2002 - 13:50:18 MDT
Lee Corbin wrote:
What you were free to do in 1850 but not now:
1. sell your child to the highest bidder
2. own a working artillery piece
3. practice medicine without a license
4. discriminate against whomever you pleased for
any reason you pleased
5. buy and sell merchandise in your home
6. shoot at robbers and burglars
### While I agree that the loss of freedoms # 3, 4, 5, and 6 is deplorable,
I do think that we are better off without freedoms # 1 and 2. If you use the
veil of ignorance, maximization of innocent survival (e.g by reducing the
number of neighbors blown up by carelessly lobbed shells), maintenance of
moral symmetry, and minimization of physical suffering of innocent persons
incapable of self-defense, as moral values and heuristics, there is a gain
from forbidding trade in children, even if some individuals' liberty is
infringed to some extent. In fact, I find that the set of values and
heuristics I mentioned (with some additions) is enough to derive precisely
which types of restrictions are morally acceptable - do not need to use
vague personal preferences, or be afraid of slippery slopes (except in
winter;).
Rafal
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