Subject:
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Re: Customs question...
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.off-topic.debate
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Date:
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Tue, 20 Nov 2001 22:12:47 GMT
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Viewed:
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1290 times
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In lugnet.off-topic.debate, Christopher L. Weeks writes:
> In lugnet.off-topic.debate, David Eaton writes:
>
> > Of course this really is pushing it. It's such a little thing that it's
> > nearly inconsequencial. But the principle says that it's an immoral act, even
> > if only very minisculy so.
>
> Or the principle says that it's a particularly moral act because you're
> standing up, willing to deny funding (in a small way) to a corrupt
> bureaucracy. If you think that's so. Those of us who think that governance
> is bad have it particularly easy. ;-)
Agreed I spose-- I was more or less implying my own morality for myself (or was
trying), but yes, if you find it to be moral, yeah.
However, the more I think about it, the less I can concieve of it being actual
"moral", so much as "justified". Qualifying it with respect to my beloved 3
categories of morality:
--Justice--
On the one hand, I think justice is that which expects us to be truthful in all
things. IE we cannot say "this is a gift" if we know it is not. Hence, via
justice, it would be immoral. But we *COULD* say "this is a gift", however, if
it were a bendable definition in the law, and be ok. Then we wouldn't be
*immoral* by justice.
On the other hand, when applying it to another country's laws, one could argue
via justice that the country in question has no bearing on you, and hence
you are again not immoral by justice. Of course by the same logic, if they
refuse to deliver your package-- or heck, even if they just decide to
confiscate your package, by justice, they're not immoral either.
--Selfishness--
Theoretically, you're really not doing it for your own benefit. You're marking
it "gift" so the other person doesn't get slapped with a charge. So you really
don't benefit. So according to being selfish (since you're neither benefitting
nor losing), you're neither moral nor immoral.
--Charity--
This is the only real kicker. Since you're marking the package as "gift" to
help someone else, it's definitely charitable, and thereby moral. Easy, right?
'Course go back to justice, and you may have a problem-- hence the debate at
hand: is the recipient's fortune more valuable than your violation of justice?
And of course as we've seen, perhaps you wouldn't call it a violation of
justice, but hey, if you do (like me), you've got to figure that one out
yourself.
But let's go back to what you said here:
> [you're] willing to deny funding (in a small way) to a corrupt bureaucracy
That's actually a possible violation of charity, I think. You may actually be
intending harm to the corrupt bureaucracy-- malice. If so, charity rates you as
immoral for such. Although arguably not since you're not actually taking
anything away so much as being passive (and hence would be nil on the charity
scale). But again, this is where you've gotta judge by intent. If it's your
want that the corrupt bureaucracy suffer even the slightest bit, you're
proportionally immoral on the charity meter. Balanced out by the preceding
morality of helping the recipient of the package? Maybe. But still a bit of
immorality there. Interesting concept, though, I think.
DaveE
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Message has 1 Reply:
 | | Re: Customs question...
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| (...) even (...) was (...) Well, your three categories of morality isn't my baby, and I'm not even sure I agree with it as morality-o-meter, but let's look at it this way: (...) You're defining justice as truth? I think it is fairness and/or equity. (...) (23 years ago, 21-Nov-01, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)
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Message is in Reply To:
| | Re: Customs question...
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| (...) Or the principle says that it's a particularly moral act because you're standing up, willing to deny funding (in a small way) to a corrupt bureaucracy. If you think that's so. Those of us who think that governance is bad have it particularly (...) (23 years ago, 20-Nov-01, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)
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