The Moral Meaning of Capitalism

Posted by khalling 12 years, 3 months ago to Philosophy
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"I could say to you that you do not serve the public good—that nobody’s good can be achieved at the price of human sacrifices—that when you violate the rights of one man, you have violated the rights of all, and a public of rightless creatures is doomed to destruction. I could say to you that you will and can achieve nothing but universal devastation—as any looter must, when he runs out of victims. I could say it, but I won’t. It is not your particular policy that I challenge, but your moral premise. If it were true that men could achieve their good by means of turning some men into sacrificial animals, and I were asked to immolate myself for the sake of creatures who wanted to survive at the price of my blood, if I were asked to serve the interests of society apart from, above and against my own—I would refuse, I would reject it as the most contemptible evil, I would fight it with every power I possess, I would fight the whole of mankind, if one minute were all I could last before I were murdered, I would fight in the full confidence of the justice of my battle and of a living being’s right to exist. Let there be no misunderstanding about me. If it is now the belief of my fellow men, who call themselves the public, that their good requires victims, then I say: The public good be damned, I will have no part of it!" -AR , For The New Intellectual

Do you agree?



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  • Posted by Wonky 12 years, 3 months ago
    "...a public of rightless creatures is doomed to destruction".

    Disagree.

    I will agree that a public of rightless "humans" will devolve into factions where one faction or other will dominate by force, and enslave or kill members of any other faction.

    My cats (creatures) don't particularly care about each other's rights for the most part.

    The bats flying around my yard at night don't particularly care about the rights of the insects they munch on.

    Hell, it's just one word that's off, but still, someone could call it a word salad for that one word ;).
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    • Posted by Wonky 12 years, 3 months ago
      I'm joking with the last comment, of course.

      In all sincerity, however, how many among us actually truly have the intestinal fortitude to take on a whole society rather than just abandon it and practice our principles elsewhere?
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      • Posted by 12 years, 3 months ago
        well, I assume you're practicing your principles daily in the here and now. It is once you either put yourself out there or are made point of. It happens every day. If they make a point out of you will you cave or be what you were practicing the day before. That is not to say your plan has to include sticking around. That is what Hank chose. We have a choice, we are not trapped.
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  • Posted by Spinkane 12 years, 3 months ago
    The progressives knee jerk response would be, “I don’t want you to die, just pay your fair share;” as ambiguous as that little gem is. The quote seems fatalistic but if you extrapolate world population to unsustainability, (which is most likely coming) she is absolutely correct. Therefore it is true now. Look no further than the Mexican /American border. How many people can you support until you starve too? Charity will have to suffice to feed the poor; give of your own free will.
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