Rami Rustom
2012-11-16 14:42:08 UTC
All evils are caused by insufficient knowledge. So all good is due to
sufficient knowledge. This is the principle of optimism. This means
that for every evil act, had the evildoer known that his act was evil,
and that there was a good option available to him, he would have done
good instead of evil. To explain this principle, I'll consider a few
hypothetical situations.
The first situation involves a parent giving her baby a bottle of
formula. The baby takes a sip and puts the bottle down on his tray.
Then the parent tried to coax the baby with cute eating methods
involving airplane sounds. The baby kept turning his head. Then the
parent got anxious and tried to force it in his mouth thinking that
she's doing it in the best interest of her baby. The baby responded by
hitting the bottle, knocking it to the floor. Then the parent used
more force and succeeded in getting her baby to drink the formula.
Hours later, the baby died. The autopsy showed that the baby was
poisoned. The police learned that the formula was tainted -- not just
the formula in the baby's bottle, but also the whole batch of formula
shipped by the manufacturer.
It’s important to consider who committed evil; the parent, the baby,
or both. The baby knew that the formula tasted really bad, so each
time that he rejected it, he was doing good. The parent knew that her
baby rejected the formula, so each time that she tried to coerce her
baby to drink it, she was committing evil.
Now consider a situation identical in all respects but one -- the
formula wasn’t tainted, so the baby didn't die. Who acted immorally?
Can the answer be different? Logically, the answer cannot be
different. Morality does not depend on the actual results, but rather
only the expected results. To illustrate this point, consider whether
or not it is moral for a father of five young children to choose to
spend all their wealth on lottery tickets. Does the moral choice
depend on whether or not he wins? No, the moral choice depends on
whether or not he’s expected to win.
As I’ve illustrated, every evil act is caused by insufficient
knowledge. In the case of the parent who forced her baby to drink the
bottle, had she known that coercing people is expected to lead to bad
results, and that persuasion doesn't have that fault, she would not
have resorted to coercion. In the case of the father who spent his
entire life savings on lottery tickets, had he known that his choice
is expected to lead to bad results, and that he had a better way to
spend the wealth, he would not have committed evil.
At some point in the future, when every human being understands this
principle of optimism well, and has sufficient knowledge, all evils
will be eradicated.
Criticisms? Questions?
-- Rami Rustom
http://ramirustom.blogspot.com
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sufficient knowledge. This is the principle of optimism. This means
that for every evil act, had the evildoer known that his act was evil,
and that there was a good option available to him, he would have done
good instead of evil. To explain this principle, I'll consider a few
hypothetical situations.
The first situation involves a parent giving her baby a bottle of
formula. The baby takes a sip and puts the bottle down on his tray.
Then the parent tried to coax the baby with cute eating methods
involving airplane sounds. The baby kept turning his head. Then the
parent got anxious and tried to force it in his mouth thinking that
she's doing it in the best interest of her baby. The baby responded by
hitting the bottle, knocking it to the floor. Then the parent used
more force and succeeded in getting her baby to drink the formula.
Hours later, the baby died. The autopsy showed that the baby was
poisoned. The police learned that the formula was tainted -- not just
the formula in the baby's bottle, but also the whole batch of formula
shipped by the manufacturer.
It’s important to consider who committed evil; the parent, the baby,
or both. The baby knew that the formula tasted really bad, so each
time that he rejected it, he was doing good. The parent knew that her
baby rejected the formula, so each time that she tried to coerce her
baby to drink it, she was committing evil.
Now consider a situation identical in all respects but one -- the
formula wasn’t tainted, so the baby didn't die. Who acted immorally?
Can the answer be different? Logically, the answer cannot be
different. Morality does not depend on the actual results, but rather
only the expected results. To illustrate this point, consider whether
or not it is moral for a father of five young children to choose to
spend all their wealth on lottery tickets. Does the moral choice
depend on whether or not he wins? No, the moral choice depends on
whether or not he’s expected to win.
As I’ve illustrated, every evil act is caused by insufficient
knowledge. In the case of the parent who forced her baby to drink the
bottle, had she known that coercing people is expected to lead to bad
results, and that persuasion doesn't have that fault, she would not
have resorted to coercion. In the case of the father who spent his
entire life savings on lottery tickets, had he known that his choice
is expected to lead to bad results, and that he had a better way to
spend the wealth, he would not have committed evil.
At some point in the future, when every human being understands this
principle of optimism well, and has sufficient knowledge, all evils
will be eradicated.
Criticisms? Questions?
-- Rami Rustom
http://ramirustom.blogspot.com
------------------------------------
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