bb@lanl-a.UUCP (08/20/83)
Actually Alan, if B gave the sword to A he would be an accessory
to murder, which is unlikely to be in B's best interest. The
Greek legal system may not have made such nice distinctions about
guilt as we do, but it seems to me that Plato's parable's point
was "Don't do anything which might make you feel very bad later,
even if not doing it makes you feel bad now." Not a very
enlightening moral, so perhaps you should tell us what Plato
really said in defense of B not giving the sword to A.
b2 Bryan Bingham ...ucbvax!lbl-csam!lanl-a!bb
p.s. The Greeks were very big on guilt, justice, and
punishment, so maybe Plato was just giving lawyer's advice.
And if the Greek courts weren't interested the Furies would've
been (remember Orestes?)laura@utcsstat.UUCP (Laura Creighton) (08/20/83)
If you decide not to give the sword to Damocles, then you believe that there is something more important than your rational bargain with Damocles (for instance, his wife, and her lover). All very well and good in such an example where most people will agree that life is rather important. But, you have now given yourself the right to judge other people by what you believe is good. Where does this belief in good come from? Why are Damocles' victims important to you? Pretend that you never knew them, and that Damocles is a very good and valuable friend to you, who will never forgive you (amd may try to kill you) if you do not give him the sword. Pretend that you have some means of protecting yourself from the authorities. (IE it would be impossible for them to prove that you gave Damocles the sword since only you and Damocles knew about the bargain). Right. does your belief in the "right to life" still win out? if so, is it rational? Laura Creighton utzoo!utcsstat!laura
laura@utcsstat.UUCP (Laura Creighton) (08/20/83)
For those of you who did not find my previous submission on Plato and Democles knotty enough, consider this. Democles asks you for the sword. Without thinking, you hand it to him. Then he tells you what he is going to do with it. Do you have a moral obligation to stop him? Suppose you hand him his sword, he goes on his way, and next day you hear for the first time that he killed his wife and lover. Do you feel guilty? Does your answer change if Damocles placed their bodies in a safe spot where neither you nor he can be found out? Does you answer change if Damocles lied to you and told you that he needed his sword to kill a mad dog he had in his atrium? What if Damocles *did* want the sword to kill the mad dog, but it was only after dispatching the dog that he discovered his wife (and that she had a lover), and in a rage he killed the two? When you accept responsibility for the sword, how far does this responsibility extend? Laura Creighton utzoo!utcsstat!laura