Hi Don and MOQers
On 25 Feb 99, at 0:09, drose wrote:
> Horse wrote:
>
> Webster's New College Edition (at least it was new 20 years ago!) in
> which the above definition was given is my dictionary of choice.
The Concise Oxford English Dictionary has a very similar explanation, which was why I
used the Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy. It's included under political philosophy.
> > But one of the basic tenets of the MOQ is that it is moral to prevent
> > biology from damaging society. Isn't this coercion? Perhaps if we put
> > "where biological behaviour is likely to harm others" it would be more
> > acceptable.
>
> The short answer: It is the responsibility of the intellectual to
> maintain and help to evolve the social. Biology must be controlled, but
> the problem is to control it humanely. You can't have teenagers breeding
> indiscrimately, but you can't bottle up their sex drives completely, or
> you get a different, if not bigger, problem.
Why pick on teenagers?:) It's generally adults that cause most of the problem and they
should know better. I'm not sure about 'controlled', but certainly some form of restriction is
necessary in cases of excess, where that excess leads to the restriction of others to go
about their (legal and/or moral?) business. But I don't think that it is generally acceptable
to limit freedom for one's own good. You can justify anything on that basis.
> My current line of thought is developing in this direction; I'm not
> quite ready to float the trial balloon yet.
Let us (me) know when you do.
> > Which does nothing to detract from Socialism as equality of treatment,
> > rights and opportunity for all. What it does bring into focus is that
> > possibly democracy in general and representational democracy in
> > particular doesn't work.
>
> Actually, you could find this principle in ANY government. The more
> authoritarian, the bigger the disparity between the ruled and the ruling
> class. The representative republic is so far the best system for limiting
> the power of the ruling class. Pure democracy simply doesn't work.
Unless of course you let me run the world :) On second thoughts....
> > > For example, I give you the "most ethical administration in history"
> > > here in America.
> >
> > I'd have to disagree here. Any society that condones and practices
> > capital punishment fails to be ethical.
>
> Was in reference to Clinton administration. Tongue firmly in cheek.
Oops! Sorry about that. Irony isn't always easy to spot in an email.
> I make the same argument vis a vis abortion and ethics, but
> PLEASE let's not go there.
Agreed.
> > Tell me about it!!!!! I've got one 9 year old boy and two one year old
> > twin girls - > eek!
>
> Coincidence! My two oldest are twins (boy/girl) - I don't envy you at all.
> If you ever need some unscientific advice, let me know.
Okay Doctor Don :)
Horse
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