From: Steve & Oxsana Marquis (marquis@nccn.net)
Date: Tue Jul 05 2005 - 19:48:05 BST
MSH wrote:
___________________
Evil is banal but not invisible. With astute external observation,
and lots of reflection inward, and, most important, the unfettered
flow of information between the island universes we've made of
ourselves, our participation in evil can be minimized and maybe
eliminated altogether. I think this will have to do, until the
estranging sea we've set between us subsides and the illusion of
proud individuality disappears, once and for all.
__________________
OK, Mark, how do you talk about intentionality without moral agency and
moral agents without some idea of a person? Are you suggesting we kill ego
entirely or just put it in its place?
Intentions value actions (intentions are the motivation for action), and
much of what results from this interplay of static patterns once intention
is actualized as action was not foreseen by the agent. Some of this can be
alleviated by critical thinking / careful consideration beforehand. IOW,
value understanding and value patience as opposed to value ego and value
passion. Form some clear intellectual patterns of value concerning what is
Quality in a given situation prior to acting. Focusing on action alone is
slipping again into SOM materialism, recognizing that only the physical deed
is 'real'.
Regardless, unless one is omnipotent, what some patterns will value given
intentional input cannot be foreseen. What could be foreseen, or, what a
'prudent' adult is expected to foresee, we can hold a person accountable
for. What this person (sorry, I'm sticking with the individual as the
smallest pattern of agency) cannot be held accountable for is what did occur
due to intention but an average prudent person would not have foreseen.
Accountability is after the fact and deals with actions. Responsibility
(response ability) is prior to the action and deals with intention. It
assumes agency. We need to deal with both ends. Certain actins can be an
immediate threat to social stability. However, this is always a band-aid
approach.
A higher quality approach is the training of appropriate use of the agent's
responsibility (ie, character, that which motivates) and in an MOQ sense
this would have to deal with an education in Quality; to perceive, intend,
and act, with Quality in mind. This would, of course, entail critical
thinking, so of course instances of unintended low quality consequences
would drop.
Learn what Quality is and apply it to your life, education of your young
ones, and how you deal with others.
Check out psychological egoism which claims that no act or intention can
ever be anything but 'selfish'. That's one perspective. Certainly one who
is motivated by social quality (the desire for fame) to do a certain act is
not selfless.
Live well,
Steve
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