Posted by Tamar on October 2, 2005, at 21:17:48
In reply to Re: fully permissive... » Tamar, posted by alexandra_k on October 2, 2005, at 20:21:31
> In fact... I'm not 100% sure on this but I think it is morally acceptable to do acts which harm oneself so long as they do not harm others. Though we can haggle over the harm to others who care about the person... I guess I think I'm morally okay in insisting on smoking cigarettes so long as I take it away from other people and don't inflict it on them.Yeah, I tend to agree. I quit smoking yesterday (so far so good) and I'm terrified of turning into one of those born-again non-smokers who hate all nicotine. It's an interesting question whether it's morally OK to harm yourself. I remember a court case involving some gay S/M that prompted discussion of these issues...
> Interesting to consider...
> That a great deal of academic philosophy...
> Lies in constructing elaborate stories...
> To show how beliefs which are 'in tension'
> Don't result in contradiction.Yeah. I've been reading theology for some time and it seems like just that kind of philosophical exercise. (Aquinas apparently believed that masturbation was worse than sexual assault because at least sexual assault can lead to conception, so it's natural. I'm oversimplifying but I don't think I'm doing Aquinas a grave injustice...)
And sometimes the people who believed the 'wrong' thing died for their philosophical (theological) stance.
> Another line of attack is to maintain that contradictions aren't fatal... But maybe thats both true and false ;-)
:) Maybe we should put philosophers in charge of things!
poster:Tamar
thread:561841
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20050929/msgs/562144.html