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Politics : Sharks in the Septic Tank
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To: The Philosopher who wrote (17403)6/26/2001 4:26:19 PM
From: TimF  Read Replies (1) of 82486
 
But then I realized that in a society, there really are very few, if any, decisions that are truly individual and don't affect society in general. My decision to use pot supports a vast criminal enterprise. Donne was right. None of us are islands; everything we do affects other people to some degree. So the category of purely individual morality is really a null class.

I disagree. A decision to use pot only supports a vast criminal enterprise because it is illegal. Then in itself can hardly be a reasonably justification for it being illegal. Also some action may affect society but that doesn't make it not a personal individual decision. For example I might be less productive if I smoked pot and that might slightly
decrease the overall wealth of society but if anything I do that makes me less productive is out then I guess we are going to have to outlaw me reading SI. Also what if you grow your own pot or get it from a friend who grows a few plants?

Some actions are attacks on other people or an abuse of their rights. Other actions are not directly attacks but put others in danger and show a reckless disregard for their safety (like drunk driving), other actions might be immoral atleast in the opinion of some (like smoking pot, or adultery which used to be illegal in many cases and in a few places or situations still is) and have effects or potential effects on others (pot smoking may support a criminal enterprise, and it may make you less productive, adultery can cause the other partner to feel hurt and betrayed and can break up families) but are not directly attacks on others, nor do they normally recklessly endanger others (If you smoke pot and drive you are endangering others but there is a separate law for that, if you adultery causes your spouse to freak out and get violent it may endanger others but it is the violence and lack of self control by your spouse that is responsible for the danger not your adultery). So atleast by the way I would define it the category of individual morality is anything but a null class.

Tim
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