Hmmm. I don't think the French, or Indian, or Russian, or South African, or Brazilian leaders would be much impressed by being referred to as tinhorn dictators.
But you raise an interesting point.
It is our duty to act according to conscience, which
should generally jibe with the dominant notions of a society
Are you also going to dictate which society we have to be part of? You reject the concept of the world as a society. in the 1850s there were clearly two societies (at least) in this country, the Northern and the Southern. Do you accept that the Southern were entitled to have consciences which were in accord with the dominant notions of their society, which embraced slavery?
I get the basic impression that you are being totally self-oriented in this. People should conform to those societal groups you say they should (nation) and not those you say the shouldn't (world). Your societal group has a better set of moral standards than their societal groups, so they should reform their consciences and bring them into line with your conscience.
Personally, I am not so interested in imposing my will on others. I give them the respect of having opinions and views which, though different from mine, are not for that sole reason worse than mine. And I believe that I am a member not just of a US society but also of a world Society, which has duties (to use your phrase) of which I must take cognizance along with those duties impoosed by my country, my state, my community, and my family. |
