RE: Whose business is it, anyway?

From: Rafal Smigrodzki (rms2g@virginia.edu)
Date: Fri Jan 10 2003 - 07:28:02 MST


Samantha wrote:
> Rafal Smigrodzki wrote:
>
>> ### No, why?
>>
>> When we see a passers-by being assailed with a knife, we predict
>> this might result in bodily harm to her, and since we would not like
>> to be bodily harmed ourselves, the Golden Rule demands that we act
>> in the predicted interest of that person. I hope you wouldn't
>> indifferently wait and see her die, rather than call the police,
>> would you?
>>
>
> Well, calling the police in such a situation is very unlikely to
> do the potential victim any good. Whether you directly
> intervened should be determined by the value of the person to
> you weighed against the likelihood of serious injury to
> yourself. The Golden Rule is not absolutely determinate of
> what, if anything, we "should" do in such a circumstance. Also
> there is the unanswered question of why the Golden Rule should
> be quoted as if is an axiomatic standard at all here.
>
### I am just trying to find out if Lee would consider doing anything at
all, or see any interference as meddling in somebody else's business.
Exactly what to do and how much risk to assume is a somewhat separate
matter. I would use the Golden Rule to determine it.

Rafal



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