The Mathematical Error of Prevailing Selfishness

[BrianSoddingBoru4]

So, all lives have value, but some have more value than others. That’s charmingly Orwellian.

Boru

I said I have no answer.  I don't like wars, but the unwillingness to ever go to war is a complete loser in game theory, just as not punishing law-breakers would be.

Rather than saying "might makes right", I am coming to the conclusion that nice rules for behavior like "don't kill" and "treat others nicely" are not absolutes, but depend on the existence of civilization to handle the wrong-doers.  I can be all "treat others nicely" until someone takes all my stuff.

At the level of nations, there is no civilization beyond what we might create in terms of treaties, and then someone inevitably breaks them.  I have no simple answer, because I realize that any absolute rule I could mention has counter-examples (cue up Godwin's Law for instance).

Well (apart from the technological developments the seem to engender), I’m not much of a fan of war myself. But that’s not really what I was driving at.

You seemed to be saying that the life of a recreational torturer/murderer is valued less than that of other people. I’m fine with that bit. But where we differ is that you’re saying society should be structured so as to allow the individual to maximize their own well-being and happiness. Under such a system there could be no wrong-doers.

Boru