(August 7, 2022 at 3:43 pm)The Grand Nudger Wrote: So, sure, a criminal can (and should, and does) expect all of the benefits of the social contract afforded to his station or acts. That's usually not much, when it comes to criminals, but it's the basic unit. Think of it this way - just because a guy doesn't pay you, as per the contract, doesn't mean that you get to chop his arm off in retaliation. You already knew that, right?
That's a strange analogy. Hypothetical guy has broken a financial contract, and I will not fulfill the services or promises that I made in exchange for money. But we are still both bound by the other laws of society, including not cutting off arms in retaliation for broken financial contracts.
It seems to me that the contract between citizen and state is at the top of the ethical food chain, and that respect for the lives of others, their families and their property is fundamental. There's no parent node left to fall back to if you've violated the rights of others to that degree, at least in my view.
