RE: Morality and downloading
April 13, 2015 at 9:33 pm
(This post was last modified: April 13, 2015 at 9:34 pm by bennyboy.)
I've see in this thread so far a lot of justification and condemnation. However, I haven't seen anyone (forgive me if I missed you) discuss the WHY and HOW of establishing a moral framework about downloading.
On what philosophical basis should someone be condemned for downloading? On social contract-- I don't use your data because I don't want you using mine? Does that mean that Google and the American government are "pirates" and are behaving immorally? More importantly, can the desire of someone about their data be expected to act like a binding will, automatically accepted and respected by everyone?
Is the internet an environment, in which shared files are part of that shared environment? Why wouldn't this make a library letting people read books for free immoral? Or that whoever listens to music at a party but didn't pay for the right to listen to it is immoral?
What about me streaming my desktop, including sound? By sharing my own direct experience and letting someone virtually look over my shoulder, am I stealing from the music company? What if I give others control over my desktop, allowing them to vote on what song I will play next? What if I run a game on my computer, and charge people the right to control my computer, and to view the game (i.e. to play it without buying it)?
On what philosophical basis should someone be condemned for downloading? On social contract-- I don't use your data because I don't want you using mine? Does that mean that Google and the American government are "pirates" and are behaving immorally? More importantly, can the desire of someone about their data be expected to act like a binding will, automatically accepted and respected by everyone?
Is the internet an environment, in which shared files are part of that shared environment? Why wouldn't this make a library letting people read books for free immoral? Or that whoever listens to music at a party but didn't pay for the right to listen to it is immoral?
What about me streaming my desktop, including sound? By sharing my own direct experience and letting someone virtually look over my shoulder, am I stealing from the music company? What if I give others control over my desktop, allowing them to vote on what song I will play next? What if I run a game on my computer, and charge people the right to control my computer, and to view the game (i.e. to play it without buying it)?
