Good People
May 10, 2021 at 9:18 pm
(This post was last modified: May 10, 2021 at 9:21 pm by John 6IX Breezy.)
I've come across an idea that I find alarming. (I've no doubt encountered it as a result of the pandemic, but its application is not restricted to it.)
The idea is this: You are an evil person if you do not make sacrifices for the greater good. As a tangible example: If you do not take the vaccine (and whatever risks are associated with it) you are an evil person by failing to protect others. It is something like forced kindness, perhaps to the exclusion of personal safety and autonomy.
This thread isn't about vaccines, but about this specific argument. There are millions of scenarios that can be enforced using the same argument. China's one child policy is perhaps another example. You sacrifice your fertility for the greater good of others. (I'm not knowledgeable in ethics. My guess is that it is a utilitarian argument. One that values the group above the individual.)
The question: Is this approach to morality beneficial or dangerous? Should there be any limitations to it?
The idea is this: You are an evil person if you do not make sacrifices for the greater good. As a tangible example: If you do not take the vaccine (and whatever risks are associated with it) you are an evil person by failing to protect others. It is something like forced kindness, perhaps to the exclusion of personal safety and autonomy.
This thread isn't about vaccines, but about this specific argument. There are millions of scenarios that can be enforced using the same argument. China's one child policy is perhaps another example. You sacrifice your fertility for the greater good of others. (I'm not knowledgeable in ethics. My guess is that it is a utilitarian argument. One that values the group above the individual.)
The question: Is this approach to morality beneficial or dangerous? Should there be any limitations to it?
