From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.4 (2020-01-24) on polar.synack.me X-Spam-Level: * X-Spam-Status: No, score=1.4 required=5.0 tests=BAYES_50,INVALID_MSGID autolearn=no autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4 X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit X-Google-Thread: 103376,1efdd369be089610 X-Google-Attributes: gid103376,public X-Google-Thread: 1025b4,1d8ab55e71d08f3d X-Google-Attributes: gid1025b4,public From: Scott Michel Subject: Re: what DOES the GPL really say? Date: 1997/07/01 Message-ID: <5p9iu3$fjp@delphi.cs.ucla.edu>#1/1 X-Deja-AN: 253730571 References: <33B014E3.3343@no.such.com> <5oqp9s$7vj$1@news.nyu.edu> Organization: UCLA CS Dept Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada,gnu.misc.discuss Date: 1997-07-01T00:00:00+00:00 List-Id: In gnu.misc.discuss Thomas Bushnell, n/BSG alleges: : Ronald Cole writes: : Kant identified a single categorical imperative as foundational for : ethics and gave several formulations of it, which he believed were : logically equivalent. Three of the most popular formulations are: : * Act as if the maxim of your action were to be a universal law of : nature. : * Act as if the maxim of your action were to be a universal moral : law. : * Never treat a person as a means, unless in that action you treat : them simultaneously as an end. : Kant explicitly stated that he believed this principle to be superior : to and different from the Golden Rule. Quick! We need a Randian to jump in and set things straight "Why Kant Is A Really Bad Thing"! The problem with the above rules is that they are subjective. I doubt if anyone can give me a concrete def'n what universal laws of nature and morality are (appealling to my rational side, not my emotional "But it's just good and the other is evil, dammit!") The "Golden Rule" is well defined, even in the abstract. It causes one to reflect as to what the consequences of action are. The same can't be said of Kant, who couldn't anyway, even in smug superiority. Thomas and I have sparred on this in the past. And I doubt that there will ever be any resolution to the Plato/Hegel/Kant vs. Aristotle/Aquinas/Rand dichotomy, so long as the P/H/K types claim that the A/A/R are unfeeling, overly rational, and just plain evil, dammit! -scottm -- Scott Michel Graduate School: UCLA Computer Science It's Not Just A Job. PhD Student It's An Indenture. "AND STOP CALLING ME Scooter!" :-)