Wednesday, February 15, 2006
Violence
When is violence okay? When is it appropriate to use force or coercion against someone else? Obviously this is a "rights" question, but it is also quite timely. We are in a war on numerous fronts of the globe, radical Islams are violently protesting cartoons, and there are numerous holy wars and land grabs in Africa and Asia. So when is it just to use violent means?
Lysander Spooner said that if someone else's rights were being infringed upon, then other individuals were well within their rights to assist them with force. I suppose that is an eye for an eye approach, which actually seems appropriate. It seems that this is the correct approach, but what about our own morals? Since most Americans have this Judeo-Christian cultural background, does morality play into this at all. Should it? What do you think?
Lysander Spooner said that if someone else's rights were being infringed upon, then other individuals were well within their rights to assist them with force. I suppose that is an eye for an eye approach, which actually seems appropriate. It seems that this is the correct approach, but what about our own morals? Since most Americans have this Judeo-Christian cultural background, does morality play into this at all. Should it? What do you think?
