An interesting point, don't you think?
Why are ethics questions always like:
"is it ethical to steal bread to feed your starving family?"
And not:
"is it ethical to hoard bread when families are starving?"
Maybe they are both unethical behaviours...I don't know... Right now, I'm reminded of toilet paper panic buying.
3
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Is it unethical to contend that ethics questions are rarely so cut and dried as that bread question?
Is it jejune to complain about the price of eggs on toast if chickens live in squalor?
Is it ludicrous to contend that stealing is wrong if it is the only way to save your family from death?
waitingforgodo
Level 8
Jan 16, 2023
1
What am I missing? The answer to both is are people selfish? But the main difference in the questions is stealing is illegal, hoarding is not. It's up to the state to regulate rationing in serious situations. However as you probably know, mandating masks to protect Society still resulted in assholes saying I don't have to do that.
lerlo
Level 8
Jan 16, 2023
2
Hoarding has been illegal in my country on several occasions.
I thought we were talking about ethics, not legality...
@ChestRockfield ok, I'll bite... is it always ethical to break the law?
@lerlo I would never use the word 'always' on any side of this coin. I would say it's not always unethical to break the law. I would also say following the law is not necessarily ethical. Basically, legality and ethics are independent of one another.
@ChestRockfield well hopefully you would admit that ethics are subjective and laws aren't
@lerlo Some laws are subjective, as is the charge for and conviction of, but generally, I'd agree. I mean, laws that define the infraction by assuming that "a person of reasonable sensibilities can do X" is all very subjective. Hell, many states allow police officers to write tickets for speeding based on an officer's visual assessment of how fast he thinks a car is driving. Doesn't get more subjective than that.
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