Thank you for taking the time to reply. I don't mean to diminish your answer but you didn't need to persuade me. I thought I knew what you were going to say because I’ve had this conversation with myself often and have come to the same conclusion. But you said it way better than I ever could! These were my thoughts: If we are victims of …
Thank you for taking the time to reply. I don't mean to diminish your answer but you didn't need to persuade me. I thought I knew what you were going to say because I’ve had this conversation with myself often and have come to the same conclusion. But you said it way better than I ever could! These were my thoughts: If we are victims of time and space, and all those moments make us who we are, who we become is inescapable…? We could not have made any choices other than the ones we did?
But as you said, we are works in progress. Those who by random chance experienced thousands of tiny moments that led them toward being better have a moral duty to continue to make good choices. The desire to become a better person, and in turn make the world a better place for everyone, is a very heavy burden to bear.
How do we create incentives for people to become better than the worst moments that have shaped them? To not succumb to spreading suffering because they themselves suffered but despite their suffering, choose to flourish?
That's a difficult question, but the fact that you're asking it and thinking in that way means we're headed in the right direction. The ultimate goal is maximizing flourishing while minimizing needless suffering. Whatever incentives we can create to help people flourish, we should pursue them!
Absolutely LOVED this exchange. Well done you two. Please read Robert Sapolsky's book (I hope I have spelt his name right, apologies if I haven't) "Behave" in which he discusses these issues. His conclusion is that, right up to the point at which we (as Society) convict a person for a crime we must assume that (s)he had agency over their decisions. BUT, as soon as they do become so convicted, we need to switch to understand that they are indeed a product of their genes and their experience, over which they had no control. We must then use their 'correctional punishment' = my phrase - to give them an "experience" that will help them understand their error and prevent them from making a similar mistake again. In the context of Trump, I certainly hope that one of the legal cases against him now, might teach him the error of his ways before he can do any more damage to American Society. Bruce Danckwerts CHOMA, Zambia
Thank you for taking the time to reply. I don't mean to diminish your answer but you didn't need to persuade me. I thought I knew what you were going to say because I’ve had this conversation with myself often and have come to the same conclusion. But you said it way better than I ever could! These were my thoughts: If we are victims of time and space, and all those moments make us who we are, who we become is inescapable…? We could not have made any choices other than the ones we did?
But as you said, we are works in progress. Those who by random chance experienced thousands of tiny moments that led them toward being better have a moral duty to continue to make good choices. The desire to become a better person, and in turn make the world a better place for everyone, is a very heavy burden to bear.
How do we create incentives for people to become better than the worst moments that have shaped them? To not succumb to spreading suffering because they themselves suffered but despite their suffering, choose to flourish?
That's a difficult question, but the fact that you're asking it and thinking in that way means we're headed in the right direction. The ultimate goal is maximizing flourishing while minimizing needless suffering. Whatever incentives we can create to help people flourish, we should pursue them!
Thanks very much for engaging, Stephanie.
Thank YOU, Angel!!!
Absolutely LOVED this exchange. Well done you two. Please read Robert Sapolsky's book (I hope I have spelt his name right, apologies if I haven't) "Behave" in which he discusses these issues. His conclusion is that, right up to the point at which we (as Society) convict a person for a crime we must assume that (s)he had agency over their decisions. BUT, as soon as they do become so convicted, we need to switch to understand that they are indeed a product of their genes and their experience, over which they had no control. We must then use their 'correctional punishment' = my phrase - to give them an "experience" that will help them understand their error and prevent them from making a similar mistake again. In the context of Trump, I certainly hope that one of the legal cases against him now, might teach him the error of his ways before he can do any more damage to American Society. Bruce Danckwerts CHOMA, Zambia