🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <6giu5c$f6v$1@usenet54.supernews.com>, HiThere@outtatown.com
(HiThere) wrote:

> In article <gall-0804981854480001@usrts1m3.uwinnipeg.ca>,
gall@uwinnipeg.ca (Norman Gall) wrote:

> >No it doesn't. No conditional... a 'categorical' imperative, if you will.
 
> To make this clearer for me, can you identify a justifiable, categorically 
> imperative positive obligation of duty that isn't expressed as a passive 
> (eg. do nothing to impede) or a negative (eg. don't initiate force)?

"Give every man and woman their due."

This can be defended in exactly the same way at Kant's CI.
 
> Aside, I think my biggest problem here is that if I express something like 
> *consider only relevancies* and impose that action through legislation, I am 
> acting with exceeding--and possibly very unjustified arrogance: I am stating 
> that I am certain enough of my ability to assign the correct hierarchy to 
> values--and to identify values/what is truly relevant--that I may _impose_ 
> them to the point where they _must_ be acted on by others.

This isn't arrogance, but the faithful discharge of our duty to ensure
that no injustice is done that cannot otherwise be prevented.

> I am comfortable stating that I have my individual right to _respond_ to the 
> inititation of force/compulsion to act--but I sure don't even see that that 
> obligates people to act to protect me. Protecting me is justifiable, but
that  
> doesn't equate with my having some right to force people to protect
me--unless 
> I explicitly contract for that service and pay for it.

Or that person otherwise has a duty (role responsibility) to render help -
i.e., police officer.

> I can't do that to someone without asserting that others have the right to do 
> that to me. Why would I want to do that?

I think you are confusing perfect right and imperfect rights.  One might
have the right to life, but it  might be that no one individual has the
obligation to provide for it. Not every right generates a *specific*
individual obligation.

And some obligations are not generated by someone's specific individual
right. It might come from a duty.

Norm Gall

-- 
"The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance." - Socrates