🚀 go-pugleaf

kenb@ee.ubc.ca (ken buckland) writes:
>coatta@cs.ubc.ca (Terry Coatta) writes:
>>buckland@ucs.ubc.ca (Tony Buckland) writes:

[ big test case discussion about how it is apparently OK to ask someone
not to put a 30 storey sunscreen beside your house but apparently not OK
to ask that daycare facilities be necessary in any 30 storey sunscreen ]

>>>There is just one: "Stay the hell out of my way."  More specific versions can
>>>be extrapolated from this.  The general theme, as I stated, is to protect
>>>people from other people.
>>
>>On whose authority do you proclaim this as being the ``correct''
>>fundamental axiom for society?
>
>Mine.  I want people to stay out of my way.  Would you suggest that I not 
>be allowed that?  I am not proposing a fundamental axiom for society, I am
>proposing a fundamental axiom for me.  Everyone else can pick their own
>(as long as they don't violate mine); I am sure that most will choose
>something similar to mine.

Well, my personal fundamental axiom is "Let me do what I want to" (don't
worry, it's OK to end PFAs with a preposition, or even a proposition).
Whoops, that wasn't similar to yours.  Oh, wait, you ruled out me picking
any rights that interfere with yours.  How can we resolve this?

>>The point I was making in asking the question is that we have NO
>>ultimate authority to appeal to.  Society is, in effect, its own
>>ultimate arbiter and we can collectively ascribe to whatever set
>>of rights we please.
>
>I have done just that.  By myself.  I don't need society's help.

[ and then a little later ... ]

>The only flaw with my self-chosen rights is that I cannot physically 
>defend them against a large crowd of people.  I am relying on the decency of
>people.  If they aren't decent, then we are talking fascism or communism, or 
>a milder version like Canada.

I see, you're relying on the society you live in to support your rights.
And you live in a decent society where most of the people support the
same kinds of things you do.  Are you sure your rights were self-chosen,
or are you just going with the flow?

Sorry, you can't start with everyone's list of personal rights and
parlay that into a law system or society.