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> So if you believe in capitalism, your individual moral decisions do not matter. I understand what you're saying, and I agree with emphasizing the power of ma
by anonymous_sorry 3y ago
> So if you believe in capitalism, your individual moral decisions do not matter.
I understand what you're saying, and I agree with emphasizing the power of market design and regulation over individual responsibility.
But I wouldn't go so far as to say individual moral decisions do not matter. Firstly, consumer decisions matter. They are not as effective as the law in directing the market, but they aren't meaningless.
Secondly, ethical decisions matter to me as an individual even if their utilitarian outcome isn't clear. I try to behave as I wished everyone would behave, even if a few badly behaved people negate my efforts. I don't drop rubbish on an already littered street. Not because the street will look any better for my restraint, but because I don't want to normalise or implicitly condone antisocial behaviour through my actions. And I guess it's just intrinsically important to me.
That said, I might well have sold my company to Google for a big payout in 2014. I would certainly be more reluctant today however.