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Terrorism fully compatible and justifiable with utilitarian ethics. As utilitarian ethics become increasingly popular, you should expect terrorism to become les
by kiba 3y ago
Terrorism fully compatible and justifiable with utilitarian ethics. As utilitarian ethics become increasingly popular, you should expect terrorism to become less repugnant.
Anybody with ounce of brain cells would realize that such actions are contradictory and counterproductive to any sort of ethical system seriously espoused by anyone.
It's absolutely self defeating and likely won't convince anyone to change their mind.
- s1artibartfast 3y agoHistory is literally full of cultures and populations that have bought into the utilitarian ideal that the ends justify the means. Basically every culture believes this to a certain extent, the perpetrators just dont call it terrorism.
- kiba 3y agoHistory is literally full of cultures and populations that have bought into the utilitarian ideal that the ends justify the means. Basically every culture believes this to a certain extent, the perpetrators just dont call it terrorism. I was referring to the honest discussion of ethic, not bankrupt self-justification for any cause and for any reason.
- s1artibartfast 3y agoI dont know what you mean. These are things that people actually believe, often the majority of them.
- BobaFloutist 3y agoDoes that take into account that terrorist actions will cause a(n influential) subset of humans to determinedly oppose your goals, even if they would support them otherwise? The problem with terrorism with a utilitarian lens is that humans aren't strictly rational actors, and are smart enough to deliberately disincentivize things they hated such as terrorism. The only world in which utilitarian terrorism makes sense is the one in which all actors are fundamentally rational, in which the assumed possibility of terrorism would motivate people to behave in a manner sufficient to render it unnecessary.
- s1artibartfast 3y agoI don't think it is a great strategy, and I think there is a reason it is used by desperate groups. It has a low chance of direct success, but that doesn't mean it is hopeless. Futhermore, there other lots of other utilitarian uses, besides actually "winning a conflict", eg attention, sympathy, reactionism. Not to dive too deep into current events, but support for Palestinians, Gaza, and Hamas is probably at historic all time high right now. opposition is also at an all time time, but sometimes you might care more about one factor than the net balance.