3 ms·

That view is insanely simplistic. Sometimes people do things that are against their own interests because they are in the clutches of an addiction. In these sit

That view is insanely simplistic. Sometimes people do things that are against their own interests because they are in the clutches of an addiction. In these situations, it is sometimes OK for someone to step in and overrule them. Sometimes it's not just OK, but morally necessary. It can be better to temporarily infringe someone's rights if it stops them from doing something that they will regret for the rest of their life.

sneak 13y ago
> It can be better to temporarily infringe someone's rights if it stops them from doing something that they will regret for the rest of their life. No, this is false. You're incapable of guessing what other people may or may not regret with enough accuracy to use it as a justification for infringing upon the rights of others. Furthermore, most are heavily influenced by societal norms and customs, making this even more dangerous a justification when used against the rights of those with eccentricities or nonstandard tastes or lifestyles. It's never ok to infringe upon someone's rights. A question: how do people find themselves "in the clutches of an addiction"? How do they escape? Could it possibly be their own free will to decide to smoke the first cigarette, or their individual decision to walk past the bar without going in, on their way home from AA?
- DanBC 13y ago
  > It's never ok to infringe upon someone's rights. Do you agree that it's right to have age restrictions for buying and selling alcohol?
  - sneak 13y ago
    Not at all. However, any responsible guardian of someone drinking underage should be subject to the appropriate penalties for neglect. It's not a child's fault when they make an error.
    - DanBC 13y ago
      > It's not a child's fault when they make an error You realise that many alcoholics start drinking when they're children?

3 ms·

That view is insanely simplistic. Sometimes people do things that are against their own interests because they are in the clutches of an addiction. In these sit

by callum85 13y ago

sneak 13y ago
> It can be better to temporarily infringe someone's rights if it stops them from doing something that they will regret for the rest of their life. No, this is false. You're incapable of guessing what other people may or may not regret with enough accuracy to use it as a justification for infringing upon the rights of others. Furthermore, most are heavily influenced by societal norms and customs, making this even more dangerous a justification when used against the rights of those with eccentricities or nonstandard tastes or lifestyles. It's never ok to infringe upon someone's rights. A question: how do people find themselves "in the clutches of an addiction"? How do they escape? Could it possibly be their own free will to decide to smoke the first cigarette, or their individual decision to walk past the bar without going in, on their way home from AA?
- DanBC 13y ago
  > It's never ok to infringe upon someone's rights. Do you agree that it's right to have age restrictions for buying and selling alcohol?
  - sneak 13y ago
    Not at all. However, any responsible guardian of someone drinking underage should be subject to the appropriate penalties for neglect. It's not a child's fault when they make an error.
    - DanBC 13y ago
      > It's not a child's fault when they make an error You realise that many alcoholics start drinking when they're children?