- #1
superpaul3000
- 62
- 1
I was thinking about the golden rule today ("do to others what you would like to be done to you"). This seems like a good rule at first but it only works for certain people. Consider a crazy person who wants somebody to murder them. They are in fact obligated by the golden rule to go out and murder someone. So that makes me think we need to find a better rule from which we derive our laws.
Next I thought of the silver rule (which is the negative golden rule, "Do not do to others as you would not have them do to you"). This looks a little better. The crazy person is no longer obligated to murder others. However, they are not in violation of the silver rule if they do go murder someone.
So then I thought about the platinum rule ("do to others as they want done to them"). This rule looks a lot better. Now the crazy person is not allowed to murder people who don't want to be murdered. The only problem with this rule is that it obligates people to satisfy others wants. This seems unreasonable. What if I want to do nothing? Either I need to go against my wants to satisfy others wants or they need to sacrifice their wants so I can keep doing nothing.
I think the best rule would be the negative platinum rule (don't do to others what they don't want done to them). This rule still stops the crazy person and nobody has to fight about whose wants are more important. Is there an official metal name for this rule?
I am an ethical relativist so I don't think that there is such a thing as the right rule. Perhaps just a rule that is better at making more people happy. What do you think?
Next I thought of the silver rule (which is the negative golden rule, "Do not do to others as you would not have them do to you"). This looks a little better. The crazy person is no longer obligated to murder others. However, they are not in violation of the silver rule if they do go murder someone.
So then I thought about the platinum rule ("do to others as they want done to them"). This rule looks a lot better. Now the crazy person is not allowed to murder people who don't want to be murdered. The only problem with this rule is that it obligates people to satisfy others wants. This seems unreasonable. What if I want to do nothing? Either I need to go against my wants to satisfy others wants or they need to sacrifice their wants so I can keep doing nothing.
I think the best rule would be the negative platinum rule (don't do to others what they don't want done to them). This rule still stops the crazy person and nobody has to fight about whose wants are more important. Is there an official metal name for this rule?
I am an ethical relativist so I don't think that there is such a thing as the right rule. Perhaps just a rule that is better at making more people happy. What do you think?