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0 pointsmcmcmc1mo ago0 comments

> There is nothing morally wrong in felonies like this, just don't get caught.

Highly debatable. If you believe in a categorical imperative that to intentionally deceive another person is wrong, then lying by omission is still an immoral act. A Christian might also interpret the words of Jesus “Render to Caesar what is Caesar’s” as an imperative to comply fully with the law of the land.

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pluralfossum1mo ago

Mala in se vs. mala prohibita.

I don't think it's all that debatable to say that deceiving people is categorically wrong, nor is it to say that it's immoral not to follow the laws of the land -- both are obviously untrue as absolute statements.

For extreme examples, would it be immoral to lie to the Gestapo about harboring Jews? Were people illegally helping slaves escape the American South being immoral?

HWR_141mo ago

> would it be immoral to lie to the Gestapo about harboring Jews?

This is something that first/second year philosophy students do debate.

defrost1mo ago

Minnosoteans are currently hiding, feeding, and supplying undocumented community members.

They are not debating it.

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mcmcmcOP1mo ago

You are completely missing the point of the categorical imperative. There are no exceptions, no loopholes, no utilitarian calculus.

> For extreme examples, would it be immoral to lie to the Gestapo about harboring Jews? Were people illegally helping slaves escape the American South being immoral?

If you believe in that categorical imperative, then yes. I’m not saying I believe in it or that Kantian philosophy is the only correct one. There are endless belief systems and philosophical schools of thought that can be used to answer that question, and they will have different answers for different reasons.

kelnos1mo ago

There are many laws in many jurisdictions that are immoral. Following those laws would be an immoral act. Legality and morality should be aligned, but in the real world they often aren't.

If Jesus (assuming he existed, even, regardless of any sort of divinity) tells us that following the law is always the moral thing to do, then he was wrong.

raverbashing1mo ago

Cool, you do that then. I bet you'll get a gold star at the end of the year

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