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by WastingMyTime89 1077 days ago
Ah yes, the famous "if it’s not me someone else would do it therefore the system is to blame and not me". What a great logical fallacy. Your actions remain immoral even if there is plenty of other people ready to be as immoral as you are.
3 comments
jjoonathan 1077 days ago
Both. We need both. Robins should be punished and the system should be fixed. Obviously. It's absolutely wild that we had to arrive here instead of starting here.

Personal responsibility is a good principle to live by but a dogshit principle for system design. It's a transparent but common ploy by the corrupt: "let's not fix the system and instead toss a few scapegoats to the plebs while we continue to rob them blind."

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bumby 1077 days ago
If we can agree that humans are imperfect, systems help nudge people towards more perfect.

I sure wish I had perfect willpower to avoid bad foods. But, alas, I am imperfect in that regard so I create a system that prevents bad foods from being in my house. The end result is that my behavior trends toward more perfect than had that system not be in place.

Moral philosophical discussions are fine and we can lament about the moral shortcomings of ourselves and others, but I think the systems argument is more pragmatic in creating real changes in behavior and outcomes.

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chromoblob 1076 days ago
This system is implementation of your willpower, though.
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hiatus 1076 days ago
The feedback is only post-facto though. Laws don't prevent behavior, they only describe consequences.
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bumby 1076 days ago
FWIW, I think laws can be part of a system, but they’re not the only implantation
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bumby 1076 days ago
What if the system is designed by somebody else?
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drewcoo 1077 days ago
Introducing morality is shifting the goalposts.

Besides, complaining about immoral people doesn't fix the problem. Changing the law might.

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WastingMyTime89 1076 days ago
That’s mixing cause and consequences. A society is shaped by its members not the other way round. The law can punish the most egregious transgressions. It won’t set the global standard. Education and social behaviour set the standards. If you want behaviour to disappear, stop treating them as acceptable.
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