Philosophical Quandry: Piracy

[geoschmo]

Originally posted by minipol:
So by your definition morality is unaffected by upbringing and culture? I'm not sure i agree with you although i'm trying to understand what you are saying.

For example, in some cultures a man is allowed to have several wifes. It's not considered immoral. Here it is. So how can morality be absolute then?
I'm just trying to see your point of view here.

Perhaps Pvk was right all along and it is merely a difference of definitions. When i say morality is absolute, I am not trying to say everything that anyone in the world says is moral or immoral is absolute. Not every facet of human behavior and interaction is something I would define as a moral issue. But I do believe there are certain fundamental issues of right and wrong that are moral issues. Stealing and murder are two of those. There are a few others, but not a lot. My moral code isn't exactly the Code of Hamurabi.

The question at hand was not whether multiple wives is immoral or merely a cultural belief. The question was whether or not copying software was moral. I said it was not and then got roped into a discussion of whether or not anyone has the right to say whether anything is moral or not.

That is an evasive answer, but it's the best I can do. I am uncomfortable with the prospect of sitting in judgment of each and every possible rhetorical question about morals anyone wants to bring up.

Geoschmo

[ July 12, 2003, 02:14: Message edited by: geoschmo ]

[Fyron]

I said it was not and then got roped into a discussion of whether or not anyone has the right to say whether anything is moral or not.

Again, you have missed my point entirely. Within a culture, moral values tend to be fairly stable, and thus approach absoluteness. The question was not whether it was morally correct or not in other cultures, but within the context of US culture. You made statements about wholely different issues on the relative/absolute nature of morality. This is an entirely separate issue from whether copying the game is morally correct or not. I did not ever once comment on your belief that copying it was immoral, just on the other parts of your post that made the (wrong) claim that morality is absolute.

But just because you believe something does not change what is right and wrong.

This is a two-way street Geo. Just because you believe something does not make it right. Like your belief about morality being absolute.

Morality has to be absolute by definition in order to be morality.

No, it does not.

As a man of science I am sure you understand the need to have absolute points of referance in order to make any sort of measurments. Without them all your measurments are useless.

Measurements of human nature tend to be rather useless.

[ July 12, 2003, 02:21: Message edited by: Imperator Fyron ]

[minipol]

Geo,

now i know what you mean. I thought that was what you meant but wasn't sure. Oh, and you aren't being judged, it's just a discussion (wildly out of control )
It's all Fyrons fault

[Fyron]

Originally posted by Thermodyne:
LOL, heck Kazz, I'm in a mood tonight. What side of this do you want me to take.

Take whatever side you want.

[Fyron]

But I do believe there are certain fundamental issues of right and wrong that are moral issues. Stealing and murder are two of those.

That is what I said, you know (essentially). Whether stealing and murder are morally wrong or right is relative, depending on the culture in which you live. But, those are certainly absolutely moral issues in every culture. It is the specific value of them that is not absolute.

[Thermodyne]

OK a company sells CD burners. Same company sells recorded digital media. People use the recorders to copy and distribute the digital content. Said company now asks for protection from its customers who are purchasing burners to burn media. That’s kind of a strange situation IMHO. The company helped create the problem; shouldn’t they invest in a solution? Also, if a pier to pier provider makes it possible for people to easily break the law, would this come under the laws pertaining to public nuisance and disorderly enterprise. There is no threshold of intent to be met under these laws.

[Baron Munchausen]

Originally posted by Imperator Fyron:
EULAs are not actually legally enforceable. You can make as many copies of any CD as you want. As long as you do not distribute the copies, it is 100% legal, as they are backup copies. If you really want, you can go make 150000 copies of your Windows CD. As long as you keep every Last one, Microsoft can not do anything to you.

Actually, should Microsloth discover that you possess 150,000 copies of your Windows CD they would probably sue, and argue that possession of so many copies indicates intent to distribute.