But using nuance and constructive statements is more difficult than hard line rhetoric. People gravitate to stupid slogans and simple absolute language; it is though killing and destructive to actual conversation.
In the example “it is NEVER unethical to steal food”; this isn’t a real position to take; it is grandstanding and shallow; this argument falls at the first hurdle.
Saying something like:
“Theft of food; whilst not necessarily unethical; could be at best morally neutral. The specifics of each situation need be weighed on their merits. Where a person is taking food to feed their family, and the theft doesn’t materially affect the owner of the food, such as a large supermarket chain; this act is not unethical.”
Is not a pithy and hard hitting as the stupid statement “It is never unethical to steal food. It is unethical to stop someone from stealing food, or report someone for stealing food, or to arrest someone for stealing food.”
There is vast difference between stealing something and robbing somebody.
Indeed, but the absolute statement can be so easily twisted to meet the ends of moment, it really matters little.
Who says that the homeless person isn’t off taking a shit, their food unattended, thus back to stealing rather than robbing!
What a shitty way to think.
Maybe.
But using nuance and constructive statements is more difficult than hard line rhetoric. People gravitate to stupid slogans and simple absolute language; it is though killing and destructive to actual conversation.
In the example “it is NEVER unethical to steal food”; this isn’t a real position to take; it is grandstanding and shallow; this argument falls at the first hurdle.
Saying something like:
“Theft of food; whilst not necessarily unethical; could be at best morally neutral. The specifics of each situation need be weighed on their merits. Where a person is taking food to feed their family, and the theft doesn’t materially affect the owner of the food, such as a large supermarket chain; this act is not unethical.”
Is not a pithy and hard hitting as the stupid statement “It is never unethical to steal food. It is unethical to stop someone from stealing food, or report someone for stealing food, or to arrest someone for stealing food.”
Whatever you need to tell yourself, buddy.
If you can’t seem to understand the words “Always” and “Never”, then that is on you.