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tolerance, justice and equality

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chocfudge
Crew

PostPosted: Wed Jul 20, 2005 1:46 am


Tolerance is a really really nice thing. It can make our lives more pleasant and achieve that we can live with people that are totally different, have different cultures and habits that seem strange to us. Tolerance means accepting others even though they are different.

But tolerance doesn't always work. What about someone that doesn't tolerate others? We say we need to tolerate and integrate every kind of person in our society. But what to do about those very intolerant people? Should we, the 'tolerant' people at the end even tolerate people that are intolerant? It seems slightely like a paradox, but this question is in my head since some time.

And then if 'everybody is equal', everybody means also prostitutes; criminals; convicts; drug dealers; pimps; alcoholics; smokers; child rapists; porn stars and people that beat their family members. What should we do about these people? They somehow are society's outcasts, it is understandable for me, but still this just shows that not everybody is equal! It can't be. Because there are so many differences in every single one of us.

Financial differences is one of the most important and aggravating differences. Although I'm not really rich, I always have food to eat, clothes to wear and a roof to sleep under. Others aren't as fortunate. How could I possibly say that they are equal? They cannot be because I'm so much better off than they are. There is no real 'social equality'. The rich and influential have more rights and they have more power. It always has been like this. But again understandable for me.

The German social system is pretty good, underprivileged people are helped and there are a lot of charity organizations etc. But do you really have a clean consciousness knowing that there are so many people that still cannot read and write because they are too poor? Knowing that there are little kids working their a** off everyday for minimal wages, so that we can have some expensive clothes to wear? Knowing that there are a lot of people in poor countries that are hungry when we throw away food again? Knowing that many people don't even know what a computer is, don't say what the internet is while we are spending most of our free time in front of a PC?

This makes me feel that the world is unjust. It really is and I just happen to be on the fortunate side. We cannot control in what kind of family or surrounding we are born in, but don't you feel lucky to live in a country that gives you freedom of speech, expression and all? I am. I couldn't imagine living somewhere where books are banned because their content is against their government or something else. I saw Michael Moore's Bowling for Columbine and bought his Stupid White Man (haven'r read it yet though) and thought it was interesting what he was talking about in his documentary film. But in other countries he would have been executed, maybe!? Isn't it crazy to think about that?

Now please discuss:

~Social equality, is it even possible? I don't mean the kind of an utopian world, but just a little more just maybe?
~Tolerance is the key? Why can it work sometimes, why not?
~Is there justice? What is justice for you? Do you think you are living in a place where you can find justice?
PostPosted: Wed Jul 20, 2005 9:51 am


~Social equality, is it even possible? I don't mean the kind of an utopian world, but just a little more just maybe?

All things in nature are in a dynamic equilibrium. In other words, an equilibrium only it isn't a flatline; it has ups and downs but on the whole, the ups and downs balance each other out. It's no different with human society. Social equality is inherently a vision never to be realized, but not one to avoid striving for.

Sometimes, however, I wish people would stop for a second and instead of complaining about their position in life, apprechiate what they DO have. It's been my experience that a great many people take for granted the blessings they have, and instead fixate on what they don't have. Sometimes it is wise to see one's place in society and in life for a few moments.


~Tolerance is the key? Why can it work sometimes, why not?

I did a File once on the critical value of tolerance of the intolerant. Because we are ALL intolerant. Each and every one of us has something we just do not tolerate. But remember, tolerance isn't neccesarily agreeing with everybody. It's understanding they have a right to do as they do. Murderers have every right to kill, just as the law has every right to punish them. It's amazing how many people are tolerant of one and not of the other.

Tolerance in the absolute sense isn't possible. Humans require a construction of reality to function - a set of rules, a paradigm, whatever you wish to call it - that both defines who they are and how they interact with/see the world. We all develop our set modes of thought, and because of that, we aren't as tolerant of things that deviate from our model. Is that a bad thing? Not really. Wouldn't life be terribly boring without different ideas and the conflicts between them?

~Is there justice? What is justice for you? Do you think you are living in a place where you can find justice?

Justice... is a strange topic. It is not one I have given a lot of thought to; instead I focus on the concept of honor which if followed, implicity leads to justice. Or at least it SHOULD. Often, justice is not honorable, or does not strive for peaceful resolutions as effectively as it could. It's a complicated issue I don't wish to speak on... I am unsure of what I woudl say.

Starlock
Vice Captain


chaoticpuppet
Crew

PostPosted: Wed Jul 20, 2005 4:47 pm


chocfudge
~Social equality, is it even possible? I don't mean the kind of an utopian world, but just a little more just maybe?

Once we stop looking at ourselves as human, and get more specific, differences come in, and we lose equality.

Capitalism is not, in any way, primarily based off of how hard one is willing to work. Do not fool yourselves into thinking that for even one second (it is a secondary factor though). It is about how much society wants the "product" one is offering. The higher the demand, the better the "product" does, the lower the demand the worse the product does.

Think about it this way. Society is willing to "reward" those who are the most wanted, not necessarily those who are the most willing or most able to help.

To become equal (in the setting of a society), one of a few things must happen.
1. We lose any and all pride we have for anything.
2. We must become the same as everyone else.
3. The previous two, could be phrased to look like (or could be distinctly different from) we must become mindless drones.

4. We all must die.
5. Only one person is living.

Quote:
~Is there justice? What is justice for you? Do you think you are living in a place where you can find justice?

Yes, there is justice. There is never not justice. Furthermore, justice is an objectively subjective term. What I mean by this, is that justice, is objective only in a given specific society; i.e. justice is that which is determined by the majority of a society.

For me, justice is, the current legal system of the U.S.

Seriously though, see justice = objectively subjective.

Yes, I am living in a place where I can find justice. It may not be perfect justice, but, justice, will never be perfect, due to the subjective part of it.
PostPosted: Wed Jul 20, 2005 6:05 pm


chocfudge
~Social equality, is it even possible? I don't mean the kind of an utopian world, but just a little more just maybe?

Perhaps true equality is impossible, but things could be a lot better than they are now. We've come a long way, but we have a long way to go.
chocfudge
~Tolerance is the key? Why can it work sometimes, why not?

Tolerance may be enough for some, but I prefer to seek out respect and understanding. Yes, we should tolerate the intolerant, if not we become intolerant ourselves.
chocfudge
~Is there justice? What is justice for you? Do you think you are living in a place where you can find justice?

I don't know about justice. I think that it exists in most cases, but there exist some where it is impossible to find, and others where it doesn't exist at all.

SyphaBelnades


Tigress Dawn

Hygienic Noob

PostPosted: Fri Jul 22, 2005 6:13 pm


chocfudge
~Social equality, is it even possible? I don't mean the kind of an utopian world, but just a little more just maybe?

I'd have to say that it will always be impossible for everyone to be equal. In order for cities and places to be built, we need grunt workers to build them. You can't expect a man who just blew 100k on college to be paid the same as some man working in construction. Of couse, like Puppet said, pay goes towards where the demand is. Why else do actors get paid so much for sitting around doing hardly anything?

The whole equality question reminds me of those creepy books where everyone IS equal, everyone gets the same thing. People who are different are killed. Everyone is given a different role for society. The books always end up with someone discovering the outside world, or a better place to live because equality doesn't equal happiness. Equality also means having to kill off those with physical and mental disabilities, health issues, speach problems, etc. Otherwise, in order for everyone to be the same without killing would be to sever our spinals, slit our tongues, pound our heads till we had enough brain damage to be stupid, and inject us with anthrax.

Now I do believe that everyone has equal rights. Everyone has the right to live, eat, and persue happiness (should their happiness consist of mass slaughter, the government has the right to lock them up). But I don't believe everyone is equal. We all think differently, therefore we are different, and thusly not equal.


Quote:
~Tolerance is the key? Why can it work sometimes, why not?

Tolerance doesn't work everywhere. There are some types of people I can't tolerate, and refuse to try. In fact I'd be happy if they were obliterated off the planet. Everyone has something or someone they can't and won't tolerate.

Does that mean I have the right to go and kill someone simply because I refuse to tolerate them? No. For one, they do have the right to live and they do have the right to believe what they believe. Now if they were to committ an illegal action based on those beliefs then, like Starlock said, the police have the right to arrest them. The have a right to believe what they do and set up a set of standards based off those beliefs, just as I have the right to hate them for it.


Quote:
~Is there justice? What is justice for you? Do you think you are living in a place where you can find justice?

Justice is a rather..lucrative term. For instance a man could steal someone's wallet, then the man that it was stolen from could give the thief a good a** kicking and it would be justice. Also, that same man that kicked the s**t out of the thief could be arrested and barred for assault and battery and it would also be justice.

Justice pretty much is when someone is punished for doing something they shouldn't or a person is returned something that was wrongfully taken away (over charge on a receipt).

Justice can only really be called justice when the man who was wronged is satisfied with what was done to correct the problem. For instance, instead of beating the theif down, the man could simply demand it back and be happy that he is once again in possession of his wallet and decides to give the theif some change to get by for the night. That would be justice. Its like in high school how some people needed to see whoever "insulted" them beat up in order to be satisfied with being wronged and others simply were happy with an appology. Now the person who was just beat could go and get his gang of friends to beat up whoever beat him and that would be justice for him.

I do believe that we are living in a world where justice can be found. I normally get compensated for whatever was wrongfully done to me. Of course, I'm rather laid back so when I do demand reperation, the person who did something to me knows that they did do something wrong.

Meh..like I said..its a lucrative term.
PostPosted: Fri Jul 22, 2005 6:19 pm


Very nice, Tigress Dawn. I agree in many points you have.

Tolerance is good and necessary, yet can't replace real acceptance or even respect.

Equality is impossible unless we are all the same in any aspect of our lives.

Justice is often subjective and on its own not always 'just'. It is something mankind invented in order to justify their laws and rules. It doesn't always apply the way it is written down though.

chocfudge
Crew


chaoticpuppet
Crew

PostPosted: Fri Jul 22, 2005 6:57 pm


chocfudge
Justice is often subjective and on its own not always 'just'. It is something mankind invented in order to justify their laws and rules. It doesn't always apply the way it is written down though.

That is wrong. Justice is never not "just," by definition of justice.

Justice may not seem "just" to certain people, but that doesn't mean that something is not "just." It means to those people, that thing is not "just."

Now, as shocking and horrid as this might be, Hitler was "just" in killing the jews. No one, can argue that. Hitler, to him and his followers, had rules that were violated. These violated rules carried punishments. These punishments were administered. And finally, Hitler and his followers had, what they thought, a good reason to define their laws as such.

Whether or not I view Hitler's actions as "just" and/or right, has no bearing on the fact that they were "just."

If I view Hitler as wrong in his actions, then to me, his actions are unjust, but that doesn't actually make his actions unjust.

If I view Hitler as right in his actions, then to me, his actions are just. Because of me being one person, who is a counter-example to "Hitler was unjust;" to say Hitler was "unjust" would be to spread mistruths. Furthermore, I would then make it so that Hitler was "just."

For the record, I, in no way, am associated with the nazi's or any other race-hating group. Furthermore, I, in no way, find such ideals as right and/or just. I find Hitler's actions as well as any and all other race-hating groups actions horrifying, deplorable, and execrable. Futhermore, I find anyone who participates in such actions to be nothing more than wretched, bottom feeding scum, who deserve far worse than an eternity of torment.
PostPosted: Sat Jul 23, 2005 12:52 am


chocfudge
Now please discuss:

~Social equality, is it even possible? I don't mean the kind of an utopian world, but just a little more just maybe?
~Tolerance is the key? Why can it work sometimes, why not?
~Is there justice? What is justice for you? Do you think you are living in a place where you can find justice?
these answers are going to be simplistic unfortunately:
Social Equality is possible in as far as equal rights is concerned.
Tolerance CAN work ALL the time as long as equal rights are respected. i could emotionally hate the KKK, but i'm not going to restrict their rights unless they do not respect the rights of others. i do not feel that this would make me intolerant of them, for if i was, i would not allow them to the have same rights i do.
there is Justice in that Justice is repairations made when someone does not respect the rights of another, which the transgressor has right to. chaoticpuppet might be more correct with the true definition of Justice, but i guess this is my personal definition.

Kalorn
Crew


chessiejo

PostPosted: Sun Jul 31, 2005 3:31 pm


i would not kill someone who is intolerant but i would strongly work to discourage her.

it is a misuse of logic to say that it intolerant to refuse to accept or indulge intolerance.

i hate hate. am i inconsistent? no, otherwise i would endorse hate; that wpuld be inconsistent.
PostPosted: Tue Aug 02, 2005 12:54 pm


chessiejo
i would not kill someone who is intolerant but i would strongly work to discourage her.

it is a misuse of logic to say that it intolerant to refuse to accept or indulge intolerance.

i hate hate. am i inconsistent? no, otherwise i would endorse hate; that wpuld be inconsistent.
well i don't think people can be blamed for feelings as long as they don't act on them. one can hate hate, but one would have to understand that these are the same feelings that the other haters feel. if someone chooses to act on these feelings, this is where the difference lays.

Kalorn
Crew


ffdarkangel

PostPosted: Sun Mar 25, 2007 6:20 pm


I will now repeat the words of my language arts teacher and I quote,

"A world of equality isn't possible. Why would you become a doctor if you were payed as much as a bagger? The communists tried and looked what happened to them."

I agree with him.
PostPosted: Tue May 08, 2007 2:02 pm


I think maybe I have a different idea of equality than you guys do . . .

Here is the definition of equality that I thought had been agreed upon by speakers of the English language:

All people, despite their race/gender/sexual orientation/religion/socioeconomic status/handedness/political stance/etc., shall be treated equally. That means that they would be paid the same as others in their same professional position (not a doctor vs. bagger, a female doctor vs. a male doctor or an Asian bagger vs. a Caucasian bagger), they would be tried the same as others for the same crime, given the same education as everyone else in the same class, etc.

kleokriesel

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Morality and Ethics

 
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