Quote from: Birdy on April 26, 2013, 06:15:40 PM

Quote from: myrkul on April 26, 2013, 06:13:44 PM

Quote from: Birdy on April 26, 2013, 06:07:33 PM

Quote

OK, so, force is moral if the suffering inflicted is outweighed by the suffering prevented?

Does that sound acceptable?

It's difficult to know how much "suffering prevented is", especially if it lies in the future, so it's a bit problematic.
But yes.

Indeed it is, very difficult. So already we've run up against a snag: how to predict how much suffering your infliction of suffering will prevent. But let's set that snag aside for the moment, for I've a very important question: Who does the weighing? The man whose suffering is being prevented? The man upon whom suffering is being inflicted to prevent the other's suffering? Or the man with the gun?

If possible a man who has some expertise in the field.
(so yes, more like scientists)

OK, so of those three men, which is more likely to have the expertise? The man whose house is burning down, the firefighter, or the man pointing the gun at the firefighter to make him put out the fire?