"in The Comfort Of Your Home" As A System Of Ethics

[cal]

So it was a discussion amongst my friends recently as to whether or not you can gauge ethics by how one acts in his/her home. You can't steal anything in your home, because you already own all of it, so since you would never steal in your home, it doesn't make sense to conduct yourself as one who steals when outside of your home. Another example is killing. If someone breaks into your comfortable home, you are left to assume that it is a life-or-death situation, which is why in almost all developed countries, you are allowed to kill a stranger in your house no questions asked, no repercussions to the act (assuming you truly didn't know the person).

 

So obviously some people do things in their homes that would be considered abnormal, but assuming we're using an example of an "average" person, who isn't a sociopath or any other outlier, would you say that what is permissible to do In the Comfort of Your Own Home is a viable system of ethics to live-out in all situations in life?

 

My guess is probably not, but I can't think of any scenarios where it doesn't work (where it doesn't correlate with preexisting laws of ethics).

[SaxonViolence]

Saying that one doesn't steal at home is like observing that one doesn't go skydiving from submarines.

 

It proves nothing about the desirability or acceptability of either stealing or skydiving.

 

Laws and customs vary greatly as to exactly how vigorous one can be about defending himself without being charged.

 

In parts of the United States one can lethally strike down a house-breaker with little fear of consequences...

 

There are other parts of the US and a lot of places overseas where even a home defender can get into Beaucoup trouble.

 

Laws have absolutely nothing to do with morality anyway.

 

As the Zen Master once said:

 

"Concerns with:

 

Right or Wrong;

 

Good or Evil;

 

Profit or Loss;

 

Success or Failure;

 

Survival or Death;

 

Are all the Delusions of a Sick Mind.

 

The Wise Man Acts Purely For the Sake of Action with No Regard for Consequences."

 

This is Wisdom Indeed, but who can live by it?

 

 

Saxon Violence

[Deepwater6]

I agree with SV, the way you're wording the question doesn't add up, but I do know what you are referring to. I would have to answer "no" you cannot determine someone ethics from how they act at home.

 

The first time I met my wife's family I could tell many things about them. Growing up in my household everything in the fridge was available to everyone in the family. In my wife's household certain items in the fridge were treated as personal property of an individual. one brother was not allowed to drink any of the soda designated for another brother or sister.

 

Now this seemed so odd to me and still does, but as it may have given me a sense of their mentality. (greedy) It did not speak as to weather they would steal something out of my wallet when I left it at their house by accident. To the contrary after I became familiar with them I found them to be the type that will give others all they can when someone's in need.

 

Some landlords ask to see a perspective tenants car before allowing them to rent. If the back seat is filled with trash and junk so high that you can't see the seat, it gives them an indication of how the tenant will treat their property.

 

But these things are more about peoples lifestyles not their ethics. In my humble opinion anyway.

[ErlyRisa]

I agree with SV, the way you're wording the question doesn't add up, but I do know what you are referring to. I would have to answer "no" you cannot determine someone ethics from how they act at home.

 

The first time I met my wife's family I could tell many things about them. Growing up in my household everything in the fridge was available to everyone in the family. In my wife's household certain items in the fridge were treated as personal property of an individual. one brother was not allowed to drink any of the soda designated for another brother or sister.

 

Now this seemed so odd to me and still does, but as it may have given me a sense of their mentality. (greedy) It did not speak as to weather they would steal something out of my wallet when I left it at their house by accident. To the contrary after I became familiar with them I found them to be the type that will give others all they can when someone's in need.

 

Some landlords ask to see a perspective tenants car before allowing them to rent. If the back seat is filled with trash and junk so high that you can't see the seat, it gives them an indication of how the tenant will treat their property.

 

But these things are more about peoples lifestyles not their ethics. In my humble opinion anyway.

 

 

This is actually a sickness...

 

but its one that is necessary to instill the concept of ownership: Some families have to do this to thier children otherwise they won't understand the concept, and therfore not strive in the western world.

 

You may have noticed the the "Fridge Store" family also were very "self concious" types?

-may have also been quite "rudimentary" and fixed in thier activities.

-and the parents were "boss"