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Comment by cantrecallmypwd

1 day ago

It's a dog whistle for hyper-individualism, radical selfishness, violating Kantian ethics, and stepping over homeless people.

>violating Kantian ethics

???

How does "there's so much empathy that you actually suicide yourself" violate "Kantian ethics"?

Also, if we accept that "dogwhistle" framing, what should we make of the average leftist commenter saying that greed/inequality is a weakness of US's economic system? Maybe that's actually a "dogwhistle" for hyper-collectivism, radical Bolshevism, and stepping over rich people? Or is the "dogwhistle" characterization only a thing you apply to the Other Side?

  • In Kantian ethics stealing a loaf of bread is wrong even if done by or for a starving person. In utilitarian ethics stealing bread in that context would be justified. The "civilizational suicide by empathy" narrative is rooted in a utilitarian ethics--empathy is good until the negative consequences outweigh the positive; whereas in Kantian ethics if empathy is good, it's always good, and if that possibly leads to civilizational suicide, so be it.

    I think that's the point the poster was trying to make. I make no claim about what the practiced ethics are of Musk, of the cultural circles he travels in, or of the cultural circles he opposes (e.g. identity politics, social justice movements, etc); or even that Musk or any of these circles practice a consistent or coherent set ethics.

    • >The "civilizational suicide by empathy" narrative is rooted in a utilitarian ethics

      So in actually working ethics, and not some inflexible abstract principles posed by some German philosopher?

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