Exploiting others is evil?

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Empiricist-Bruno
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Exploiting others is evil?

Post by Empiricist-Bruno »

I was just wondering here if the fact that no one offers classes on the art of exploiting others for one's own personal benefit constitute proof that doing such thing is bad or evil. Yes, the art of exploiting others for one's own personal benefit is being taught but never in a direct and open manner. It is only being taught by following the lead of evil individuals.

So, my question is does the fact that no one offers classes on the art of exploiting others for one's own personal benefit proves that this activity or art is evil? Or is it right to say that not all good things are being taught in schools?
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TSBU
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Re: Exploiting others is evil?

Post by TSBU »

Exploiting others must be defined better.

For me, use other people isn't bad (also, is impossible to stop doing that, you are using other people when you read them here, you are using them to learn), use other people being that use bad for them, is bad (in my ethic). What is "good" or "bad" for them, is another big question.

I only make real damage to other people when I want them to stop causing damage, and I earn nothing (I stop losing something).

Why is that good or bad (Why should a person be "good" or "evil") is a question I usually don't like to answer, I think that's something easy enough to understand when you have some kind of mind, and impossible to understand if you don't have that kind of mind, for me, it's evident that causing damage to good people is bad for me. Of course, that's selfish too.
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LuckyR
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Re: Exploiting others is evil?

Post by LuckyR »

I agree that better definitions of terms is in order, but while we wait for that, I can say that instruction in greed is rare because it is unnecessary. Children are born takers. Later after some maturity they need to be taught compassion. Teaching greed would be like teaching folks to eat when they are hungry or to hang out with those they find sexually attracted to.
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TSBU
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Re: Exploiting others is evil?

Post by TSBU »

People need to learn justice to be able to control and be controled better. They need to learn how to eat healthy food and how to have good relationships.
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Re: Exploiting others is evil?

Post by Alias »

Empiricist-Bruno wrote:I was just wondering here if the fact that no one offers classes on the art of exploiting others for one's own personal benefit constitute proof that doing such thing is bad or evil. Yes, the art of exploiting others for one's own personal benefit is being taught but never in a direct and open manner. It is only being taught by following the lead of evil individuals.

So, my question is does the fact that no one offers classes on the art of exploiting others for one's own personal benefit proves that this activity or art is evil? Or is it right to say that not all good things are being taught in schools?
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Re: Exploiting others is evil?

Post by Gamnot »

I believe that exploitation can interpreted as using other persons as "merely a means to an end." This comes from Kant's practical imperative; "Always treat humanity in your own self and that of any other always as an end and never "merely" as an means to an end. Of course I only see this as the beginning of ethical theory, consequences and motives have to be taken into consideration also. In talking about the different types of power Rollo May listed: exploitative power, manipulative power, competitive power, nutrient power, and integrative power. The first two types and bad, the last two are good, and competitive power could go either way. The root of bad usages of power probably involves a narcissistic sense of entitlement and bad boundaries that work together to cause a downward spiral.

-- Updated December 22nd, 2016, 5:38 pm to add the following --

Exploitation does not have to be taught. Only a touchstone proposition used to justify a sense of entitlement and with that bad boundaries. Some people today promote a theory of progress and with that a theory of corruption considered to be an obstacle to progress. This causes an in-group and out-group type of thinking
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