Language and Logic (General)

by Balance_Maintained , U.S.A., Thursday, April 03, 2014, 06:03 (3886 days ago) @ romansh

To use dhw's Hitler example of him being responsible for the holocaust.
> 
> If we believe in a deterministic world (ie one where cause and effect are true) 
> then it is perfectly reasonable to say Hitler was responsible for the holocaust. Or that he caused it.
> 
> Of course the more enlightened amongst us can identify many contributing factors or causes.
> 
> If there were no sun would there have been a holocaust?
> 
> I am not saying we can't hold people accountable for ther actions. I definitely have not said that. But what does change is how we hold them accountable if their actions are a result of cause.
> 
> A few centuries ago people put farm animals on trial. Now I am not suggesting we should not people on trial, but we do need to understand the underlying causes for their actions.-Whaaaaaa? WTH does the sun have to do with the holocaust? How are you applying the same level of accountability to an inanimate object that can not even MAKE a decision, whether free will is real or not, and an intelligent creature that can?-No, Hitler is 'responsible' because he, having free will and agency, made a choice to initiate the Holocaust (as the accountable figurehead of a country) and was answerable for it. In other words, he had the ability and the obligation to be held accountable.

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What is the purpose of living? How about, 'to reduce needless suffering. It seems to me to be a worthy purpose.