• Dusty of Sky
    65
    Here is a formula for deciding whether it is justifiable to decide whom to vote for based on a single issue:

    Suppose something can be identified as the greatest evil of our time. If candidate X opposes the greatest evil of our time and candidate Y supports it, one should vote for candidate X in the absence of overwhelming factors.
    Overwhelming factors could be of three kinds:
    a) It is highly probable that a victory of X over Y would either not mitigate or exacerbate the greatest evil of our time.
    b) It is highly probable that a victory of X over Y would lead to greater future evils.
    c) The sum total of evils supported by X is demonstrably higher than the sum total of evils supported by Y.

    I chose to focus on evils rather than goods because I find them more morally compelling, but you can think of evil as the negation or absence of a good. So, for instance, if a utopia is immanently possible but is being prevented, then that act of prevention might be considered the greatest evil of our time.

    I don't want to argue about what the greatest evil of our time is, just the moral soundness of the above formula. So while examples of current day evils might be helpful to illustrate a point, I'd prefer not to focus too much on any particular issue, especially if it's politically controversial.
  • Down The Rabbit Hole
    530
    The formula looks sound. I cannot think of a way for the 'overwhelming factors' to fail, and I cannot think of any others. :up:
  • god must be atheist
    5.1k
    The theory sounds sound. Most voters can't tell the location of Australia on the map.

    Nuff said.
  • Emind
    5
    I find your argumentation fairly sound and straightforward. I guess one small technicality I would pick on would be a subtle implication you make; your formula seems to imply that if candidate Y supports the greatest evil of our time, and candidate Y is elected, the evil in question will inexorably take place.

    Assuming we're talking about a democracy, such implication is unwarranted. Presidents and leaders support all kinds of bills and policies that never get passed due to opposition in legislative bodies, regulatory restraints, and other countervailing political influences. In fact, if anything, the contrary could be plausibly argued: most policies supported by politicians never get implemented (hence their tarnished reputation of being liars).

    Even if politician Y supports the greatest evil of our time, its still conceivable that given certain contingencies, he/she will result unable to bring it about. Furthermore, if despite supporting the greatest evil (which he wouldn't be able to make happen despite his intentions), politician Y is additionally supportive of good policies and governmental courses of action which have a higher chance to be successfully implemented, voting for him/her doesn't seem too irrational.
  • Rxspence
    80
    The Evil exists in the nature, scope, or meaning of intent.
    In the 70's outrage over children institutionalizing parents to control their finances led to laws that were very well meaning. Unfortunately an abundance of Evil lawyers created environments where mentally ill
    persons can not be protected. i.e. homeless, elder scams etc.
    My father in alzheimer's care broke a hip. Not knowing it was broken he broke the other hip.
    Because of the law they were not allowed to restrain him in any manner to protect him.
    He spent the last three years of his life in and out of hospice so that they could administer enough drugs to keep him from injuring himself 24 hours a day.
    Everyone had good intent and everyone suffered the consequences.
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