Re: On Violence

Thanks for an awesome post, Sam! This comment has grown too long and self-evident, so I decided it should be a post.

Violence is neither good nor bad, and very emotionally-charged in real-life.

I think we can all agree that

- What we're really talking about here is force, as in voluntary initiation of force. Violence is one kind of force. Force is violence plus (Orwell doublespeak:)) - what about blackmail, intimidation, fraud, theft, hacking, exploitation, all sorts of abuse...? Self-defense/defense on others behalf is the exception. For the sake of completeness, people who like being victims are considered to be gaining something too, so it's not force to them.

- Initiation of force (IoF) is immoral, regardless of social approval, or culture, or other factor.

- IoF is involuntary for the victim.

- IoF leads to a win-lose game, like the Hunger Games...it's best to be a winner, though that usually doesn't last. (Live by force, die by force)

- No rational agent likes losing.

- No institution, policy, relationship can be moral if it's existence is based on initiation of force.

- Monopolies on IoFs are especially dangerous, have the ability to override all checks & balances (by definition) and are immoral (see above).

- IoF is generally not socially acceptable in most societies WHEN PEOPLE see it for what it is.

- IoF sounds awesome in games, on paper, in media, even in fantasies. The reality is often so terrible people will choose anything but see it directly. This allows IoFs to continue indefinitely.

- Initiation of force generally comes from people who don't see an achievable win-win solution where they get what they want. Solutions where both parties are getting the best possible outcome are always desirable and of higher utility, to both parties.

- Therefore, self-defense is the last resort, a choice only after force has been initiated. It is most costly.

- The best way to prevent violence and other IoF is to make all situations/games win-win, so that everyone rational (but not necessarily moral) simply do not consider playing a win-lose game at all.

I've read what several religions and moral philosophies say about violence, and at the end of the day, I find that it's easiest and most useful to simply consider all IoF to be immoral, without exception.