Tzeentch

Those behaviors affect other people, with a risk of hurting or even killing them. Mitigating the risks does not change that. One could also claim to h...

Like driving a car? What about having children?

Essentially a state will tell you what you need, and then claim it does a decent job at providing it. I consider it to be a bad judge at both. Additio...

Few things are so ignorant as thinking to know what another person needs.

What if the state is unable to fulfill my needs? Also, am I allowed to determine what my needs are, or will someone else determine my needs for me and...

It seems as individuals grow more powerless, alignment to states and political parties and ideologies becomes a means of satiating their will to power...

It may seem that way, but mutual respect can only come about as a result of free interaction. Mutual respect enforced through state coercion is just a...

Mistrust in governments has grown, and when one realizes almost all of one's information has come from the very government one distrusts, one falls in...

I'm leaning towards not being in favor of proactive action in this instance. At least, not in the shape of the use of force or coercion, unless there'...

Essentially it is the right of every individual to pursue those things that they deem comprise a good life. No. It is up to the individual to decide w...

Sure.

The right to bodily autonomy, the right to self-determination, freedom of speech, among other things. A state that protects those essential freedoms, ...

Individualism really isn't a model for economics. In general individualism promotes freedom, but I think what you are not understanding is that while ...

That would make them a non-individualist, then. Oh please. They're your words.

You claimed that individualism seeks to secure power over others. This is not the case, as individualism recognizes such things as every individual's ...

As pointed out, individualism includes recognizing the rights of other individuals and not just one's own. If one is consistent in their beliefs, an i...

Anyone?

People are conscious, moral agents; the laws of physics are not. That is a fundamental difference to me. My point is not that all possible changes sho...

I don't see how that changes the fact that these conditions are forced upon the individual. That the individual only realizes these things at a later ...

Are you being serious?

People didn't choose the society they were born into, so the analogy of a cage fits perfectly.

Haha, alright. Lets say I trap you in a cage and force you to work for me. Every moment you do not kill yourself by holding your breath until you die ...

Do I understand you correctly that you believe people not killing themselves is a sign that they agree?

Nor did the individual agree. This situation you sketch is brought about by individuals who chose to have children, and by a state that facilitated a ...

Who in this thread has actually visited Israel and Palestine?

What part don't you understand? Well said!

There's few Palestinians who would defend the methods of Hamas and other terrorist organizations. Unlike some people in this thread, they have long si...

Individual rights do not diminish. One right is exchanged for another. In the discussion between big vs. small government, the trade off is between fr...

Yes, and in general terms I would consider it desirable that the interests of the individual are put before the interests of the state. Individuals ar...

I don't know what's odd about what I wrote, but I rephrased it for you:

I don't think so. Islamic fundamentalism is an idea. It is given power by individuals that choose to adopt it and impose it on others. I could have ch...

Ok, as far as the first part of your response goes, I think we are in agreement. Is there any perspective, other than dog-eat-dog competition (essenti...

Didn't we agree that the woman born into a Islamic fundamentalist society is not morally indebted to that society simply by virtue of dependency?

You mentioned freeloaders and traitors, and I thought you were going somewhere with that. Anyway, since we seem to agree the individual's dependency i...

Dependecy is the argument that I have seen the most in this thread. I struggle to remember any others that were put forward. What else is there? And m...

Is the woman in my example a freeloader or a traitor? (Or neither?)

The emphasis of this thread seems to be on relationships between individuals and groups of individuals. The vocal point of individualism is rather the...

Exploitatively. What is your point? The problem arises when such societies force individuals to participate against their will.

That sounds rather theoretical, whereas the destruction caused by states and collectives is tangible, real and overwhelming.

Which, I will add, is not entirely strange considering the term has been used popularly to describe selfishness in society.

You seem to miss my point, as it was not a personal attack but what I consider to be a valid summary of your reply. In your defense of societies, whic...

What if he (the individual) regards "the collective" that attempts to rein him in as an immoral enterprise? Do you believe this to be true for all ind...

In short, your answer seems to be "Yes, they are simply collateral damage". The system that facilites and promotes the birthing of individuals, then p...

And what about those for whom it has not been worth it? Are you happy to accept them as collateral damage? Do you believe they should too?

I'll readily concede that attempting to sell one's will to power as philanthropy is much more complicated.

I don't think the result would necessarily be a moral blank state, as you put it. There are still the self, reason and the laws of nature that can pro...

I'll take a monkey over a tyrant any day. :kiss:

If one could simply opt out, then there wouldn't be much point to calling something a moral duty. Our world views are, at least initially, largely bas...

Assuming the decision to have a child was conscious and voluntary, then a moral duty is accepted.

One cannot force conditions on someone and then tell them what they expect in return. On the other hand, one would assume that sometime during one's l...