Are rules meant to be broken?

The red stop sign is a good example. When there is no traffic one tends to ignore it. One has to be defensive though. One should look around before scooting off. The thing is the way we are made. We become habitual. If we do it enough times we habitually keep on passing thru the red stop sign without looking and THERE si the danger. We tend to seek shortcuts as it is energy conserving. There is the conflict and proper decision making is what determines if you are wise. Laura Bush did not stop at a red stop sign. She barreled thru and hit another car driven by her boyfriend who was killed. She ended up marrying GWB. How sad is that!

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@anonymous6059,

If the rules (restrictions) are meant to be broken, then why go to the trouble of placing/enforcing them into order?

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@sozobe,

This is actually quite debatable. Take, for example, a thief. While they understand that stealing might be wrong, and they would prefer not to have to steal, they believe it is more wrong to have their families go hungry then to steal from someone who could get by without it. I think a better example would be corrupt businessmen.

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No, of course not. If a rule must be broken to perform a moral action, then the rule must be reexamined.

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@anonymous6059,

anonymous6059 wrote:

The Ideas I will present here is not my own, however, I have no reference to whom they belong.

Is it our nature to conform or is it something we are taught in order for society to function. If the prior, then that would explain why the milligram experiments had such horrific results. However, could deviation be our nature, testing the waters of our society until we learn what is right and wrong. This would explain why children have to be told no you can't steal that candy bar, but it must be paid for.

Lastly, if morals are something learned then breaking the rules is needed, correct. How else can one learn what the rules are unless they have been pushed. It is funny how the outcome of a war can decide how history books title a individual terrorist or freedom warrior.

What do you think, should the rules be broken?

If the rules are good rules, then they should not be broken, and certainly not unless there is a good reason to do so. And, of course, no one makes rules so they can be broken. What would be the point of that?

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@Sentience,

Quote:

No, of course not. If a rule must be broken to perform a moral action, then the rule must be reexamined.

I think that rules should constantly be reexamined.

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@ebrown p,

Quote:

No, of course not. If a rule must be broken to perform a moral action, then the rule must be reexamined.

ebrown p wrote:

I think that rules should constantly be reexamined.

Whether "a rule must be broken" or not
depends upon the beliefs of the person who is considering it
and when he is judged for breaking it, or not,
might will make right, insofar as practical effects r concerned.

David

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@anonymous6059,

Breaking the law is a valid method of attempting to get the law changed; petitioning, protests and contacting a member of parliament may be more advisable, however.

We need to make a distinction between moral principles and legal obligations. Moral codes are independent of law, although they are confined to the parameters of what the law permits to be legal. Legal obligations comes from law-making bodies including parliament and delegated legislative bodies. You can blatantly ignore these legal parameters but there will more than likely be punishments and rigorous and costly judicial proceedings. Your moral conscience is a completely different concept as it is inherently a cerebral construct and your personalised standard of behaviour. "Breaking" or ignoring a moral principle may very well be a method of moral development - I agree on that point.

Regards,

Minimal.

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@jgweed,

JG! This is off topic and I wanted to send it to you in PM but as you know PM is disabled and I'm not sure if I'll have that privilege ever again but judging by your avatar I assume you know a lot about Niche?

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@Wozz,

Quote:

JG! This is off topic and I wanted to send it to you in PM but as you know PM is disabled and I'm not sure if I'll have that privilege ever again but judging by your avatar I assume you know a lot about Niche?

Robert is a smart guy. I have no doubt but that he will take your intended point...

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That's fine. Then he can enjoy these posts I do that do not fit in the thread.

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@Wozz,

Rules are not meant to be broken. They should be treated with respect as long as they are just. Morally weak rules deserve less respect or none at all. Rules justifying segregation and Apartheid were broken because of their moral injustice. I believe the un-written rules of conducting business should be respected. In a merger clients would still be served according to the conditions of their initial provider. Saving your livelyhood and business on the other hand, is morally just, within the accepted legal boundaries. I accept the revival of this form of business-conduct and will abondon my more idealistic views on the internet.
Sad

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@Pepijn Sweep,

Pepijn Sweep wrote:

Rules are not meant to be broken.
They should be treated with respect as long as they are just.
Morally weak rules deserve less respect or none at all.

If u ask 5 men what rules are "just" u may get 7 very radically different opinions.

David

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@anonymous6059,

There should be exceptions to every rule, but only in a very strict and calculated sense. Our "morals" are the collective set of "rules" we've learned, as you stated, growing up. What is right for each person is exactly what they already want to do, at least given what they know, or were capable of knowing at that time.

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@OmSigDAVID,

In Holland we aim at consensus*. I like hosting the International Court of Justice in The Hague. You know they are building a new US Ambassy on the (former) estate of the counts of Wassenaer, the same estate our future queen/king is living ? They are in South Africa now, cheer-leading the Dutch legion as we call it. God forbit another Holland - Germany.

*politically also. Now there are talks for a government of neo-liberals, green-liberals, democrats from 1966/68 movement and social-democrats all together

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@Sentience,

Well, if we're talking about jails, how many of those sorts of thieves do you think there really are? I think there are many more who say "Oooh I want that, I can't afford it, oh well I'll get it anyway... by stealing it!" or variations thereof. No altruism involved.

A corrupt businessman would be another example of someone knowingly doing something wrong, but there are plenty of thieves who are knowingly doing something wrong and who don't have any particular extenuating circumstances.

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@Pepijn Sweep,

What does what you just said have anything to do with what I was asking J..?

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@Wozz,

I think I pressed reply instead of reply to all...

I am sorry for my mistake, hope it did not cause any-thing bad

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@Pepijn Sweep,

Oh not at all! I was just wondering how that was directed at me. I certainly haven't broken any forum rules or anything so I thought you were calling me out on something. All good my friend!

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@Wozz,

I am not sure I know a lot, but I have read his works more or less thoroughly and consistently for some time, as well as most of the secondary literature.

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