Are all Americans hated?

[Elizabeth]

I for one "value" the life of all because we can learn from everyone. Learn what to do, learn what not to do. I admit I was wrong in assuming you were one of those people who "value" people out of reasons other than logic, ie, been told to, whatever. Views that come from force usually don't stand up in the long run, so I hope that's not where they're coming from. I concur with Pilmour Boy, we need to stop sending people to prison or the death chambers because if we do, we rarely learn from them.

I apologize for my *unsound* post. At the time it seemed to me that you were trying to sound all moral and righteous, you know?

[Pilmour Boy]

Elizabeth, this moral system of yours seems interesting. Would it be OK to kill somebody if we couldn't learn from them? For example, say somebody was starving to death in a far off foreign land and we had the power to do something about it but personally would not profit from their survival, would it be fine to let them die?

And as an aside, have you ever done any courses in Moral Philosophy?

[hr]There is a theory which states that if ever anyone discovers exactly what the universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear and be replaced by something even more bizarrly inexplicable

[CarolynSD]

This post has been deleted.

[Elizabeth]

No, I do not believe it would be ok to kill someone if we could not learn from them simply because you CAN learn something from anyone you meet. Inadvertantly, indirectly, by inferrence, I mean, there's no way you can meet someone and not come away knowing something about yourself or the other person or the world. It does not have to be something profound, if that's what you thought I meant.

For example: while walking down a main street in Philadelphia recently, I noticed an elderly woman digging through the trash can. She didn't care who saw, and I stopped from across the way and watched. In the course of five seconds, a passing man whipped out money and pressed it into her hand and continued on his way. He didn't stop, and it was so quick no one else probably saw. Then, I noticed that she was digging in the trash can that was right next to this ornate, elaborate bus stop. Yeah, a bus stop. This thing was glass, etched with stained glass and ornate ironwork and covered so people could sit out of the rain. I later realized that these palatial havens were all over the town. I mean, what gives? It's all inference, baby.

As this post is getting long, I'm cutting it off and going for some lunch. One more thing--I've never taken a philosophy course but I've studied philosophers/theories extensively in this yearlong course that's unique to my college.

[Pilmour Boy]

if it's OK to let someone die simply because you've never met them, and never will meet them.

[tiburoner]

I'm a college student in California and hope to have the opportunity to spend a semester at St. Andrews. From hearing all the posts it sounds like a open and welcoming university. Actually, the worst post was from that guy from NY....

BTW, all the "America is always in the right" gets to us to. I'm really getting tired of the propaganda that has been flying around.

[loveridge]

I think what they need to do is change their image. America seems like they want to strengthen their status as a superpower once again after the attack upon them. It makes me wonder if America is going a little too far.