reply on: Tough Questions for Libertarians 2/15 \ stacker news ~libertarian

25 sats \ 3 replies \ @Voldemort 14 Mar \ parent \ on: Tough Questions for Libertarians 2/15 libertarian

I'll add that not only can we not understand their communication, they may not understand ours. This would be very similar to our situation with the animals of our planet.

Exactly - that is what I was thinking about. People often think about self-ownership as a way to say we cannot harm a thing. But it also implies we have no right to help a thing.

We do things like try to save animals from extinction, protecting them from poachers, give them medicine etc. Because we are the smartest species we know of, it is hard to imagine that happening to us.

This conversation is very related to a fiction series I just read so I have thought a lot about it recently. If you read fiction, check out the three body problem series. It is coming to netflix so you might not need to read it if it does a good job.

100 sats \ 2 replies \ @Undisciplined OP 14 Mar

check out the three body problem series

I will. Thanks for the recommend.

I actually had some follow up thoughts on your prompt, because I do think it's possible to act as a guardian for beings that are incapable of making certain types of decisions.

So, let's say there were something totally beyond our comprehension that was going to wipe out a major city imminently. If the aliens scooped the city up and set it down somewhere else, there's a reasonable argument that they were acting in defense of others.

The standard libertarian answer to that scenario is that the aliens would be liable for any property damage they caused, but I haven't thought it through from a Hoppean standpoint.

There's a standard I've heard applied to parenthood that's something like "I need to be the parent my kids would choose if they were able to choose." I believe something like that could be applied to our relationship with animals and could be applied to a potential relationship with more advanced aliens.

24 sats \ 1 reply \ @Voldemort 14 Mar

So, let's say there were something totally beyond our comprehension that was going to wipe out a major city imminently. If the aliens scooped the city up and set it down somewhere else, there's a reasonable argument that they were acting in defense of others.

Well said.

Also, at this point we are dangerously close to discussing the prime directive in star trek.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @Undisciplined OP 14 Mar

we are dangerously close to discussing the prime directive in star trek.

I noticed that as well.