I find it quite interesting that despite the two above posts having very strongly contradictory points they both a large number of upvotes are are both at 100% positive (15 and 8 at the time of writing). I wonder whether the community’s opinion has shifted over the years, or whether lw voters just think both points are well put and are very reluctant to downvote things based on disagreeing with a point.
I think it’s very much a case of well-put arguments.
I can certainly see how pragmatically, definitions can clearly matter. Heck, we have laws that are very picky about them, because we need a very specific set of rules so that crinimals/those falsely accused are clearly in one category or another, and to make the law above debate.
At the same time, asking whether something is against the law, whether it fits into the category of “murder” for example, is simly arguing whether it is case considered worthy, by those who wrote the law, of punishment.
Both arguments are very well explained by the two comments.
I find it quite interesting that despite the two above posts having very strongly contradictory points they both a large number of upvotes are are both at 100% positive (15 and 8 at the time of writing). I wonder whether the community’s opinion has shifted over the years, or whether lw voters just think both points are well put and are very reluctant to downvote things based on disagreeing with a point.
I think it’s very much a case of well-put arguments.
I can certainly see how pragmatically, definitions can clearly matter. Heck, we have laws that are very picky about them, because we need a very specific set of rules so that crinimals/those falsely accused are clearly in one category or another, and to make the law above debate.
At the same time, asking whether something is against the law, whether it fits into the category of “murder” for example, is simly arguing whether it is case considered worthy, by those who wrote the law, of punishment.
Both arguments are very well explained by the two comments.