It says “bad *argument” not “Bad person shooting at you”. Self-defence (or defence of one’s family, country, world, whatever) is perfectly acceptable—initiation of violence never is. It’s never right to throw the first punch, but can be right to throw the last.
I approve of that sentiment so long as people don’t actually take it literally when the world is at stake. Because that could get everybody killed.
Mind you in this case there are even more exceptions. Initiation of violence, throwing the first punch, is appropriate in all sorts of situations. In fact in the majority of cases where it is appropriate to throw the second punch, throwing the first punch is better. Because the first punch could kill or injure you. The only reason not to preempt the punch (given that you will need to respond with a punch anyway) is for the purpose of signalling to people like yourself.
In these kind of cases it can be wise to pay lip service to a ‘never throw the first punch’ moral but actually follow a rational approach when a near mode situation arises.
Let me remind you: The world is at stake. You, everybody you care about and your entire species will die and the future light cone left baron or tiled with dystopic junk. That is not a time to be worrying about upholding your culture’s moral ideals. Save the @#%! world!
No, that’s not the only reason. Generally speaking, one either has no warning that violence is coming (in which case one can’t throw the first punch) or one does have warning (in which case it’s possible to, e.g., walk away, negotiate, duck).
On the other hand, none of us are perfect predictors of the future. There will be times when we believe the first punch is about to be thrown when it isn’t. If we avoid aggression until attacked, it may be that nobody gets punched (or shot) at all.
There’s a reason that tit-for-tat is such a successful strategy in an iterated Prisoner’s Dilemma—and that the only more successful strategies have been ones that punished defection less than that—and it’s nothing to do with signalling.
I rejected a fully general moral prescription, not advice for what is often optimal decision making strategy:
Self-defence (or defence of one’s family, country, world, whatever) is perfectly acceptable—initiation of violence never is. It’s never right to throw the first punch, but can be right to throw the last.
I approve of that sentiment so long as people don’t actually take it literally when the world is at stake. Because that could get everybody killed.
Mind you in this case there are even more exceptions. Initiation of violence, throwing the first punch, is appropriate in all sorts of situations. In fact in the majority of cases where it is appropriate to throw the second punch, throwing the first punch is better. Because the first punch could kill or injure you. The only reason not to preempt the punch (given that you will need to respond with a punch anyway) is for the purpose of signalling to people like yourself.
In these kind of cases it can be wise to pay lip service to a ‘never throw the first punch’ moral but actually follow a rational approach when a near mode situation arises.
Let me remind you: The world is at stake. You, everybody you care about and your entire species will die and the future light cone left baron or tiled with dystopic junk. That is not a time to be worrying about upholding your culture’s moral ideals. Save the @#%! world!
No, that’s not the only reason. Generally speaking, one either has no warning that violence is coming (in which case one can’t throw the first punch) or one does have warning (in which case it’s possible to, e.g., walk away, negotiate, duck). On the other hand, none of us are perfect predictors of the future. There will be times when we believe the first punch is about to be thrown when it isn’t. If we avoid aggression until attacked, it may be that nobody gets punched (or shot) at all. There’s a reason that tit-for-tat is such a successful strategy in an iterated Prisoner’s Dilemma—and that the only more successful strategies have been ones that punished defection less than that—and it’s nothing to do with signalling.
I rejected a fully general moral prescription, not advice for what is often optimal decision making strategy: