# Debate my radical political philosophy (please) **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [May 25, 2005, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debate-my-radical-political-philosophy-please/305491 "2005-05-25T21:03:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2005, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debate-my-radical-political-philosophy-please/305491/21 "2005-05-26T18:56:22Z")
> [@pdx\_craig](#): > > Just to be clear are you arguing this point because you disagree in principle, because you need clarification, or because you think it is not practically feasible? I’m arguing it because I think, as you’re using it, the term “the general good” is meaningless. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2005, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debate-my-radical-political-philosophy-please/305491/22 "2005-05-26T18:58:03Z")
And also, you could say that increasing fuel efficiency serves the general good. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Love](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@Dr.Love](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Love)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2005, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debate-my-radical-political-philosophy-please/305491/23 "2005-05-26T19:22:22Z")
I’m curious about your plans for “creating cohesive communities.” What, exactly, would you do to go about creating these communities? ---
**Author:** ![pdx\_craig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e495f1/32.png) [@pdx\_craig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pdx_craig)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2005, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debate-my-radical-political-philosophy-please/305491/24 "2005-05-26T22:36:51Z")
> [@Captain Amazing](#): > > And also, you could say that increasing fuel efficiency serves the general good. Perhaps, but it’s not immediately obvious to me how it will “increase the personal freedoms of the populace as a whole.” Therefore it’s not the best example to start with. I was asking you to consider specifically the laws related directly to balancing the needs of different drivers. Do you agree that these laws illustrate more clearly how a few well applied rules can actually increase the capacity for people to exercise their freedoms vs. total anarchy? why or why not? > [@Captain Amazing](#): > > I’m arguing it because I think, as you’re using it, the term “the general good” is meaningless. OK, care to tell me why? ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2005, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debate-my-radical-political-philosophy-please/305491/25 "2005-05-26T23:03:54Z")
> [@pdx\_craig](#): > > I was asking you to consider specifically the laws related directly to balancing the needs of different drivers. Do you agree that these laws illustrate more clearly how a few well applied rules can actually increase the capacity for people to exercise their freedoms vs. total anarchy? why or why not? Of course. But I’ve never suggested otherwise. I’m very much an archist. I think laws and regulations are a positive good. > [@](#): > > OK, care to tell me why? Because no legislator introduces a law without claiming it serves the common good, and probably, legislators don’t pass laws without believing it serves the common good. And since you can say that about every law, the question lacks meaning. ---
**Author:** ![pdx\_craig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e495f1/32.png) [@pdx\_craig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pdx_craig)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2005, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debate-my-radical-political-philosophy-please/305491/26 "2005-05-26T23:12:43Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > Obviously, this is the socialist part. But how do you “assure material abundance” without coercion? I don’t necessarily hold that society can function completely without coercion, but society should try to minimize it as much as possible. The “how” is important but I don’t think the “why” has been fully explicated yet. I’d like to discover and address the main objections to the principles before I get into the practicalities of how they might be implemented. ---
**Author:** ![pdx\_craig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e495f1/32.png) [@pdx\_craig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pdx_craig)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2005, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debate-my-radical-political-philosophy-please/305491/27 "2005-05-26T23:29:17Z")
> [@Captain Amazing](#): > > Because no legislator introduces a law without claiming it serves the common good, and probably, legislators don’t pass laws without believing it serves the common good. And since you can say that about every law, the question lacks meaning. Yes, but does it serve the common good _because_ it increases the freedom of society as a whole? More often than not , I would guess their idea of common good is quite different from what I’m trying to communicate. It doesn’t matter at this point whether a politician could abuse the term “common good”, I’m just trying to make sure you understand what I’m trying to say. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2005, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debate-my-radical-political-philosophy-please/305491/28 "2005-05-27T14:50:28Z")
I understand what you’re trying to say. ---
**Author:** ![pdx\_craig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e495f1/32.png) [@pdx\_craig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pdx_craig)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2005, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debate-my-radical-political-philosophy-please/305491/29 "2005-05-27T22:35:37Z")
well if you have any _constructive_ criticisms…that’s what I’m here for. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debate-my-radical-political-philosophy-please/305491.md?page=1)