Philosophy
Promises are like contracts. If you promise something to someone, they have the power to dissolve the promise, morally freeing you from the promised responsibility, if they choose. If you promise to wash someone's car and then they decide they don't want it washed or don't want you to wash it, they can simply say never mind and you are off the hook.
But suppose the promise is to someone you care about and it involves something they care about, but dissolve the promise anyway. Are you still freed from the responsibility? Say it's a grandparent whom you visit regularly and you've promised to come by twice a week. Your grandparent starts to worry that the visits are interfering with other things you are doing and tells you not to bother coming by so often. Or you promise you partner that you'll stop drinking caffeine because she reads of negative health effects, but she knows how much you enjoy your coffee, so she frees you from the promise, but you still know she'll worry about the physiological consequences. Are you still freed from the promise if the situation that led you to make the promise is about care and remains unchanged even though the promise has been dissolved?
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In the wake of the unprovoked spraying of peaceful demonstrators at the University of California at Davis with pepper spray by a police officer associated with the campus, the Chancellor, Linda Katehi, said, "I am deeply saddened that this happened on...
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Philosophy
Promises and Care
Promises are like contracts. If you promise something to someone, they have the power to dissolve the promise, morally freeing you from the promised responsibility, if they choose. If you promise to wash someone's car and then they decide they don't want it washed or don't want you to wash it, they can simply say never mind and you are off the hook.
But suppose the promise is to someone you care about and it involves something they care about, but dissolve the promise anyway. Are you still freed from the responsibility? Say it's a grandparent whom you visit regularly and you've promised to come by twice a week. Your grandparent starts to worry that the visits are interfering with other things you are doing and tells you not to bother coming by so often. Or you promise you partner that you'll stop drinking caffeine because she reads of negative health effects, but she knows how much you enjoy your coffee, so she frees you from the promise, but you still know she'll worry about the physiological consequences. Are you still freed from the promise if the situation that led you to make the promise is about care and remains unchanged even though the promise has been dissolved?
- What's The Difference: Secrecy, Privacy, And Confidentiality
Let's play what's the difference. So, what is the difference between secrecy, privacy, and confidentiality. If you don't feel comfortable explaining the difference in the public sphere of the comment section, please contact me off-line and...
- What Does It Mean To "accept Full Responsibility"?
In the wake of the unprovoked spraying of peaceful demonstrators at the University of California at Davis with pepper spray by a police officer associated with the campus, the Chancellor, Linda Katehi, said, "I am deeply saddened that this happened on...
- Little Feat, Viagra, And Autonomy
So, I'm driving into work singing along with a '78 Little Feat show and the chorus to Old Folks' Boogie catches me:And you know that you're over the hill When your mind makes a promise that your body can't fill Old folks boogie And...
- Passing The Plate
Brothers, Sisters, and Transgendered Comedists Everywhere, I will be at a conference all weekend without a chance to give a proper homily. I do humbly apologize. But, as with any church, there is always time to pass the plate. Others ask for money, but...
- Valentine's Day...on The Cheap
Well, February 14th is the big day for all romantics and as usual big bucks are spent. But it doesn't have to be that way. Jill Papworth of The Guardian offers these thoughts... "How Valentine's Day can be romantic without costing the earth"...