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Originally Posted by calvin-c
This sounds so great-until your kids grow up & realize that you can't combat unethical behavior by being unethical yourself. (Hopefully you're teaching them that, along with these beliefs.)
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In a consequence ethical systems you just look at the consequences. Nothing is inherently unethical. So of course it is allowed to use the method to combat bad behavior that gives the best consequences.
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An example of what I mean is the very common excuse: It's unethical that they charge so much so I'll just steal it. Even if it actually is unethical on the owner's part (questionable-do you also teach your children tolerance for people who have other beliefs?) it's also unethical on the thief's part.
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That depends on what type of ethical system you are following.
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And before somebody claims that copyright infringement isn't theft, this is about an excuse that's used as often for actual theft as it is for 'theft of IP'.
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Notice that the fact that copyright infringement is not theft is not an excuse for anything. Remember that when people here state this fact they do not imply that copyright infringement is legal or ethically correct.
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Doesn't matter whether the creator is ethical or not-the person taking it without payment is definitely unethical, IMO.
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Even rights based moral system have exceptions to that motivated by self defense. So I find it hard to find a motivation for your strong statement that it is "definitely unethical".