Quote:
Originally Posted by Ben Thornton
Whether something is stealing or not is not value dependant. How bad that stealing is, is value dependant. I was only saying that stealing an apple is not such a bad thing in my book. And I say that as an apple-owner 
My point is to distinguish stealing from copying, your example of stealing an apple was a poor one - we are both agreed that this is stealing. We may differ in how morally repugnant we find that example of stealing, but such it is.
A better example, if you want to persuade people that copying is bad, would be an example of copying that harms people. I can't think of a very plausible one off-hand. |
What harm is there for taking an apple, more will grow. Yet you admit it is stealing, just a matter of degree, right?
What if you just took the seeds, or maybe just the pollen. Maybe the neighbor's pollen drifts into your yard and pollinates your tree? Have you done anything wrong?
What if you intentionally take the pollen from the neighbor's tree because he has very good apples and pollinate your tree with his pollen. Have you done anything wrong?
Just a matter of degree, right?