[MD] A Place for the Principled Person

[pholden at davtv.com]

Quoting MarshaV <marshalz at charter.net>:

> >perseverance, patience, honesty, courage, prudence and diligence.
> 
> What exactly do these things look like?  How would I recognize such 
> attributes?

By observing your own behavior and the behavior of other individuals over time. 

> Would a person need to be constantly courageous?  Would an observer 
> need to be there constantly to notice?  Would one large death-defying 
> act suffice?   Would a life of many small unobserved courageous acts 
> be adequate?

You know in your heart when you are being courageous and when you run away or avoid a
situation out of fear. A large death-defying act would certainly be an indication of
a person's courage. So would a life of many small unobserved courageous acts,
observed only by oneself.

> Could a person act with perseverance, patience, honesty, prudence and 
> diligence, but lack courage, AND still be thought of as a principled 
> person?   Could a person have all of these attributes most of the 
> time, but have a phobia at the sight of snakes, AND still be a 
> principled person?  What percentage is 'most of the time'?

In the first instance, principled except for courage. In the second case, lacking
courage in regard to snakes. "Most of the time" for adhering to one's principles
is 99.9 percent. You can't cheat a little bit and call yourself honest.

> Who could make such judgements?  RMP?  Rigel?  Mother Teresa?  A 
> principled person?  A number of principled people?  Congress?  How 
> many people would be necessary to make such a proclamation?

You and you alone are the judge and jury.

> I guess I've gotten lost?  Would someone please clarify the argument 
> or question that this thread represents?

The question is: Where in the MOQ hierarchy do personal moral values belong?

Platt





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