What's Right for One is Right for All, What's Right for All is Right for One

in philosophy •  7 years ago  (edited)

When trying to determine the validity and viability of certain behaviors, we need to think about that behavior and how it effects others, not simply ourselves. In our large societies we can think that our small actions don't impact things much, even if they are incorrect, detrimental or harmful to others of the community at large.

But even if that's the case, we still have an effect on the community at large. If we are doing something wrong, it's still wrong even if no one is noticing it or recognizing it's wrong.

How do you think and figure out if something can rightfully be done, or should be done? How do you know if something is correct or incorrect; is right or wrong; is detrimental or benevolent; is producing harm or is not; is ok or not?

Often, we can test ourselves or society at large to see if many things are correct, right, and ok to do; or if they are incorrect, wrong, and not ok to do.

If something is ok for one person to do, then it should also be ok for a group of people or everyone to do. And conversely, if something is ok for everyone to do, then it should be ok for any individual to do. If it's wrong for one to do, then it's wrong for a group or all to do.

Applying this principle allows us to unveil the confused behavioral models in society that we accept and justify as "right". Is what is happening in society (or a community at large) ok, correct, right, principled or moral?

Look at the Many, Applying it to the One

Here is an example about theft and taxation at the collective-societal level of everyone. Let's look at it from an individual basis, rather than as a group, collective, or society.

Can you give someone something? Yes.

Can someone come up to you and take (steal) your money from you?
Can someone come up to you and threaten you with a gun if you don't give them your money?
Can someone come up to you and threaten to put you in a cage if you don't give them your money?
Can someone coerce you into giving them your money under threat of a gun and putting you in a cage?

No. All of that is stealing. It's wrong to do.

No one has the right to steal your stuff, and threaten you to let them if you don't, and then lock you in cage if you don't. That's madness to think anyone has that right to do to another. Only voluntary exchanges are right by default.

If it's not ok for someone to do that to you, then it's not ok for a group of people operating under a centralized authoritarian banner called "government" to do that to you. This is how the principles works from the many-to-one angle.

You can always see if it's ok for a group or everyone to do something by seeing if it's ok for one person to do it. Everything starts from the individual. Individuals are what a collective or group is made of.

If everyone or group is doing something, check to see if it's ok for one person to do. Reduce the complexity of many to see how the behavior applies to one. One-to-many, many-to-one. The same applies in the reverse direction.

Look at the One, Applying it to the Many

To see if what one person is doing is ok, look at how the situation would affect the whole, collective, societal community at large if everyone was doing it. Sometimes it can be hard to see if something is detrimental, harmful, incorrect or wrong when it's not noticeable how it's affecting other wrongly -- be they individuals or a community.

If there is a problem when everyone does it, then it's a problem when even one person does it, even if it's barely having a negative effect. What's wrong is wrong even if one person does it.

Ramping up the scale to apply the behavior of one individual to the behavior of all individuals (everyone) will show if the behavior is valid, viable and beneficial for a society or community to permit.

A basic example I can think of, is of a community that has a community garden setup. Each person put in time, energy and work, and gets to extract the value of their labor they put in. But what if some start taking more than the time, energy and work they put in?

What started out as a voluntary agreement to take their fair share based on time, energy and work put in, has changed where some people are violating that voluntary agreement and are taking what isn't theirs to take. If everyone does this, then the community garden falls apart. This is how the principle works from a one-to-many angle.

Does the Model Always Work?

This principle or model of one-to-many, and many-to-one seems to work. It probably has it's limitations of applicability, and doesn't apply to certain behaviors that don't violate voluntary interactions or agreements and don't produce harm for others. I am not sure if that's where it stops though.

The community example was voluntary involvement, just as the previous example of giving someone something vs. them taking it (stealing).

If you have a scenario where this fails, please share it :) But bear in mind the qualifications I mentioned, that it applies to violations of voluntary agreements. I'm sure you can come up with any scenario where this doesn't work if you ignore that ;) But even without explicit voluntary agreements, I still think this model applies in other areas of life to help us think about what we are doing. If I do this, is it ok? What if I and everyone else does it, is it still ok? What are the consequences if everyone does it?


Thank you for your time and attention. Peace.


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What's Right for One is Right for All

This method usually works in Communist country a corporate government and what should be good for their people.

What's Right for All is Right for One

While this method usually works in democratic society, were everyone has a voice and rights.

excellent post dear friend @krnel, invites a reflection, many things that you say are very accurate, sometimes we believe that our bad acts do not affect anyone, however a negative or positive act however small that always causes an effect on others people.
If all people tried to do good always, the world would be very different.
Many grace spor share this gra work
I wish you a prosperous week

Yes, things would be different indeed :) The negative we create into the world is very powerful.

"If something is ok for one person to do, then it should also be ok for a group of people or everyone to do."

This is the basis of ethics governing certain profesions. The rules have not always been there. It was put together by a group of "good men" who seeked to set the minimal code of performance which should governn the group.

The principle of one to many and many to one holds true most times. I can't seem to figure out any scenerio that it doesn't hold

"If something is ok for one person to do, then it should also be ok for a group of people or everyone to do."

My question to you, if it ok for one to steal is it ok for all to steal as cited in the post example about theft and taxation...? Remember the societal ills what is majorly copied by people

I particularly appreciate the community garden example. It helps to drive home this ponts. If it is okay for the community to help a someone who is homeless. Then it is okay for one person to help his fellow man who is homeless. Priceless words

This is like a domino effect . I am a teacher and sometimes this happens between me and the students. I am not inly teaching them so they can learn but I am also teaching so I can learn something from them it is like give and take situation this also applies to all the students. Ne student might know the topoc butbthe others can’t so he or she can share it in the class. If I’m not gonna teach them then everything falls apart and if there is no interactive between us inside the classroom then there is no learning. This a good post that we can reflect. 😊 Have a good day.

This really remind me of my boss at work he's a very proud type he treat us he's workers like slave he allows power to corrupt him, he does want to earn respect he want to take it with force and power, which is not fair
Thank you for this I'll appreciate what you are doing upvoted and resteemed because I like it

That sucks :( Thanks for the support though :)

The masses are so entranced with their toys many are unaware they are even losing their basic life rights to the few.

This is a lot to chew on under the assortment of tags used. I will have to reread it when it is not 6am to determine which angle you were truly writing from.

Yup, so much goes unchallenged because we just let so much slide and don't want to bother dealing with the hassle.... Alrighty, let me know what you think my angle is ;) hehe

After the reread it appears to be written more politically over all with a soft undertone of philosophy for the community to chew on in the actions we do and witness daily. It is a pretty good practice to partake in when making a choice of what to do. Nice way to get people thinking.

Truly we have confuse behavioural model. Let me use Africa for an instance. Politician and the people, a politician in power gets immunity while the citizen suffers at the hand of justice. A man that steals a pen gets 5 years prison sentence but a corrupt gets none.
This are part of our behaviour that should be changed. They always justify what they do.

We are made impotent to political power, while we are oppressed. People don't know right from wrong, or don't want to stand up for right and stop wrong. Thanks for the feedback.

Glad more of us are having this discussion because i know you know how it relates to our beloved Steemit! 🙏

Hehe ;) How would you say it's relating to Steem regarding what you see? :)

One to many and many to one principle is what has created major modus operandi for a given society or institution which might be positive or negative. Let take my country for instant, it has become a norm that for you get some thing like job , political positions, you must give something in form of bribe, bribery now become so normal that if you don't take or give bribe you are like a fairy from another planet.

It's a similar logic to an approach where one assumes that every complex problem can be solved by splitting it to small little pieces possible to understand and resolve. Communities are these complex problems, but what are communities if not a set of people, interactions and rules?

indeed,a ll communities are based on individuals. Individuals are the root that grows into the tree of community.

"The way to change the world is through individual responsibility and taking local action in your own community. " Jeff Bridges

wow...!! great post sir @krnel
i like your post to much . thanks
for sharing good post.

interesting articles @krnel , although I'm not an expert in psychology, but I really understand what you write in this paper. Thanks 👍😊

interesting perspective, kind of a different take on tragedy of the commons

Nice post, thanks for sharing
Your blessed

You didn't read the post. Please don't put useless comments that add no value. You don't help yourself out at all...

Lol, all in the name of upvote bro

If you tend to be constructive build relationship with insightful comment bro no upvote for you anywhere here in steemit. Please read the post.
yours approach is not good for you and it is not good for people that will make that type of your comment

Just a friendly advise @krnel is one that is generous and his post are insightful

"What's right is right." -Taylor Hicks