Allowing blackmail seems prima facie good to me, since it’s a tax on covert illicit bejhavior.
Such as, for example, being covertly Jewish in Nazi Germany? Covertly of black ancestry in the American South in recent times past? Covertly an atheist in some parts of the world now, and much larger parts some centuries back?
If there exists some information about someone that, if revealed, would cause people to coordinate to punish them, then it’s good for this information to be revealed because on average it’s good for such people to be punished.
Does this apply to the above examples?
There is an implicit claim that enabling people to coordinate to punish someone is good in itself, independently of what they are punishing the person for. This is of such breathtaking moral bankruptcy that I hope to have misinterpreted something.
“compared to what?” should always be part of the analysis. In the examples you give (unjust persecution if private information is published), I believe you’d prefer blackmail to publication, and prefer unpaid silence to blackmail. It’s unclear what intuitions you have if there’s a social or monetary reward for turning them in. Is blackmail acceptible, if it’s no more than the value of the foregone reward?
Do you think that receiving a bounty or a medal for turning over Jews to the Nazis, black people passing as white to lynch mobs, or blasphemers to imams changes things? If so, what would your price be?
I don’t know what my price would be, and I hope it’s too high to ever come into play. I like to think there’s no possible situation I’d turn someone in, and I’d favor the individual over the mob at any cost to myself. But that’s not true for the vast majority of humans, and probably not for me either.
But we’re not talking about heroes (even if I hope I would qualify and fear I wouldn’t). We’re talking about the range of human behavior and motivation. It’s clear that social pressure _is_ enough for some people to turn others in. Medals, rewards, etc. likely increase that a little. Blackmail probably decreases it a little, as the data-holders can now get paid for keeping secrets rather than doing it in spite of incentives.
I would add that the claim that “on average it’s good for such people to be punished” shouldn’t be thrown around unless there’s actually some quantification that suggests it. it may be a strong argument if it had some backing, but it isn’t any good if it doesn’t.
Such as, for example, being covertly Jewish in Nazi Germany? Covertly of black ancestry in the American South in recent times past? Covertly an atheist in some parts of the world now, and much larger parts some centuries back?
Does this apply to the above examples?
There is an implicit claim that enabling people to coordinate to punish someone is good in itself, independently of what they are punishing the person for. This is of such breathtaking moral bankruptcy that I hope to have misinterpreted something.
“compared to what?” should always be part of the analysis. In the examples you give (unjust persecution if private information is published), I believe you’d prefer blackmail to publication, and prefer unpaid silence to blackmail. It’s unclear what intuitions you have if there’s a social or monetary reward for turning them in. Is blackmail acceptible, if it’s no more than the value of the foregone reward?
Do you think that receiving a bounty or a medal for turning over Jews to the Nazis, black people passing as white to lynch mobs, or blasphemers to imams changes things? If so, what would your price be?
I don’t know what my price would be, and I hope it’s too high to ever come into play. I like to think there’s no possible situation I’d turn someone in, and I’d favor the individual over the mob at any cost to myself. But that’s not true for the vast majority of humans, and probably not for me either.
But we’re not talking about heroes (even if I hope I would qualify and fear I wouldn’t). We’re talking about the range of human behavior and motivation. It’s clear that social pressure _is_ enough for some people to turn others in. Medals, rewards, etc. likely increase that a little. Blackmail probably decreases it a little, as the data-holders can now get paid for keeping secrets rather than doing it in spite of incentives.
I would add that the claim that “on average it’s good for such people to be punished” shouldn’t be thrown around unless there’s actually some quantification that suggests it. it may be a strong argument if it had some backing, but it isn’t any good if it doesn’t.