I have made a booboo of myself and my actions. I have wrongly associated and enacted punishment with holding others morally and ethically responsible.
As I was discussing with Leung, I hold people responsible for their actions and the consequences of their actions if these actions are voluntary.
I rightfully do not hold people responsible for a morally-flawed disposition or character trait. But that is as far as I will go because being a moral-realist, the actions and consequences of rational beings affect others. And it is on this plain that we can very much control and remedy.
But as often is the case with such understandings, justice and fairness comes into consideration. Should I extend and expect this moral and ethical responsibility to others? Is it too demanding of others? When a lot of people that I know of just want to feel good about themselves and their actions or maybe even just feel good. At what cost? They kinda bugger all.
Because many others do not think of the consequences of their actions, they operate on a reactionary level. They flatten themselves out, "It's not my fault, I can't help it, I'm just a...."
It is perhaps because of this frustration that I have wrongfully associated punishment with the failure of moral and ethical responsibility. Who am I to punish anyone?
Yes, at the end of the day, it is the same. I can only show them love and give them happiness, I should not expect anything back from them.
But since we are reflective creatures and are able to remedy past actions and circumspect against future actions, we should and this is what I preach and what I will be doing. Circumspection and forward planning against our future selves is important since strength of will may come too late or not be enough. Thus by planning against our future selves and putting things in our way (so that we are unable to carry out the wrong actions even if we wanted to), we in effect guard others against our possible failings.
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