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Though provoking question

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Famousdebater
By Famousdebater | 9 years ago
If you stole my pen and told me you’d return it if I guessed what you were going to do with it, would you return it if I guess you’d never return it?
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Famousdebater
By Famousdebater | 9 years ago
Actually I phrased the heading poorly. It's more of a paradoxical question than a thought provoking one.
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ColeTrain
By ColeTrain | 9 years ago
Famousdebater: Lol, that's weird.

But yes, i'd give it back, I think stealing is wrong. ;)
"Man is not free unless government is limited" -- Ronald Reagan
Topics: http://tinyurl.com/oh9tm6u
Famousdebater
By Famousdebater | 9 years ago
ColeTrain: I suppose that this is a logical answer but it still doesn't escape the problems the question poses. 😉
Famousdebater from DDO.
lannan13
By lannan13 | 9 years ago
Well, if I borrow something from someone then I'll return it, very simple.
What is immoral for a individual to do is immoral for a government to do."- Rand Paul
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Famousdebater
By Famousdebater | 9 years ago
lannan13: But that isn't what the question stated. It clearly said:

If you stole my pen

And if your philosophy is that you'd return it then remember that it says "if", so we'll assume that you did steal it and this situation did happen because this is the way that the question is posed.
Famousdebater from DDO.
ColeTrain
By ColeTrain | 9 years ago
Famousdebater: Haha, true :P
"Man is not free unless government is limited" -- Ronald Reagan
Topics: http://tinyurl.com/oh9tm6u
Bi0Hazard
By Bi0Hazard | 9 years ago
Famousdebater: If you stole my pen and told me you’d return it if I guessed what you were going to do with it, would you return it if I guess you’d never return it?
No, because you didn't guess what I was gonna do with it.
Famousdebater
By Famousdebater | 9 years ago
Bi0Hazard: But if you didn't return it to me, then I guessed correctly that you wouldn't return it to me - which would mean that you'd have to return it to me, but then that'd mean I guessed incorrectly, etc. 😉
Famousdebater from DDO.
Bi0Hazard
By Bi0Hazard | 9 years ago
Famousdebater: But if you didn't return it to me, then I guessed correctly that you wouldn't return it to me
That is IF I would never return it, but I said I would if you guessed correctly what I am going to do with it. You can just guess that I would never return it and leave it at that, but I still wouldn't have to return it since I told you that I would return it IF you correctly guessed what I am going to do with it, and saying that I would never return it is not guessing what I was going to do with it(it is guessing what I won't do).

Famousdebater
By Famousdebater | 9 years ago
Bi0Hazard: saying that I would never return it is not guessing what I was going to do with it(it is guessing what I won't do).

I guess I could have phrased the OP more specifically.
Famousdebater from DDO.