War

I hear this argument a lot: If you're old enough to fight for your country, then you're old enough to do X. X might be "drink," or "gamble," or "do crack cocaine," or "rent a car"; basically anything. Whenever people say this, it strikes me as kind of silly. But at the same time it kind of makes sense, because fighting and dying seems more serious than almost anything else you could possibly do. So I wanted to ask: What do the panelists think?

Comments

The claim to which you refer, Isuspect, is a shortened version of one or both of two basicinferences. Either, that killing other people/ risking one's own lifeis an enormous and 'grown-up' responsibility; anyone deemed to becapable of such responsibility should surely be capable of lesserresponsibilities; drinking et al are lesser responsibilities;therefore etc. Or, second, that a nation is asking a great deal of aperson in putting them forward for combat; if someone is asked for somuch, and gives honourably, something should be owed in return,especially some degree of rights or privileges; drinking et al arejust such rights or privileges; therefore etc.

As they stand, the above mini-argumentsare not terribly convincing. The responsibility argument assumes thatthe condition of being responsible is simple and one-dimensionallyquantitative. But imagine a Mr. X, who holds down a good job inmanagement, raises a family, sits conscientiously on the citycouncil, and so forth – but occasionally drives under theinfluence. Such an example shows that being responsible is not quiteso straight-forward a concept, capable of an unequivocal 'less' or'more'.

The rights or privileges argument, onthe other hand, seems to assume that a privilege such as drinking isowed. But, if anything is owed it is either contracted explicitly(the soldier's wage packet, pension, due care by commanding officers– something owed by law) or something conventionally suitable (likea parade, say, or a bit of respect – something owed by existingcultural convention). I don't see how renting a car, for example,fits into either category.

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