X-Message-Number: 16458 From: Date: Thu, 7 Jun 2001 11:14:11 EDT Subject: Swayze, Perry/Mill I have been trying for some time to come up with a proposal to him and to the CI Board of Directors to help James Swayze obtain cryo service through CI. Still working on it. -------- Mike Perry mentions Mill's assertion that coercion of anyone is permissible only for the protection of others, not for his own help or protection. That's greatly oversimplified, not to mention that it's merely an opinion. Surely you can (and should, if necessary) coerce your child not to harm or endanger herself. And if you once admit that, how can you draw a clear line between a child and someone who is child-like in certain respects, stupid or ignorant or weak? An opinion opposite to that of Mill was taken by the various churches, especially the Roman Catholics in earlier times. They held--very logically--that not only coercion but even torture was permissible for the supremely important goal of saving souls. In the cryonics context, a question is whether you should freeze a relative who had not wanted it, if you have that option around the time of his death. Certainly a case can be made for disregarding the decedent's wishes. Robert Ettinger Cryonics Institute Immortalist Society http://www.cryonics.org Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=16458