normative

Virtue Must Be Unconditional

Virtue should be unconditional, not contingent on others acting virtuously—the argument 'I'll only chip in if others are forced to' cannot stand, since no ethical system is based on conditioning your good behavior (like saving a drowning person) on whether others do the same; those who advocate higher taxes or redistribution should themselves voluntarily give to others rather than condition it on coercion.

normativepending

Speaker

Nassim Nicholas Taleb

Evidence Quote

I don't know any ethical system that is based on something like that.

Source

Nassim Nicholas Taleb on Work, Slavery, the Minority Rule, and Skin in the GameEconTalk
Created: 6/13/2026, 12:20:19 AM

My Notes

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