tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3891434218564545511.post5563666990319400922..comments2024-03-28T13:23:50.623-05:00Comments on Alexander Pruss's Blog: There is such a thing as supererogationAlexander R Prusshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05989277655934827117noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3891434218564545511.post-55493848494342952512012-12-26T15:38:00.782-06:002012-12-26T15:38:00.782-06:00Supererogatory actions if not accompanied by love ...Supererogatory actions if not accompanied by love for one's fellow man are pointless according to Saint Paul in Corinthians 13:3 - "though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing."<br /><br />Along parallel lines today is the Feast of Saint Stephan the Protomartyr who was stoned to death on false acusations and drummed up charges of blasphemy. Saul of Tarsus (Saint Paul) gave consent to Saint Stephan's killing at the time. I have heard in a homily that if it were not for the witness of Saint Stephan in his martyrdom, there would not have been a Saint Paul. I will quote from the commentaries in the Orthodox Study Bible on Acts 8:1 - "In the Liturgy of Saint Basil, we proclaim God as one who 'makes evil to be good.' In other words, God uses the sins of man for good and holy results. Here the scattering of the disciples during this persecution led to the spread of the gospel to other areas."<br /><br />Dagmara Lizlovshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14744785407281199347noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3891434218564545511.post-5518765009698746862012-12-20T12:52:11.460-06:002012-12-20T12:52:11.460-06:00I should add to the sufficient conditions for supe...I should add to the sufficient conditions for supererogation that the action is less convenient than (i.e., involves a sacrifice over) the permissible alternative. This doesn't affect the example.Alexander R Prusshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05989277655934827117noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3891434218564545511.post-78068740019836451342012-12-19T17:56:11.005-06:002012-12-19T17:56:11.005-06:00But then every action is impermissible in this sit...But then every action is impermissible in this situation, since you can only reduce by less than 12 hours. And while there may be situations where every action is impermissible, this doesn't seem to be one of them.Alexander R Prusshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05989277655934827117noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3891434218564545511.post-53560127624869952582012-12-19T17:47:47.792-06:002012-12-19T17:47:47.792-06:00Couldn't you say that it is not morally permis...Couldn't you say that it is not morally permissible to reduce your friend's torture by anything less than the maximum amount of time, given one's other commitments/obligations/etc.?<br /><br />It is "morally permissible" to give a homeless person $0.01. But given that P could, without neglecting other duties (to his family, his children's education, his coworkers, etc.), pay a maximum of $q > $0.01, mightn't it be morally impermissible for P to give only $0.01?Jameshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13970112720764172104noreply@blogger.com