Ten Commandments: #8 – “You shall not steal.” (NIV, 1990, p.84)
Whether a believer of the Bible or not most people in western society, and indeed the world over, have heard the Commandment mentioned above. It is number eight of the Ten Commandments, which are actually the first part of 613 commandments, which the Old Testament, or Hebrew Bible, records God to have given to Moses. (NIV, 1990, p.83-84). Therefore, being number eight of 613, I think it is fairly clear to say that not stealing seems to be rather high on God’s list of don’ts and that it is something ‘bad.’ (He generally knows best :-P )
Using Immanuel Kant’s “test of universalizability” (Law, 2007, p.104) the categorical imperative which states that “for an action to be moral, the underlying principle on which you act must be universalizable: it must be a maxim that everyone can adopt.” (Law, 2007, p.105), it is clearly shown that stealing is ‘bad’ for everyone. If everyone who did not have the money to buy something simply stole whatever it was they wanted then the whole concept of earning what you want, rather than stealing would disintegrate.
However, tragically there may always be times in which ‘good’ people may have to face having to steal things, e.g. food and clothes for their families, or the elderly surviving on a measly government pension. How do these ‘good’ people fare in times when certain ‘bad’ celebrities steal for the thrill? Or when certain companies charge high prices for many of life’s little necessities and may themselves be accused of stealing? To this question I have no final and decisive answer.
Bibliography
Law, S. (2007) The Great Philosophers. London: Quercus Publishing Plc.
Thompson, F.C. (1990) The Thompson Chain Reference Study Bible-NIV. Indianapolis: The B. B. Kirkbride Bible Company, Inc.
Whether a believer of the Bible or not most people in western society, and indeed the world over, have heard the Commandment mentioned above. It is number eight of the Ten Commandments, which are actually the first part of 613 commandments, which the Old Testament, or Hebrew Bible, records God to have given to Moses. (NIV, 1990, p.83-84). Therefore, being number eight of 613, I think it is fairly clear to say that not stealing seems to be rather high on God’s list of don’ts and that it is something ‘bad.’ (He generally knows best :-P )
Using Immanuel Kant’s “test of universalizability” (Law, 2007, p.104) the categorical imperative which states that “for an action to be moral, the underlying principle on which you act must be universalizable: it must be a maxim that everyone can adopt.” (Law, 2007, p.105), it is clearly shown that stealing is ‘bad’ for everyone. If everyone who did not have the money to buy something simply stole whatever it was they wanted then the whole concept of earning what you want, rather than stealing would disintegrate.
However, tragically there may always be times in which ‘good’ people may have to face having to steal things, e.g. food and clothes for their families, or the elderly surviving on a measly government pension. How do these ‘good’ people fare in times when certain ‘bad’ celebrities steal for the thrill? Or when certain companies charge high prices for many of life’s little necessities and may themselves be accused of stealing? To this question I have no final and decisive answer.
Bibliography
Law, S. (2007) The Great Philosophers. London: Quercus Publishing Plc.
Thompson, F.C. (1990) The Thompson Chain Reference Study Bible-NIV. Indianapolis: The B. B. Kirkbride Bible Company, Inc.
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