Grand River Transit

[danbrotherston]

"Every snowflake in an avalanche pleads not guilty."

- Quote not my own, but don't know whom to credit

I get what the metaphor is trying to say, but the truth is that none of the snowflakes are responsible. They're snowflakes and ultimately follow the laws of gravity like everything else.

Going back to Dan's original point: "I'm not assuming anyone is evil....or at least, I am not suggesting any particular individual is evil. We as a society are perhaps evil, we are all complicit and all guilty in whatever outcomes we have." I completely reject this outlook. Attributing blame to people collectively for society's ill is an entirely pointless endeavor. It's like blaming an avalanche on the snowflakes.

That's not to say that we should accept the status quo any more than we should throw our hands up when there is an unstable snowpack looming over a highway. To stretch the metaphor to the breaking point, it's to say that we can't stop an avalanche by expecting every snowflake to go against its nature and fall up instead of down. In the same way we also can't solve society's ills by expecting those around us to change their nature.

Blaming specific individuals is scapegoating, and it's a way to avoid responsibility. 

But blaming society and pleading innocence is also scapegoating and avoids responsibility. 

Blaming everyone is a way to point out responsibility. I don't know how effective it is but I know the above two alternatives are definitely ineffective with most people. 

As you say, snowflakes are just objects following the laws of physics. But humans are complex, they are BOTH automatons following the laws of psychology and sociology AND ALSO independent self directed individuals capable of making and responsible for their own choices and contributions.

The question of how to create collective action is a difficult one, I don't think trying to make everyone feel responsible for our collective outcomes is entirely pointless. But I do agree it is not sufficient. They must also feel empowered to change those outcomes. 

I think we need a philosophy thread for this one now.