[Avodah] Categorical imperative

[Micha Berger]

Picking up on our conversation of a year-and-a-half ago about the
relationship between intuitive ethics and halakhah (in contrast to
"Divine Command Theory" -- that "ethical" *means* "that which Hashem
commanded"). Which began with Kant's Categorical Imperative...

Categorical Imperative:
    Act only according to that maxim whereby you can at the same time
    will that it should become a universal law.
	-- Grounding for the Metaphysics of Morals, tr James E Wellington

Well, I found a maqor in the Yerushalmi. Chullin 4:5, 28a:
    R' Shim'on bar Kahaneh was giving physical support to R' Liezer
    [while walking]. They passed by a fence. He [R' Liezer] said to him,
    "Bring me a splinter so that I can pick my teeth." Then he returned
    [to speaking] and said, "Do not bring me anything." He said, "Because
    if each and every person did like this, the person's [entire] fence
    would leave!"
    R Chagai was giving support to R' Ze'ira. They passed by someone's
    stack of beams. He [R' Ze'ira] said to him, "Bring me a splinter so
    that I can pick my teeth." Then he returned [to speaking] and said,
    "Do not bring me anything." He said, "Because if each and every
    person did like this, the person's [entire] stack would leave!"
    It is not that R' Ze'ira was being all that kahser. Rather, he was
    latting them hear the words of their Creator from his actions.

Both stories are pretty clearly laying out the Categorical Imperative.
People aren't maqpidim on splinters, so lehalakhah it's okay.

Notice that the idea of R' Ze'ira following the Categorical Imperative is
assumed to make him more kosher. (Even if the gemara concludes that R'
Ze'ira wasn't so kosher as to follow the Categorical Imperative as an
ethical guideline, but was "just" doing so because he knew that people
learn from his behavior in particular.)

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             You cannot propel yourself forward
micha at aishdas.org        by patting yourself on the back.
http://www.aishdas.org                   -Anonymous
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