When a person is so rude to break that social contract, it is no longer necessary to be civil to them. Furthermore treating that person who broke the social contract the same as everyone else means you don't recolonize the importance of civility, you do not recognize virtue.
When we're not civil, we're letting go of our own civility. Two wrongs don't make a right. However in practice, it's tough to figure out the appropriate coarse of action. If you treat the other person well while you're being treated badly it could be seen as acceptance. So the only solution is not to interact with that person at all, to the extent that it's possible.
And then there's practicality. Just the other day some man called me rude because apparently he said hello to me and I did not notice, let alone respond- I only noticed when he started yelling at me. Sorry, I am under no obligation to be friendly. However, I suppose that in theory it does seem rude- I mean a person gives me a friendly greeting to me and I completely ignore him. So, technically uncivil but perfectly acceptable once you take into account the environment. The fact that he started yelling at me is reason enough not to feel bad about ignoring stuff like that in the first place.
But wait- according to your social contract theory, I was uncivil to this man by not greeting him back, so he was perfectly within his rights to be uncivil to me by yelling at me?
Santorum is #2 in Iowa
04/01/2012 01:24:13 PM
- 1747 Views
would you stop using that word? It is gross. *NM*
04/01/2012 01:48:45 PM
- 572 Views
What's your word for it? *NM*
04/01/2012 03:43:44 PM
- 523 Views
Well, there's nothing wrong with Santoruming in the privacy of one's home.
04/01/2012 02:35:56 PM
- 1064 Views
yeah that it so funny
04/01/2012 03:05:59 PM
- 933 Views
he kind of brought it on himself by being so decidedly anti-gay that it pissed lots of people off
04/01/2012 04:36:39 PM
- 974 Views
maybe the gays brought all the gay bashing on themselves
05/01/2012 03:18:15 PM
- 1173 Views
Civility is a social contract
05/01/2012 04:39:46 PM
- 941 Views
so now that the gays have broken that contract they are fair game?
05/01/2012 06:37:52 PM
- 691 Views
Re: so now that the gays have broken that contract they are fair game?
06/01/2012 05:29:49 PM
- 948 Views
So is it OK if just insult the gays who are politically active and push their agenda?
06/01/2012 06:16:30 PM
- 976 Views
If you call them out by name for hypocrisy, then sure.
10/01/2012 05:22:34 PM
- 998 Views
yes but once you have thrown out all civil decency why start getting nuanced?
11/01/2012 09:09:13 PM
- 920 Views
That's too harsh.
06/01/2012 07:29:05 PM
- 909 Views
Actually, your response was expected
04/01/2012 10:08:33 PM
- 1028 Views
do you still pretend that it isn't political?
05/01/2012 03:14:25 PM
- 868 Views
I'm sorry
05/01/2012 03:52:57 PM
- 972 Views
funny how it always woks out that way
05/01/2012 06:44:55 PM
- 774 Views
Believe what you will, but my wok skills are poor
05/01/2012 07:32:17 PM
- 936 Views
You should ask one of the gays to help you. I hear the gays are good at cooking. *NM*
06/01/2012 01:54:21 AM
- 613 Views
Santorum is a man who believes you must compare homosexual love to bestiality and pedophilia
05/01/2012 04:42:26 AM
- 944 Views
and Savage is a Man who believes that vulgar personal attacks
05/01/2012 03:12:42 PM
- 1091 Views
Why should a person tolerate intolerance? (Serious question.) *NM*
05/01/2012 08:46:05 PM
- 645 Views
The question boils down to why should someone tolerate what they think is wrong.
05/01/2012 10:53:40 PM
- 905 Views
and when santorum tells you that your lifestyle is worse than pedophilia and bestiality?
06/01/2012 03:34:52 AM
- 860 Views
To be fair...
06/01/2012 05:32:31 AM
- 1004 Views
You are correct
06/01/2012 01:21:18 PM
- 1058 Views
Then it seems like it's a problem of definitions more than anything else.
06/01/2012 09:48:49 PM
- 964 Views
Following the logic to its bitter end. Why do I do this to myself???
06/01/2012 10:14:01 PM
- 1030 Views
Those are really not equivalent.
06/01/2012 04:18:37 PM
- 822 Views
Re: Those are really not equivalent.
06/01/2012 10:27:11 PM
- 952 Views
I don't like your definition of tolerance and you're not consistent with it anyway.
07/01/2012 01:49:05 AM
- 986 Views
In case you were curious, I really disagree with your understanding of tolerance. *NM*
09/01/2012 08:24:45 PM
- 602 Views
So at this point, most of the candidates had a moment at the top. Kind of awesome.
05/01/2012 11:22:50 PM
- 932 Views
that is why Perry is staying in the race
06/01/2012 06:20:54 PM
- 900 Views
He should stay, they should all stay. Trump should get back into it and Palin should jump in too.
06/01/2012 07:00:52 PM
- 843 Views
It would be the joke of the year if Huntsman got a turn.
06/01/2012 10:59:36 PM
- 852 Views
Is he a bigger long shot than Santorum, though? Gingrich? Bachman? CAIN!?
07/01/2012 01:34:47 AM
- 950 Views
Yes, for the reason you state.
07/01/2012 03:04:39 PM
- 910 Views
I really do not agree.
09/01/2012 08:51:46 PM
- 943 Views
Like I said, check Obamas numbers any time in the last year and a half.
10/01/2012 11:41:47 AM
- 820 Views
More like everyone has had a moment running second to Romney.
07/01/2012 01:59:25 PM
- 842 Views
It's not a foregone conclusion yet.
07/01/2012 04:03:51 PM
- 952 Views
It kinda is; Paul cannot even win a majority of Republicans, let alone the country.
07/01/2012 09:09:07 PM
- 926 Views
Ironically, Paul has a better chance of winning the general election than the republican primary.
07/01/2012 10:14:07 PM
- 1015 Views
What's the likelihood of Paul running as an independent/3rd party if he doesn't get the GOP nod? *NM*
07/01/2012 10:21:23 PM
- 348 Views
Not very high, I think. He didn't try it last time either, and it would hand Obama the election. *NM*
08/01/2012 01:29:01 AM
- 467 Views
many states have laws that you cannot run 3rd party after being on the ballot for a party primary
08/01/2012 06:12:36 AM
- 1050 Views
Yes, he and Romney have that in common, but Pauls positions are (mostly) sincere.
10/01/2012 03:46:04 PM
- 1027 Views
give up the hope it is nothing more than a pipe dream
09/01/2012 02:57:03 PM
- 963 Views
All of the republican candidates are pipe dreams.
09/01/2012 08:56:57 PM
- 763 Views
I find Ron Paul absolutely infuriating.
09/01/2012 10:44:09 PM
- 1026 Views
Um...
10/01/2012 03:54:53 PM
- 859 Views
Paul is an equal opportunity infuriator, to borrow Vivien's word.
09/01/2012 10:56:57 PM
- 923 Views
The original santorum 2003 interview for those who want to know
07/01/2012 05:32:00 AM
- 1144 Views
And here is the 2002 op ed where he blamed liberalism causing the Catholic Church sex abuse scandal
07/01/2012 05:36:39 AM
- 952 Views