Hatred warps reasoning as well
as ethical judgment along the lines of a warped time-space fabric around a large
mass. In other words, the sheer gravitational pull of self-centeredness can bend
both thought and judgment. As essentially egoist, this phenomenon can itself be
considered to be unethical, for what are actually equivalent ethical harms are
perceived as unequal at the expense of other people or peoples. Even though Israel’s
military attacks in, and invasion of, Lebanon in 2026 could be said to be in violation
of international law, Israel’s national security minister said on June 19th that all of Lebanon must burn because four Israeli soldiers had just been
killed in combat when their tank was hit near Kfar Tebnit. The official’s
statement is significant in that it lays bare the false equivalence of the
lives of four Israelis and the entire population of Lebanon. The warped judgment
and related ratiocination behind such a baseless equivalence can be grasped
from the standpoint of utilitarianism.
The full essay is at "Israel in Lebanon."
