Is incitement immoral?

[FreedomPhilosophy]

I can't find any explanation of why incitement is wrong. I can see why it makes someone a party to a bad act, but supporting an immoral action by encouraging it doesn't violate the NAP does it?

[shirgall]

Pursuing a course of action that is reasonably likely to lead some other moral actor to the use of force, fraud, or theft is either good, evil, or neutral. Unfortunately, it is also consequentialist to claim it is evil. So, it all should hinge on how you are manipulating the other person to act.

 

Threats are pretty evil. "Kill that person or I will kill you."

 

Lies come across as pretty evil too, either with lies of commission or omission, but this is weaker than threats. "Kill that guy because he's going to kill you." (and you know it's not true)

 

Base emotional appeal? That's a tough one...

[neeeel]

 

Threats are pretty evil. "Kill that person or I will kill you."

 

 

 

Are all threats evil? Because social exclusion is a threat, and can also be a life threatening one, if you are excluded and cant survive.

[Blackout]

Threats are coercive acts, so if you believe agression is always wrong you may find all threats immoral. Otherwise, it might help to think about the nature of the threat.

 

"Kill him or I'll kill you" is a threat of violent action, on your part if the other party does not comply. In addition, you are forcing someone to initiate violence, which is not morally permissible. So I think that would be wrong on 2 counts.

 

"Stop smoking or I will ignore you" is a threat to exercise your power of free association, which I believe to be morally permissible, and doesn't require the other party to do anything immoral.

 

"Murder him or I will divorce you" also comes across as rather immoral, since you are demanding someone commit an immoral act. If an action is immoral for you to commit, it does not follow that the same action would be permissible for someone else to commit on your behalf (ie. hiring hitman).