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Assumptions:

  • Brother A is married.
  • Brother B lost his job.
  • Brother A invites brother B into his house to stay while B search for a new job.
  • A's wife has an affair with B.
  • B tells A the truth when A confronts him about it.

It's obvious that the wife committed an injustice toward A because she broke a promise of fidelity.

One can also argue that B was being immoral toward himself by sleeping with a woman who is dishonest.

The question is was B immoral toward A?

UPDATE

The question is now changed to: The question is did B committed an injustice against A? If yes, what is the reason(s)?

asked Aug 23 '12 at 03:24

Humbug's gravatar image

Humbug
508110

edited Aug 24 '12 at 13:37

Would B violate the trust of A by covertly enjoying his wife's sexual favors? That's unjust. Would B fake facts to maintain that trust while accomplishing his covert actions? That's dishonest. Would B be using dishonesty to enjoy something of A's which would not be willingly granted (i.e., the sexual favors of his wife, rather than the sexual favors of a mere ex-wife which he has no say in)? That's fraud. On and on, in most contexts B would be deeply immoral to do such a thing, and yes it would mean being dishonest and unjust to his brother.

(Aug 23 '12 at 14:41) Greg Perkins ♦♦ Greg%20Perkins's gravatar image

What does it mean "not willing to grant sexual favors of his wife"? Are you implying some sort of ownership over services by the recipient?

(Aug 23 '12 at 20:26) Humbug Humbug's gravatar image

Absolutely not. If someone doesn't want to share the sexual favors of their wife, they can stop being her husband.

(Aug 23 '12 at 20:41) Greg Perkins ♦♦ Greg%20Perkins's gravatar image

Does A have some sort of exclusive rights (not ownership) to wife's sexual services that B violated?

(Aug 23 '12 at 21:36) Humbug Humbug's gravatar image

Please notice that I framed the above in terms of hypotheticals. Any exclusivity would of course be an agreement between husband and wife.

(Aug 23 '12 at 22:48) Greg Perkins ♦♦ Greg%20Perkins's gravatar image

Let assume that there is that exclusivity agreement between husband and wife. Is it solely the responsibility of the husband and wife to maintain the integrity of that agreement or is the brother also somehow responsible?

(Aug 24 '12 at 02:38) Humbug Humbug's gravatar image

"Act immorally toward" is an awkward and unnecessary construction. There is injustice, which is toward a person, and there is acting immorally, which has no specific object. Acting immorally is like acting stupid. Actually, they are virtually identical.

(Aug 24 '12 at 09:32) John Paquette ♦ John%20Paquette's gravatar image

Immorality and stupidity are completely different. A stupid person can still act perfectly morally. Any person with free will can act perfectly morally.

(Aug 24 '12 at 13:50) anthony anthony's gravatar image
showing 2 of 8 show all

The question contains a misleading formulation, highlighted in underline in the following excerpt:

It's obvious that the wife committed an injustice toward A because she broke a promise of fidelity.

One can also argue that B was being immoral toward himself by sleeping with a woman who is dishonest.

The question is was B immoral toward A?

The formulation is more precise if "immoral" is changed to "unjust." It is the virtue of justice that most directly applies to relations between people. Morality pertains almost entirely to one's own choices and actions in relation to one's own life and to the nature and demands of man's life qua man. Relations with others are certainly important, too, but mainly as an issue of justice, which is only one aspect of morality.

If the issue is specifically injustice, then yes, the wife and the guest are both being unjust toward the wife's husband, blatantly so under the circumstances described in the question, i.e., two brothers on good terms, with one brother seeking in good faith to help the other in a time of temporary need. That is not a rationally appropriate way for the needy brother to act; it is an immoral course of action, contrary to the requirements of man's life (including his own life) under the stated premises of the question.

answered Aug 24 '12 at 01:53

Ideas%20for%20Life's gravatar image

Ideas for Life ♦
364713

Thanks for the clarification of justice vs. morality. Yes, the primary issue of this question revolves around justice, not morality.

Please clarify what is the principle behind the injustice and would it apply if A & B are not brother but B is aware that woman is married to A.

(Aug 24 '12 at 02:41) Humbug Humbug's gravatar image

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Asked: Aug 23 '12 at 03:24

Seen: 512 times

Last updated: Aug 24 '12 at 13:51