I discovered a logical hole in Karma theory

[DrZoidberg]

Saw this painted on the back of a van today.

"I believe in Karma. That means I can do bad things to people all day and assume they deserve it."

It works doesn't it? Let's ignore the magical problem, ie who keeps track of all this and how.

It has the same problem as children getting leukaemia.

Karma theory only works if you are self centered, ie don't think of us as part of a system. As soon as we start adding other people we get into trouble

 

[Lion IRC]

Someone else discovered that too.

 

[Valjean]

But in doing the bad things to other people wouldn't you still accrue karmic consequences?
This Karma isn't an abrahamic concept. There's no manichean war of good against evil, with individuals doing the work of God or Satan.

 

[DrZoidberg]

But in doing the bad things to other people wouldn't you still accrue karmic consequences?

Not necessarily. It's all about balance. If I behave like a dick to someone they have to deserve it. Are you being a dick because you're helping out the universe with balance or are you just being a dick?

Of course it's just a beautiful metaphor. But it is illogical.

This Karma isn't an abrahamic concept. There's no manichean war of good against evil, with individuals doing the work of God or Satan.

I'm pretty sure the Abrahamic concept of divine justice in the afterlife comes from the the Hindu concept of Karma. I've read it in several comparative religious texts. It's something that the Babylonians first borrowed from Indian Hindus, and then the Jews took with them back to Israel when they were released from captivity.

 

[Keith&Co.]

Saw this painted on the back of a van today.

"I believe in Karma. That means I can do bad things to people all day and assume they deserve it."

That's not a loophole, though. It would be a loop hole if performing bad acts on deserving people meant you didn't get punished for it.

That's not part of the system, though.

If you torture people, then when you get reincarnated someone else will torture you for the balance. Which requires that someone else torture your torturer when HE gets reincarnated. And then, they come back in a form which requires another torturer...

It's more like an infinite regression problem than a loophole.

 

[Cheerful Charlie]

"I am the cosmic instrument of your bad karma".

 

[rousseau]

The correct interpretation of karmic theory is exactly about being part of a system. For every action there is a reaction. Make positive actions, get positive reactions. That's karma.

I actually failed a paper in university when I mis-interpreted it another way.

 

[Kharakov]

Ecosystem carbon karma.

Positive emotional reactions in humans sometimes leads to negative environmental consequences for the rest of Carbon's children.

 

[LordKiran]

Saw this painted on the back of a van today.

"I believe in Karma. That means I can do bad things to people all day and assume they deserve it."

It works doesn't it? Let's ignore the magical problem, ie who keeps track of all this and how.

It has the same problem as children getting leukaemia.

Karma theory only works if you are self centered, ie don't think of us as part of a system. As soon as we start adding other people we get into trouble

That's not how Karma works.


Two high school football stars break their legs in horrible accidents and can't walk ever again.

One decides to make the best of it and helps out his team however he can, study for his college exams, and moves on with his life.

The other becomes a bitter, defeated stick in the mud who spirals downward into depression and alcoholism.

One produces positive karma. The other produces negative karma.

 

[Bronzeage]

No discussion of Karma would be complete without Bron's Law #34: Anyone who doesn't believe in karma, hasn't been paying attention.

 

[Malintent]

Saw this painted on the back of a van today.

"I believe in Karma. That means I can do bad things to people all day and assume they deserve it."

It works doesn't it? Let's ignore the magical problem, ie who keeps track of all this and how.

It has the same problem as children getting leukaemia.

Karma theory only works if you are self centered, ie don't think of us as part of a system. As soon as we start adding other people we get into trouble

I agree that this is very self-centered... I would say you need to be an existentialist to hold that view, which follows from what you are saying.
I wouldn't;t call this a logical flaw, though... I would call it the same thing that one would call:

"I believe in Christianity. That means I can do bad things to people all day and just ask for forgiveness later."

- - - Updated - - -

No discussion of Karma would be complete without Bron's Law #34: Anyone who doesn't believe in karma, hasn't been paying attention.

or.. maybe they are paying attention, but suffer from confirmation bias.