Defining 'greater good'

Mary Lou Vanda's letter in the May 2 Your Views stated, "The greater good means the greatest possible good for the greatest possible number of individuals." She goes on to say that she doesn't see how that can be open to interpretation and that anyone who disagrees with her is a "fool."

First of all, that is exactly the kind of polarizing language that divides us as a people - not something that promotes the greater good, by her definition or anyone else's. Also, this idea that this can be the only intelligent way of interpreting that phrase shows just how ignorant she is. There was a time when it was thought that the enslavement of a small portion of the people would promote the good for an even greater number of people.

Think of all the economic benefit that huge numbers of people reaped from the labors of just those comparatively few people. Look at all the "good" that did our country. Anyone who has even a cursory knowledge of philosophy will tell you that there is always another interpretation, and no one, not the president or Mary Lou Vanda holds the market on that.

Beth Small

Elgin