Honestly I think almost anyone who had any "mind control" powers like you'd find in science fiction or fantasy would be unable to resist the urge to use them, particularly if they were secret. The most virtuous among us would probably start doing it for seemingly benign purposes or for minor gains, but would probably slip on occasion to get something we really badly desire.
And, if sci-fi movies and television have taught us anything it is that government agents just love to chase and capture people with cool special abilities.
The good kind of manipulation is tricking people into doing what you believe is good for them.
You are just taking their freedom to decide for themselves this way. Nothing more.
Plus "believe" is very subjective.
No, that's incorrect. Surely you can appreciate the (vast) ethical difference between the following, all of which affect someone's decision to do something, with successively greater deprivation of his freedom to decide for himself. Let X be taking out some insurance.
1. Make someone aware that he could do X, listing the pros and cons. 2. Make someone aware the he could do X, giving an argument designed to convince him X is the best option. That's already manipulative. 3. Enrolling him in X, but allowing him to un-enroll 4. Rewarding him for doing X. 5. Punishing him for not doing X.
That "believe" is subjective (although I doubt you actually believe what's good for people is always subjective, but let's not go there) doesn't matter: Regardless of whether X is actually good, it's ethically preferable to pick the least intrusive, freedom-depriving option to make someone do it
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The most virtuous among us would probably start doing it for seemingly benign purposes or for minor gains, but would probably slip on occasion to get something we really badly desire.
No, that's incorrect. Surely you can appreciate the (vast) ethical difference between the following, all of which affect someone's decision to do something, with successively greater deprivation of his freedom to decide for himself. Let X be taking out some insurance.
1. Make someone aware that he could do X, listing the pros and cons.
2. Make someone aware the he could do X, giving an argument designed to convince him X is the best option. That's already manipulative.
3. Enrolling him in X, but allowing him to un-enroll
4. Rewarding him for doing X.
5. Punishing him for not doing X.
That "believe" is subjective (although I doubt you actually believe what's good for people is always subjective, but let's not go there) doesn't matter: Regardless of whether X is actually good, it's ethically preferable to pick the least intrusive, freedom-depriving option to make someone do it