Re: Going back to my beach house squatting example . . .
Spall, is it correct to say that in my example, you didn't think the squatter was doing anything morally wrong because you, the homeowner, suffered no harm?
I don't know. I'm trying to develop some system for answering moral questions, and harm caused to another is high on my list as a clearly immoral act. To take the squatting example and lessen it a bit to something that we would be more familiar with in everyday life:
Let's say I need to use a pair of scissors but I do not have one available. The student sitting next to me is away from his seat, but he left a pair of scissors on his desk. I am not close friends with this student.
Have I committed a moral wrong by using his scissors without his permission as long as I do not damage them in any way and he is totally unaware that I used them? If not, what is the moral difference between scissors and a home?
Notice that I specifically mentioned that he would be unaware that I used his scissors when he gets backed. If not, I may have caused him a certain amount of mental anguish by making him feel insecure in his property ownership.
He doesn't take anything or use any resources or damage anything, he just hangs around your house and maybe rifles through your wife's lingerie drawer (neatly putting everything back in its place). On your return, you don't even know he's been there. So you would you say he hasn't done anything morally wrong?
With the lingerie issue, this case seems to get into the realm of privacy issues. I'm entirely unfamiliar with how to answer questions of privacy.
