Correction

Thanks Dana for spelling out the argument. Re-reading my post, I realized I hadn't actually said what the argument is, only what barriers there are to convincing people. The argument that ends up resonating with me is the same one that resonates with Dana; however, as she implies, it is pretty hit or miss as a persuasive argument to convince those with differing moral frameworks.

Andre: I agree a basket of arguments is probably what we are left with - an argument from authoritarianism runs into the same problem as the argument from economics: it makes the whole thing contingent on (what most would consider to be) a hypothetical. Indeed, the people that are willing to grant this particular hypothetical are most likely going to be the ones that already see a value in privacy.

-- TheodoreSmith - 20 May 2009