John
So what do you think of loyalty then Sally?
Sally
Well it was thought highly of in my school, John.
J
Yes, but what does loyalty actually mean?
S
Well I suppose that you, as an individual or small group, display loyalty to a larger group if you obey or conform to its rules or tenets.
J
But you'd do that anyway if you agreed with them.
S
Yes. I suppose I'd have to modify my definition of loyalty by adding the clause "...even if you disagree with them."
J
So you display loyalty only when you conform to a group or individual's wishes while disagreeing with them.
S
Yes. That's the test.
J
And conforming to a group or individual's wishes out of belief requires no loyalty.
S
Yes.
J
So if a group or individual asks for your loyalty, it is asking you to do what you don't believe in.
S
So it would seem.
J
Could you call a man who conformed out of loyalty a man of principle?
S
Well what we have here is someone who believes one thing is right but does something else.
J
Why would they do this?
S
It could only be out of fear - or perhaps laziness, which is a sort of fear - fear of effort.
J
So the loyal man lacks principle and courage?
S
Looks like it, John.
J
And what about the man who does what he believes in and in so doing goes against the group?
S
Principled and courageous.
J
The degree of courage being proportional to the penalties he can expect from not conforming?
S
Yes.
J
Of course a principled and courageous man can be wrong.
S
Of course.
J
But not all loyal men are wrong.
S
No.
J
And not all disloyal men are right.
S
No.
J
And being and doing right is good?
S
Yes. Let's assume that.
J
So is loyalty ever a good thing?
S
Certainly when the group is right and the individual wrong.
J
i.e. where the individual acts right out of loyalty and against his own wrong belief.
S
Yes.
J
What about the other cases?
S
You mean the other combinations of the group believing right and wrong and the individual believing right or wrong and acting right or wrong?
J
Yes. Let's start again and look at all those cases and decide how many display loyalty and how many of those we think are good.
S
Well, let's lay them out as follows. [Sally takes out a pencil from her handbag and starts to draw on the back of a cigarette packet.]
J
I'll get the drinks in. [John goes to the bar and orders the drinks.]
S
Cheers!
J
So what have you done?
S
Well I think these are the cases. [Sally shows John the following table.]
| Group believes right | y | n | ||||||
| Individual believes right | y | n | y | n | ||||
| Individual acts right | y | n | y | n | y | n | y | n |
| Case | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
| Loyalty? | ||||||||
| Good? | ||||||||
J
You've been busy. What's it all about?
S
I reckon there are these eight possibilities.
J
And no others. Let's go through them then.
S
OK. In case 1, What the group, you know - the group requiring loyalty from the individual - believes, is right, the individual believes in that right belief too and acts in accordance with it. Is that loyalty?
J
No. Loyalty is not being displayed. It is not required in this situation. So put a dash there.
S
Why not an 'n'?
J
Let an 'n' mean disloyalty.
S
Good?
J
Certainly. Harmonious good.
S
So I'll put a dash and a 'y' for the first of our possibilities. Now for case 2.
J
It occurs to me that whenever the individual acts right, the conclusion is 'good'.
S
And whenever he doesn't, the conclusion is bad.
J
So let's put all those in.
[Sally puts all those in and the table now looks like this:]
| Group believes right | y | n | ||||||
| Individual believes right | y | n | y | n | ||||
| Individual acts right | y | n | y | n | y | n | y | n |
| Case | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
| Loyalty? | - | |||||||
| Good? | y | n | y | n | y | n | y | n |
J
Now does case 2 display loyalty? It's a very odd situation. Both the group and the individual believe in right but the individual acts wrongly. I'd say that is disloyalty.
S
Agreed. Case 3?
J
The individual acts right and in accordance with the group's wishes despite (sp?) his own wrong belief. That's the case we mentioned before. It's loyalty and it's good. Put those two in Sal.
| Group believes right | y | n | ||||||
| Individual believes right | y | n | y | n | ||||
| Individual acts right | y | n | y | n | y | n | y | n |
| Case | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
| Loyalty? | - | n | y | |||||
| Good? | y | n | y | n | y | n | y | n |
S
Now we have the case, 4, where the group believes right but the individual thinks and acts wrong. Disloyal. Now we consider the four cases where the group believes wrong. In case 5, desite this, the individual thinks and acts right. Disloyal and good. Case 6 is loyal and bad. Agreed so far?
J
Yes. Nearly there. Case 7 is a real curiosity. The group and the individual both agree, in that they both believe in wrong, but the individual acts right. That wouldn't happen, if the only determinants are those we're considering. Put an asterisk for loyalty and good for case 7.
S
OK. Now case 8. The group believes wrong and the individual believes and acts wrong.
J
No loyalty needed since he believes the same as the group and acts in accordance with the belief.
S
Surely case 2's like that too. Let's say neutral loyalty there. But there again he's acting badly despite his own beliefs and those of the group. So let's leave that an 'n' meaning disloyal. By the same token, let's get rid of the asterisks in case 7 and put an 'n' - for disloyal. [Sally fills in the results and the table now looks like this:]
| Group believes right | y | n | ||||||
| Individual believes right | y | n | y | n | ||||
| Individual acts right | y | n | y | n | y | n | y | n |
| Case | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
| Loyalty? | - | n | y | n | n | y | n | - |
| Good? | y | n | y | n | y | n | y | n |
S
In only one case is loyalty a good thing.
J
Yes. And in two cases disloyalty is good.
S
Of the four cases of a good outcome, three correspond to disloyalty or a situation in which loyalty is not required.
J
So loyalty is not to be encouraged.
S
So it appears. [Laughs]. Drink John?