Billionaires and Logic: The Ethical Paradoxes of Coherence and Consequence

Viktor Bout, a despicable billionaire, amassed his fortune by trafficking arms globally, significantly contributing to a myriad of conflicts, guerrilla wars, genocides, and atrocities. The biopic "The Lord of War," starring Nicolas Cage, portrays Bout's life, highlighting his role in these events. Bout's defense, claiming he is merely a carrier and not responsible for the uses of the weapons he sells, parallels the argument that "guns don’t kill people; people kill people." His secondary justification, that if he hadn't supplied the weapons, someone else would have, echoes the rationalizations made in other controversial areas of innovation and ethics. This context sets the stage for an exploration beyond Bout's direct actions, using his story as an analogy for the distinction between guarding coherence and ensuring cogency in logic.

Bout’s entry into the arms trade during the USSR's collapse was opportunistic, yet it's conceivable he could have applied his entrepreneurial skills to a morally reputable market, such as advanced surgical tools, potentially earning admiration instead of infamy. This pivot to a different path illuminates the analogy with logic I discuss in "Logic in the Wild," where I describe logic as the "Guardian of Coherence." I provide examples from science, theology, philosophy, and everyday life to show how focusing on coherence aids in thinking, theorizing, and communicating. However, coherence alone does not ensure truth. A theory that is coherent yet based on true content achieves cogency, but truthfulness exceeds logic’s scope, which primarily concerns the structure holding a theory together. Inserting flawed content into logical reasoning can result in flawed conclusions. The fault lies not with logic but with the content it is applied to. Logic ensures that truth is not lost in reasoning but does not inherently add truth to the argument.

In drawing parallels between Bout's choices and logical reasoning, we confront the stark reminder that coherence in logic, while vital, is not sufficient for ensuring ethical outcomes or truth. Bout's adept use of his business acumen for arms dealing, despite the logical structure of his defenses, underscores the dark side of logic: it can lead to detrimental decisions and outcomes if misapplied. This serves as a cautionary tale that while logic is a powerful tool for structuring thought and argument, its application requires a conscientious consideration of ethical implications and truth. Just as Bout misused his skills with devastating consequences, the misuse of logical reasoning can guide us towards flawed conclusions, emphasizing the critical need for logic to be applied with moral integrity and a pursuit of truth beyond mere coherence.

Reference: BBC's podcast "Good Bad Billionaire." Listen here