philosophy-obooko-mind0016

The positive self-definitions of others, in turn, negate
one's self-definition.
Statements about one's affiliation are inevitably
exclusionary.
It is possible for many people to share the same positive
self-definition. About 6 million people can truly say "I am
an Israeli".
Affiliation - to a community, fraternity, nation, state,
religion, or team - is really a positive statement of selfdefinition
("I am an Israeli", for instance) shared by all the
affiliated members (the affiliates).
One's moral obligations towards one's affiliates override
and supersede one's moral obligations towards nonaffiliated
humans. Ingroup bias carries the weight of a
moral principle.
Thus, an American's moral obligation to safeguard the
lives of American fighter pilots overrides and supersedes
(subordinates) his moral obligation to save the lives of
innocent civilians, however numerous, if they are not
Americans.
The larger the number of positive self-definitions I share
with someone (i.e., the more affiliations we have in
common) , the larger and more overriding is my moral
obligation to him or her.
Example: