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Originally Posted by Revdyer
The "Ask Rule" is there for when there is ambiguity about whether an action is right or wrong. When there is a publicly announced offer or policy, such as a coupon or a price matching, there isn't any ambiguity about the situation. The one who has made the offer is unambiguously required to honor the terms offered.
(Part of the problem here is my fault...trying to introduce in a few paragraphs something that Shermer takes forty pages or so to develop.)
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Interesting...where does compassion and grace fit in here? Like if someone were to make a bad deal. It sounds like according this rule, it would be ethical to make him honor his commitment. That would be justice. But in some cases, would it be better to offer the person compassion and allow them to back out of their commitment, knowing the negative effects it could cause them? I realize that there are a lot of times where justice is preferable to mercy. I'm a big proponent of learning lessons by facing your consequences. But I also know that there are times when grace is more appropriate. It sounds like from your description that justice is more appropriate unless there is ambiguity, in which case compassion would be better (assuming that when asked, a person would always choose compassion). But I don't think I would agree with that conclusion.