This common coffee cup, produced by Dopaco, Inc., seems innocent enough. No sign of danger. But wait, what's this? What hidden danger lurks within its deceivingly harmless structure? Could you cut yourself on its sharp edges? No. Might you drop it on your foot and break a toe? No! Absurd. Could your child fall into it and drown, or swallow it, or choke on it? No, no, and no. And yet...
...we anticipate danger. It could pose a risk. As a result of your action. If for example you were to fill the cup with something dangerous in some way, the ensuing risk accrues to the cup. If you filled it with lead shot, the cup would then be heavy, and pose a risk to your foot if you dropped it. If you filled it with used syringes and then sat on it, the cup would pose a health risk. Surely these are not the fault of the cup, and it is not the fault of the cup maker, if you fill it with dangerous material. And yet...
The cup may contain strychnine, or razor blades, or radioactive barium. Yet out of all the risky contents you may decide to put in this cup, the cup maker feels the need to warn us only of this one. The contents may be hot.
No comments:
Post a Comment