BaylorFTW said:
This is what Christian apologists have been saying for years. The atheists and agnostics said we were crazy. Looks like some of them are realizing the error of their ways. The problem is I still remember all the ad hominems of their thought leaders and them giving license to regular folks to then behave in similar fashion to Christians. We have taken a lot of unfair abuse for stand up for what is right. If these atheists are sincere, they should now lead the way and publicly apologize and call others to do so as well. The regular folks need to know that their agnostic and atheistic leaders were wrong and behavior was reprehensible.
Thank you for proving my point.quash said:BaylorFTW said:
This is what Christian apologists have been saying for years. The atheists and agnostics said we were crazy. Looks like some of them are realizing the error of their ways. The problem is I still remember all the ad hominems of their thought leaders and them giving license to regular folks to then behave in similar fashion to Christians. We have taken a lot of unfair abuse for stand up for what is right. If these atheists are sincere, they should now lead the way and publicly apologize and call others to do so as well. The regular folks need to know that their agnostic and atheistic leaders were wrong and behavior was reprehensible.
Can you show me on this doll where the mean atheist touched you?
BaylorFTW said:Thank you for proving my point.quash said:BaylorFTW said:
This is what Christian apologists have been saying for years. The atheists and agnostics said we were crazy. Looks like some of them are realizing the error of their ways. The problem is I still remember all the ad hominems of their thought leaders and them giving license to regular folks to then behave in similar fashion to Christians. We have taken a lot of unfair abuse for stand up for what is right. If these atheists are sincere, they should now lead the way and publicly apologize and call others to do so as well. The regular folks need to know that their agnostic and atheistic leaders were wrong and behavior was reprehensible.
Can you show me on this doll where the mean atheist touched you?
Quash, no one here wants to know where you have been touching people ...quash said:
Can you show me on this doll where the mean atheist touched you?
Christianity is hardly a bastion and repository for morality.Jack and DP said:
https://www.lifesitenews.com/blogs/atheists-sound-the-alarm-decline-of-christianity-is-seriously-hurting-society?fbclid=IwAR1gqxIp82bWg1sXU5mprzpL0Ls0vShTQp1cM7gdTpLwsW5yfnRMtO3KRnI
Which system do you think is better?TexasScientist said:Christianity is hardly a bastion and repository for morality.Jack and DP said:
https://www.lifesitenews.com/blogs/atheists-sound-the-alarm-decline-of-christianity-is-seriously-hurting-society?fbclid=IwAR1gqxIp82bWg1sXU5mprzpL0Ls0vShTQp1cM7gdTpLwsW5yfnRMtO3KRnI
How about this for a start? Humanism is a philosophical and ethical stance that emphasizes the value and agency of human beings, individually and collectively, and generally prefers critical thinking and evidence (rationalism and empiricism) over acceptance of dogma or superstition. ..... humanism may refer to a non-theistic life stance centered on human agency and looking to science rather than revelation from a supernatural source to understand the world. - WikipediaBaylorFTW said:Which system do you think is better?TexasScientist said:Christianity is hardly a bastion and repository for morality.Jack and DP said:
https://www.lifesitenews.com/blogs/atheists-sound-the-alarm-decline-of-christianity-is-seriously-hurting-society?fbclid=IwAR1gqxIp82bWg1sXU5mprzpL0Ls0vShTQp1cM7gdTpLwsW5yfnRMtO3KRnI
Congrats on your statement concerning your theological beliefs.TexasScientist said:How about this for a start? Humanism is a philosophical and ethical stance that emphasizes the value and agency of human beings, individually and collectively, and generally prefers critical thinking and evidence (rationalism and empiricism) over acceptance of dogma or superstition. ..... humanism may refer to a non-theistic life stance centered on human agency and looking to science rather than revelation from a supernatural source to understand the world. - WikipediaBaylorFTW said:Which system do you think is better?TexasScientist said:Christianity is hardly a bastion and repository for morality.Jack and DP said:
https://www.lifesitenews.com/blogs/atheists-sound-the-alarm-decline-of-christianity-is-seriously-hurting-society?fbclid=IwAR1gqxIp82bWg1sXU5mprzpL0Ls0vShTQp1cM7gdTpLwsW5yfnRMtO3KRnI
What concerns me Waco, is that you oppose the real God.Waco1947 said:
Atheists oppose the wrong god.
Ok, let's take a look at this nontheistic position.TexasScientist said:How about this for a start? Humanism is a philosophical and ethical stance that emphasizes the value and agency of human beings, individually and collectively, and generally prefers critical thinking and evidence (rationalism and empiricism) over acceptance of dogma or superstition. ..... humanism may refer to a non-theistic life stance centered on human agency and looking to science rather than revelation from a supernatural source to understand the world. - WikipediaBaylorFTW said:Which system do you think is better?TexasScientist said:Christianity is hardly a bastion and repository for morality.Jack and DP said:
https://www.lifesitenews.com/blogs/atheists-sound-the-alarm-decline-of-christianity-is-seriously-hurting-society?fbclid=IwAR1gqxIp82bWg1sXU5mprzpL0Ls0vShTQp1cM7gdTpLwsW5yfnRMtO3KRnI
1. Is the mother claiming a religious exemption from the law?BaylorFTW said:Ok, let's take a look at this nontheistic position.TexasScientist said:How about this for a start? Humanism is a philosophical and ethical stance that emphasizes the value and agency of human beings, individually and collectively, and generally prefers critical thinking and evidence (rationalism and empiricism) over acceptance of dogma or superstition. ..... humanism may refer to a non-theistic life stance centered on human agency and looking to science rather than revelation from a supernatural source to understand the world. - WikipediaBaylorFTW said:Which system do you think is better?TexasScientist said:Christianity is hardly a bastion and repository for morality.Jack and DP said:
https://www.lifesitenews.com/blogs/atheists-sound-the-alarm-decline-of-christianity-is-seriously-hurting-society?fbclid=IwAR1gqxIp82bWg1sXU5mprzpL0Ls0vShTQp1cM7gdTpLwsW5yfnRMtO3KRnI
1. What happens when you have competing values and agencies of human beings? Who wins out and why? For example, let's say a mother decides she needs money and wants to kill her toddler to sell her parts and organs so the mother can enjoy more of her value and agency. Does her value and agency trump the toddler's?
2. If a religious person and a humanist have a dispute, does the humanist always win out because they are supposedly not dogmatic or superstitious? What about the value and agency of the religious person?
3. How do you explain the uniformity in the laws of nature which science relies upon if God did not create such uniformity?
quash said:
1. Is the mother claiming a religious exemption from the law?
quash said:
2. The person with the best argument wins.
quash said:
3. Creationism is one explanation. I prefer the answers and questions that proceed from a naturalistic explanation.
Not so. Are you afraid of a discussion of foundations?quash said:
Well, that went strawman in a hurry.
Hopefully, they will be up to the challenge. But we can always hope if they dodge such scrutiny that they have the wisdom to realize their position is not very sound and needs to be revisited. .Oldbear83 said:Not so. Are you afraid of a discussion of foundations?quash said:
Well, that went strawman in a hurry.
1. What happens when you have competing values and agencies of human beings? Who wins out and why? For example, let's say a mother decides she needs money and wants to kill her toddler to sell her parts and organs so the mother can enjoy more of her value and agency. Does her value and agency trump the toddler's?BaylorFTW said:Ok, let's take a look at this nontheistic position.TexasScientist said:How about this for a start? Humanism is a philosophical and ethical stance that emphasizes the value and agency of human beings, individually and collectively, and generally prefers critical thinking and evidence (rationalism and empiricism) over acceptance of dogma or superstition. ..... humanism may refer to a non-theistic life stance centered on human agency and looking to science rather than revelation from a supernatural source to understand the world. - WikipediaBaylorFTW said:Which system do you think is better?TexasScientist said:Christianity is hardly a bastion and repository for morality.Jack and DP said:
https://www.lifesitenews.com/blogs/atheists-sound-the-alarm-decline-of-christianity-is-seriously-hurting-society?fbclid=IwAR1gqxIp82bWg1sXU5mprzpL0Ls0vShTQp1cM7gdTpLwsW5yfnRMtO3KRnI
1. What happens when you have competing values and agencies of human beings? Who wins out and why? For example, let's say a mother decides she needs money and wants to kill her toddler to sell her parts and organs so the mother can enjoy more of her value and agency. Does her value and agency trump the toddler's?
2. If a religious person and a humanist have a dispute, does the humanist always win out because they are supposedly not dogmatic or superstitious? What about the value and agency of the religious person?
3. How do you explain the uniformity in the laws of nature which science relies upon if God did not create such uniformity?
Don't you believe morality is better determined by what is in others best interests in terms of harm and well being, as opposed to a theocratic approach, based upon interpretation of primitive writings and claims of divine revelation by a cleric du jour?Sam Lowry said:
Value and agency are quantifiable phenomena with objectively observable qualities of mass, volume, and weight. Determining the answer to any moral question is therefore a simple matter of measuring moral values under laboratory conditions. The scientific research in this area is voluminous and readily available.
At least I assume this is what TS will say. I'll be disappointed if all we get is another version of "the feel good answer is good because logic."
TexasScientist said:
1. What happens when you have competing values and agencies of human beings? Who wins out and why? For example, let's say a mother decides she needs money and wants to kill her toddler to sell her parts and organs so the mother can enjoy more of her value and agency. Does her value and agency trump the toddler's?
The same thing that happens with any culture. Society always relies upon what it believes to be the better choice. I would much rather moral decisions be made and based upon evaluation of the overall wellbeing of individuals involved in light of what is harmful to their state of existence. As opposed for instance, to moral decisions made upon unverified religious beliefs in the supernatural, such as a religious father believing it is in the best interest of his wife or daughter to strap on a suicide vest, and setting it off to kill as many infidels as possible, so that he improves his standing in the hereafter. Or, in the case of a devoutly religious person handing over his concubine to a mob to be violated, murdered and dismembered.
TexasScientist said:
2. If a religious person and a humanist have a dispute, does the humanist always win out because they are supposedly not dogmatic or superstitious? What about the value and agency of the religious person?
Again, decisions should be made based upon what is harmful to the wellbeing of others. That is what currently underlies and is the basis of our present system of laws in our culture. It would be considered immoral and unlawful to stone to death a woman for religious immoral behavior in our country, as opposed to a biblical or Islamic requirement in a religious theocracy. Why would any right thinking society, supposedly interested in the well being of others, prefer moral determinations be based in religious dogmatic and superstitious beliefs?
TexasScientist said:
3. How do you explain the uniformity in the laws of nature which science relies upon if God did not create such uniformity?
The laws of nature are scientifically derived, tested and reliable descriptions of how the forces and principles of nature interact. These principles came into existence part and parcel with the spontaneous formation of our universe. For instance, when you climb aboard a commercial aircraft, you are counting on human understanding of the principles of thrust and lift to take you safely where you are going, as opposed to believing in a legion of angels lifting the aircraft and transporting it to its destination. You're counting on applied physics to deliver you safely, as opposed to some unverified supernatural force.
"And yet it moves."BaylorFTW said:TexasScientist said:
1. What happens when you have competing values and agencies of human beings? Who wins out and why? For example, let's say a mother decides she needs money and wants to kill her toddler to sell her parts and organs so the mother can enjoy more of her value and agency. Does her value and agency trump the toddler's?
The same thing that happens with any culture. Society always relies upon what it believes to be the better choice. I would much rather moral decisions be made and based upon evaluation of the overall wellbeing of individuals involved in light of what is harmful to their state of existence. As opposed for instance, to moral decisions made upon unverified religious beliefs in the supernatural, such as a religious father believing it is in the best interest of his wife or daughter to strap on a suicide vest, and setting it off to kill as many infidels as possible, so that he improves his standing in the hereafter. Or, in the case of a devoutly religious person handing over his concubine to a mob to be violated, murdered and dismembered.
You are claiming your system would have better morality but when I give you a specific scenario upon which we could compare it with a Christian one, you avoid answering the specific question.
Better choice is a vague word. How do you arrive at what is the better choice? How do you know that you are making the better choice for the long term as opposed to merely choosing the perceived better choice in the short term?TexasScientist said:
2. If a religious person and a humanist have a dispute, does the humanist always win out because they are supposedly not dogmatic or superstitious? What about the value and agency of the religious person?
Again, decisions should be made based upon what is harmful to the wellbeing of others. That is what currently underlies and is the basis of our present system of laws in our culture. It would be considered immoral and unlawful to stone to death a woman for religious immoral behavior in our country, as opposed to a biblical or Islamic requirement in a religious theocracy. Why would any right thinking society, supposedly interested in the well being of others, prefer moral determinations be based in religious dogmatic and superstitious beliefs?
Your thinking about what is in the well being of others will undoubtedly be seen as a harm to religious people who won't like your so called progressive society. And when these two groups have an argument, you are going to have to pick a winner and it would seem that winner will always be in favor secular folks. And again you are going to run into the issues I mentioned in #1. Long term versus short term conflict and also you will have different groups (men, women, children, adults, racial groups, ethnic groups, religious groups, etc. who all have different ideas of what is harmful to them and in their best interest.TexasScientist said:
3. How do you explain the uniformity in the laws of nature which science relies upon if God did not create such uniformity?
The laws of nature are scientifically derived, tested and reliable descriptions of how the forces and principles of nature interact. These principles came into existence part and parcel with the spontaneous formation of our universe. For instance, when you climb aboard a commercial aircraft, you are counting on human understanding of the principles of thrust and lift to take you safely where you are going, as opposed to believing in a legion of angels lifting the aircraft and transporting it to its destination. You're counting on applied physics to deliver you safely, as opposed to some unverified supernatural force.
You would still need to show how a spontaneous formation of the universe could account for uniformity in the laws of nature. On the face of it, random chance doesn't seem to lead to uniformity and order.
But why should we use the "best interests in terms of harm and well being" as a criterion? Perhaps better criteria are more along the lines of what is best for me in the short term regardless of consequences to others since in a materialist world YOLO and I think I should maximize my position, pleasures, experiences, etc in whatever way I want.TexasScientist said:Don't you believe morality is better determined by what is in others best interests in terms of harm and well being, as opposed to a theocratic approach, based upon interpretation of primitive writings and claims of divine revelation by a cleric du jour?Sam Lowry said:
Value and agency are quantifiable phenomena with objectively observable qualities of mass, volume, and weight. Determining the answer to any moral question is therefore a simple matter of measuring moral values under laboratory conditions. The scientific research in this area is voluminous and readily available.
At least I assume this is what TS will say. I'll be disappointed if all we get is another version of "the feel good answer is good because logic."
BaylorFTW said:TexasScientist said:
1. What happens when you have competing values and agencies of human beings? Who wins out and why? For example, let's say a mother decides she needs money and wants to kill her toddler to sell her parts and organs so the mother can enjoy more of her value and agency. Does her value and agency trump the toddler's?
The same thing that happens with any culture. Society always relies upon what it believes to be the better choice. I would much rather moral decisions be made and based upon evaluation of the overall wellbeing of individuals involved in light of what is harmful to their state of existence. As opposed for instance, to moral decisions made upon unverified religious beliefs in the supernatural, such as a religious father believing it is in the best interest of his wife or daughter to strap on a suicide vest, and setting it off to kill as many infidels as possible, so that he improves his standing in the hereafter. Or, in the case of a devoutly religious person handing over his concubine to a mob to be violated, murdered and dismembered.
You are claiming your system would have better morality but when I give you a specific scenario upon which we could compare it with a Christian one, you avoid answering the specific question.
Better choice is a vague word. How do you arrive at what is the better choice? How do you know that you are making the better choice for the long term as opposed to merely choosing the perceived better choice in the short term?
There are always moral dilemmas, regardless of whose system of moral values you apply. As our species evolved, and population increased, it became necessary to formulate equitable standards of behavior upon which cooperation between individuals and groups of individuals could rely to maintain order and survivability. Cultures can either devise a system of standards based upon arbitrary whim, upon claims of religious divine revelation, or upon careful evaluation of what is harmful to the one's wellbeing and the wellbeing of others.TexasScientist said:
2. If a religious person and a humanist have a dispute, does the humanist always win out because they are supposedly not dogmatic or superstitious? What about the value and agency of the religious person?
Again, decisions should be made based upon what is harmful to the wellbeing of others. That is what currently underlies and is the basis of our present system of laws in our culture. It would be considered immoral and unlawful to stone to death a woman for religious immoral behavior in our country, as opposed to a biblical or Islamic requirement in a religious theocracy. Why would any right thinking society, supposedly interested in the well being of others, prefer moral determinations be based in religious dogmatic and superstitious beliefs?
Your thinking about what is in the well being of others will undoubtedly be seen as a harm to religious people who won't like your so called progressive society. And when these two groups have an argument, you are going to have to pick a winner and it would seem that winner will always be in favor secular folks. And again you are going to run into the issues I mentioned in #1. Long term versus short term conflict and also you will have different groups (men, women, children, adults, racial groups, ethnic groups, religious groups, etc. who all have different ideas of what is harmful to them and in their best interest.
All the more reason for evidence based morality in terms of the wellbeing of others. We already have conflict between religious groups that do not take into consideration anyone's wellbeing, before dishing out their moral codes. You are right, in that religion sees harm in placing the wellbeing of others ahead of religion's preconceived notions. Isn't it better to have evidence based standards, as opposed to standards derived from some groups religious dogma?TexasScientist said:
3. How do you explain the uniformity in the laws of nature which science relies upon if God did not create such uniformity?
The laws of nature are scientifically derived, tested and reliable descriptions of how the forces and principles of nature interact. These principles came into existence part and parcel with the spontaneous formation of our universe. For instance, when you climb aboard a commercial aircraft, you are counting on human understanding of the principles of thrust and lift to take you safely where you are going, as opposed to believing in a legion of angels lifting the aircraft and transporting it to its destination. You're counting on applied physics to deliver you safely, as opposed to some unverified supernatural force.
You would still need to show how a spontaneous formation of the universe could account for uniformity in the laws of nature. On the face of it, random chance doesn't seem to lead to uniformity and order.
The laws of nature are descriptions of how the forces at work in the universe interact. They are part and parcel to the universe and its formation. They came into being with the formation of the universe. With a given universe there is a given set of laws part and parcel. Another universe may have different governing laws. The laws governing our universe are not random to this universe.
When hominids were limited in numbers and cognitive skills, your YOLO approach, or survival of the individual, and individual solitude, was most likely the norm. However, as our cognitive skills evolved, our ability to communicate evolved, our ability to develop and us tools evolved, and our numbers grew, it became necessary to work together cooperatively, with reliable standards of behavior in order to prosper and survive. Your YOLO philosophy, to the extent that it negatively impacts others wellbeing, disrupts necessary order for collective wellbeing.curtpenn said:But why should we use the "best interests in terms of harm and well being" as a criterion? Perhaps better criteria are more along the lines of what is best for me in the short term regardless of consequences to others since in a materialist world YOLO and I think I should maximize my position, pleasures, experiences, etc in whatever way I want.TexasScientist said:Don't you believe morality is better determined by what is in others best interests in terms of harm and well being, as opposed to a theocratic approach, based upon interpretation of primitive writings and claims of divine revelation by a cleric du jour?Sam Lowry said:
Value and agency are quantifiable phenomena with objectively observable qualities of mass, volume, and weight. Determining the answer to any moral question is therefore a simple matter of measuring moral values under laboratory conditions. The scientific research in this area is voluminous and readily available.
At least I assume this is what TS will say. I'll be disappointed if all we get is another version of "the feel good answer is good because logic."
What many people say when I am at work but have not yet had my coffee.quash said:
"And yet it moves."
Do you also think the morality would change over time? Or is the morality for man always the same regardless of time and place? Do you advocate for situational ethics?TexasScientist said:When hominids were limited in numbers and cognitive skills, your YOLO approach, or survival of the individual, and individual solitude, was most likely the norm. However, as our cognitive skills evolved, our ability to communicate evolved, our ability to develop and us tools evolved, and our numbers grew, it became necessary to work together cooperatively, with reliable standards of behavior in order to prosper and survive. Your YOLO philosophy, to the extent that it negatively impacts others wellbeing, disrupts necessary order for collective wellbeing.curtpenn said:But why should we use the "best interests in terms of harm and well being" as a criterion? Perhaps better criteria are more along the lines of what is best for me in the short term regardless of consequences to others since in a materialist world YOLO and I think I should maximize my position, pleasures, experiences, etc in whatever way I want.TexasScientist said:Don't you believe morality is better determined by what is in others best interests in terms of harm and well being, as opposed to a theocratic approach, based upon interpretation of primitive writings and claims of divine revelation by a cleric du jour?Sam Lowry said:
Value and agency are quantifiable phenomena with objectively observable qualities of mass, volume, and weight. Determining the answer to any moral question is therefore a simple matter of measuring moral values under laboratory conditions. The scientific research in this area is voluminous and readily available.
At least I assume this is what TS will say. I'll be disappointed if all we get is another version of "the feel good answer is good because logic."
BaylorFTW said:Do you also think the morality would change over time? Or is the morality for man always the same regardless of time and place? Do you advocate for situational ethics?TexasScientist said:When hominids were limited in numbers and cognitive skills, your YOLO approach, or survival of the individual, and individual solitude, was most likely the norm. However, as our cognitive skills evolved, our ability to communicate evolved, our ability to develop and us tools evolved, and our numbers grew, it became necessary to work together cooperatively, with reliable standards of behavior in order to prosper and survive. Your YOLO philosophy, to the extent that it negatively impacts others wellbeing, disrupts necessary order for collective wellbeing.curtpenn said:But why should we use the "best interests in terms of harm and well being" as a criterion? Perhaps better criteria are more along the lines of what is best for me in the short term regardless of consequences to others since in a materialist world YOLO and I think I should maximize my position, pleasures, experiences, etc in whatever way I want.TexasScientist said:Don't you believe morality is better determined by what is in others best interests in terms of harm and well being, as opposed to a theocratic approach, based upon interpretation of primitive writings and claims of divine revelation by a cleric du jour?Sam Lowry said:
Value and agency are quantifiable phenomena with objectively observable qualities of mass, volume, and weight. Determining the answer to any moral question is therefore a simple matter of measuring moral values under laboratory conditions. The scientific research in this area is voluminous and readily available.
At least I assume this is what TS will say. I'll be disappointed if all we get is another version of "the feel good answer is good because logic."
We are asking for specificity and y'all continue to give vague answers. It is becoming more and more apparent that y'all haven't thought this through.quash said:BaylorFTW said:Do you also think the morality would change over time? Or is the morality for man always the same regardless of time and place? Do you advocate for situational ethics?TexasScientist said:When hominids were limited in numbers and cognitive skills, your YOLO approach, or survival of the individual, and individual solitude, was most likely the norm. However, as our cognitive skills evolved, our ability to communicate evolved, our ability to develop and us tools evolved, and our numbers grew, it became necessary to work together cooperatively, with reliable standards of behavior in order to prosper and survive. Your YOLO philosophy, to the extent that it negatively impacts others wellbeing, disrupts necessary order for collective wellbeing.curtpenn said:But why should we use the "best interests in terms of harm and well being" as a criterion? Perhaps better criteria are more along the lines of what is best for me in the short term regardless of consequences to others since in a materialist world YOLO and I think I should maximize my position, pleasures, experiences, etc in whatever way I want.TexasScientist said:Don't you believe morality is better determined by what is in others best interests in terms of harm and well being, as opposed to a theocratic approach, based upon interpretation of primitive writings and claims of divine revelation by a cleric du jour?Sam Lowry said:
Value and agency are quantifiable phenomena with objectively observable qualities of mass, volume, and weight. Determining the answer to any moral question is therefore a simple matter of measuring moral values under laboratory conditions. The scientific research in this area is voluminous and readily available.
At least I assume this is what TS will say. I'll be disappointed if all we get is another version of "the feel good answer is good because logic."
" The moral arc bends towards justice." MLK
I understand all that. Simply pointing out that you offer no basis for selecting any criterion that doesn't require a value judgment based on some arbitrary notion. This is no different in kind from some "theocratic approach".TexasScientist said:When hominids were limited in numbers and cognitive skills, your YOLO approach, or survival of the individual, and individual solitude, was most likely the norm. However, as our cognitive skills evolved, our ability to communicate evolved, our ability to develop and us tools evolved, and our numbers grew, it became necessary to work together cooperatively, with reliable standards of behavior in order to prosper and survive. Your YOLO philosophy, to the extent that it negatively impacts others wellbeing, disrupts necessary order for collective wellbeing.curtpenn said:But why should we use the "best interests in terms of harm and well being" as a criterion? Perhaps better criteria are more along the lines of what is best for me in the short term regardless of consequences to others since in a materialist world YOLO and I think I should maximize my position, pleasures, experiences, etc in whatever way I want.TexasScientist said:Don't you believe morality is better determined by what is in others best interests in terms of harm and well being, as opposed to a theocratic approach, based upon interpretation of primitive writings and claims of divine revelation by a cleric du jour?Sam Lowry said:
Value and agency are quantifiable phenomena with objectively observable qualities of mass, volume, and weight. Determining the answer to any moral question is therefore a simple matter of measuring moral values under laboratory conditions. The scientific research in this area is voluminous and readily available.
At least I assume this is what TS will say. I'll be disappointed if all we get is another version of "the feel good answer is good because logic."
Quite the contrary. I have given you a basis for making judgements, that relies upon empirical objective evidence through applying science to determine what is harmful to wellbeing. Ultimately, a given society or culture has to adopt those results. A theocratic approach basis is rooted in dogma. My approach would determine stoning is immoral, because it harms the victims wellbeing. A theocratic approach would determine stoning is a god's moral requirement because some shaman declares it.curtpenn said:I understand all that. Simply pointing out that you offer no basis for selecting any criterion that doesn't require a value judgment based on some arbitrary notion. This is no different in kind from some "theocratic approach".TexasScientist said:When hominids were limited in numbers and cognitive skills, your YOLO approach, or survival of the individual, and individual solitude, was most likely the norm. However, as our cognitive skills evolved, our ability to communicate evolved, our ability to develop and us tools evolved, and our numbers grew, it became necessary to work together cooperatively, with reliable standards of behavior in order to prosper and survive. Your YOLO philosophy, to the extent that it negatively impacts others wellbeing, disrupts necessary order for collective wellbeing.curtpenn said:But why should we use the "best interests in terms of harm and well being" as a criterion? Perhaps better criteria are more along the lines of what is best for me in the short term regardless of consequences to others since in a materialist world YOLO and I think I should maximize my position, pleasures, experiences, etc in whatever way I want.TexasScientist said:Don't you believe morality is better determined by what is in others best interests in terms of harm and well being, as opposed to a theocratic approach, based upon interpretation of primitive writings and claims of divine revelation by a cleric du jour?Sam Lowry said:
Value and agency are quantifiable phenomena with objectively observable qualities of mass, volume, and weight. Determining the answer to any moral question is therefore a simple matter of measuring moral values under laboratory conditions. The scientific research in this area is voluminous and readily available.
At least I assume this is what TS will say. I'll be disappointed if all we get is another version of "the feel good answer is good because logic."