Do you want judgements based upon science and what causes harm, or upon what a shaman says?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."