Moral Relativism

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I understand perfectly well that you are using the terms of this debate in a confused way. Do you understand that?
You keep repeating that mantra and that I don’t make sense and that I’m not hearing your pearls of wisdom. Guess who feels the same? Sorry but I don’t have enough time today to try to disentangle our mutual failure to communicate so we can move on. Apologies, I’ll try to come back to it later.
 
Morality is either objective or subjective, it can’t be both or ‘something in the middle’ because there is no ‘something in the middle’–this all follows (more or less) from the Law of Non-contradiction.
You physicists :).

Look at it from another angle. It’s objectively true that light with a wavelength of around 475 nm exists and can be sensed by our eyes. Ditto light around 520 nm. We call one blue and the other green, while for some reason the Tarahumara make no distinction, they perceive both as blue-green.

You can test your own perception by flicking through (say) 100 color squares from blue through green and stopping at the point where you want to make the distinction (more greeny than bluey). If you wait a while and flick the squares in the opposite order, you may make the distinction at a different square. Get others to do the experiment and they may well stop at slightly different points to you.

So, from your OP, “Blue is a better color than green!” is purely an opinion, but crucially blue and green are not themselves absolutes and can’t be treated as if in binary arithmetic. Once you look through another’s eyes things are not quite the same, ditto moral absolutes.
 
I know it seems that I have slipped God into this definition, but, if I have, I have not done so without merit. Everything that the creatures of the earth do is done from each creature’s nature and for each’s purpose. Another way to say it is, every creature that is made is made with a nature and for a purpose. To deny this is to utter nonsense.
Can’t fault you on your use of a natural law argument, but will question its notion that we have a known purpose, as it confuses purpose with nature. A spider’s nature is to consume insects, but that’s not its purpose any more than our purpose is to consume a beer. It presupposes the existence of an agency that designed purpose into both us and spiders, and that the agency created our species to have duties towards the agency. It makes assumptions all over the shop, which is fine if we accept them, not so hot if we don’t. It’s no better or worse than any other system, they all rely on us having faith that their (often big) assumptions are correct.
 
You [Larkin] are in the right for doing this because one cannot assume to know the method used to convince in the original statement. “I have pointed out that there is at least one absolute principle for every rational, moral being: we should do what we are convinced is right.”

A second possibility is that the objective approach could have been used as the *method used to convince"

The third possibility is the method more likely used to convince. This is the combination of subjective thinking and objective thinking augmented by the person’s powers of intellect and will.
I like tonyrey’s principle that we should do what we are convinced is right, and then of course it depends on how we’re convinced.

At one end of the spectrum, being convinced by instinct or personal taste alone holds the danger of being profoundly wrong or going wherever the wind blows.

At the other end of the spectrum, being convinced by supposed absolutes can stop our thinking, blinding us to alternatives and inducing us to believe that one course alone is always right.

In between those extremes, we can take a third way by being open to options, learning and discussing and thinking, and having the integrity to act on our conviction even if it gets up other peoples’ noses.

So I think the best way to convince others is to help them learn that process, even if they don’t ultimately agree with our own conclusions.
 
Can’t fault you on your use of a natural law argument, but will question its notion that we have a known purpose, as it confuses purpose with nature. A spider’s nature is to consume insects, but that’s not its purpose any more than our purpose is to consume a beer. It presupposes the existence of an agency that designed purpose into both us and spiders, and that the agency created our species to have duties towards the agency. It makes assumptions all over the shop, which is fine if we accept them, not so hot if we don’t. It’s no better or worse than any other system, they all rely on us having faith that their (often big) assumptions are correct.
He doesn’t presuppose a purpose or nature, does he? He derives a purpose from nature.

You only need to make one of these uncontroversial assumptions for natural law to make perfect sense:
  • God designed us, and morality should reflect this.
  • Morality should encourage us to fulfill our potential.
  • There are common traits among individuals, and morality is best when founded on this.
  • &c.
The third one maybe begs the question, but I’m no philosopher. This is all I could come up with in all of ten seconds, though, and yet it would be reasonable to expect more and better examples of what I mean to be fleshed out in the following posts. 👍
 
I like tonyrey’s principle that we should do what we are convinced is right, and then of course it depends on how we’re convinced.
Unfortunately it’s not mine (in the sense that I discovered it) but I appreciate your liking for my reference to it> 🙂
At one end of the spectrum, being convinced by instinct or personal taste alone holds the danger of being profoundly wrong or going wherever the wind blows.
At the other end of the spectrum, being convinced by supposed absolutes can stop our thinking, blinding us to alternatives and inducing us to believe that one course alone is always right.
In between those extremes, we can take a third way by being open to options, learning and discussing and thinking, and having the integrity to act on our conviction even if it gets up other peoples’ noses.
So I think the best way to convince others is to help them learn that process, even if they don’t ultimately agree with our own conclusions.
Like all absolute principles it has its risks but that does not invalidate it nor support moral relativism. You yourself have pointed out how we can reduce the risks to a minimum. We can also take consolation in the fact that we’re not expected to be infallible! We would fall into the same trap if we rely on other person’s conscience - being still without any guarantee of infallibility. “Be true to thyself…” can be interpreted in that context…
 
Can’t fault you on your use of a natural law argument, but will question its notion that we have a known purpose, as it confuses purpose with nature. A spider’s nature is to consume insects, but that’s not its purpose any more than our purpose is to consume a beer. It presupposes the existence of an agency that designed purpose into both us and spiders, and that the agency created our species to have duties towards the agency. It makes assumptions all over the shop, which is fine if we accept them, not so hot if we don’t. It’s no better or worse than any other system, they all rely on us having faith that their (often big) assumptions are correct.
Inocente:

I can see why several posters herein have been having problems with you: you either do not read other’s posts, or you immediately spin them into strawmen. 🙂

If you’ll go back an re-read my post you will notice that I said nothing about “consuming insects” being the spider’s purpose. That, as I said clearly, is his nature. Otherwise, what, then, is his nature? To build webs? To scare little girls, minding their own businesses, eating curds and whey? To serve as models for low-budget horror movies?

Two questions: (1) What is the spider’s nature? (Nature: that/those trait(s) (or aspect(s)) that is/are peculiar to spiders; that we dematerialize when we humans universalize the abstraction of spider-ness from the lot of them.) And, (2) what is the spider’s purpose? (Purpose: that/those reason(s), raison(s) d’etre, for which the spider exists.)

Then, I have two more questions for you (you can’t get off the hook that easy!;)) (1) What is human nature? I know you must have heard the expression: numerous times, more than likely. And, (2) What is the reason why humans exist? What is our raison d’etre? Are we the only extent physical object on this planet without a purpose? And, if you answer, “Yes” to this, you must then explain it.

Everything humans build or make, we build or make for a reason, a purpose. Everything nature builds or makes, she builds or makes for a purpose. Every natural thing that builds or makes, builds or makes for a reason or purpose. Even if our knowledge is insufficiently broad to know what some of those reasons/purposes are, they are there and can, with a little bit of scientific investigation, be found out.

Now, if you come back to me and it is clear to me that you did not re-read my previous post, or, you attempt to strawman any of the above, I will refuse to spend another minute posting to you. Sorry, there are just too many meaningful posters and too many meaningful posts, in these fora. I don’t have time to waste. If you’re OK with that, respond. If not, don’t respond: I’ll take the hint.

God bless,
jd
 
You physicists :).

Look at it from another angle. It’s objectively true that light with a wavelength of around 475 nm exists and can be sensed by our eyes. Ditto light around 520 nm. We call one blue and the other green, while for some reason the Tarahumara make no distinction, they perceive both as blue-green.

You can test your own perception by flicking through (say) 100 color squares from blue through green and stopping at the point where you want to make the distinction (more greeny than bluey). If you wait a while and flick the squares in the opposite order, you may make the distinction at a different square. Get others to do the experiment and they may well stop at slightly different points to you.

So, from your OP, “Blue is a better color than green!” is purely an opinion, but crucially blue and green are not themselves absolutes and can’t be treated as if in binary arithmetic. Once you look through another’s eyes things are not quite the same, ditto moral absolutes.
Blue and Green are objectively defined (ie, absolute), so this whole scenario doesn’t work–0,0,255 and 0,255,0 for the RGB values of Blue and Green respectively. I agree that the stopping point between what is green and what is blue would be subjective to each person, but that doesn’t mean that blue and green are each subjective.
 
How do you know they exist only in human discourse? If other rational beings exist they will have many ideas which are the same as ours because they correspond to reality. It is extremely unlikely that we are the only rational beings in this vast universe - without even taking the Supreme Being into account.
I say that that morality only exists in human discourse because, out of the, say, one million examples of where it exists, all one million of them are as expressions in human discourse. That is pretty persuasive empirical evidence. You might keep telling me that my mother is an alien, but until you can demonstrate this, I am going to continue to accept the overwhelming physical evidence that she is human–despite her quirkiness!

If you want to claim that “morality” is an object (rather than an idea), then, please, show us that object.
 
Blue and Green are objectively defined (ie, absolute), so this whole scenario doesn’t work–0,0,255 and 0,255,0 for the RGB values of Blue and Green respectively. I agree that the stopping point between what is green and what is blue would be subjective to each person, but that doesn’t mean that blue and green are each subjective.
Those values (nomenclature) are human-determined and the terms (categories) are human-generated. They still have human subjective experience in them and as such do not exist outside of human discourse and perception. Light exists (EM radiation), but all the rest of what you say about it and label it has subjective human experience and thinking in it.
 
I can see why several posters herein have been having problems with you: you either do not read other’s posts, or you immediately spin them into strawmen. 🙂

If you’ll go back an re-read my post you will notice that I said nothing about “consuming insects” being the spider’s purpose. That, as I said clearly, is his nature.
If you’ll go back and re-read my post you will notice that I said the natural law confuses nature with purpose, not you. You either do not read other’s posts, or you immediately spin them into strawmen. 🙂

Spiders don’t have a purpose. You might say their purpose is to survive, because they have an instinct to survive, but they also have an instinct to spin webs. You make the choice yourself, because evolution is purposeless.

Human nature is about the common traits and behaviors that all humans share. We, like every other creature on the planet have no purpose, because I’ll say it again, evolution is purposeless. We make things to serve our purposes, just as spiders spin webs to serve theirs, but that doesn’t mean we or spiders have a purpose, because we originated from a purposeless process.

You may say that the purpose of our lives is to avoid death because we all want to survive, or you can choose from a list that includes relating to God or to Krishna, or live long and prosper, or be happy don’t worry, or look after each other, etc. But in every case you are inventing your own purpose, because one more time we originate from a purposeless process.

Natural law like every system of morality has to make assumptions to get anywhere, but they are still assumptions.

Morality is about personal and cultural values. Good moral standards help both us and our tribe flourish, ultimately aiding our survival, which is probably why we have a conscience in the first place.

“Now, if you come back to me and it is clear to me that you did not re-read my previous post, etc.” - methinks the season of goodwill toward men may be a little late this year :(.
 
Blue and Green are objectively defined (ie, absolute), so this whole scenario doesn’t work–0,0,255 and 0,255,0 for the RGB values of Blue and Green respectively. I agree that the stopping point between what is green and what is blue would be subjective to each person, but that doesn’t mean that blue and green are each subjective.
RGB 9,41,243 still looks blue to me. And you didn’t mention values using HSB, LAB or CMYK systems, which don’t turn out so neatly – in LAB full-on blue is 30,68,-112 :eek:.

Still, we can agree that objectively good music can only be played at middle A = 440 Hz equal temperament :D.
 
I like tonyrey’s principle that we should do what we are convinced is right, and then of course it depends on how we’re convinced.

At one end of the spectrum, being convinced by instinct or personal taste alone holds the danger of being profoundly wrong or going wherever the wind blows.

At the other end of the spectrum, being convinced by supposed absolutes can stop our thinking, blinding us to alternatives and inducing us to believe that one course alone is always right.

In between those extremes, we can take a third way by being open to options, learning and discussing and thinking, and having the integrity to act on our conviction even if it gets up other peoples’ noses.

So I think the best way to convince others is to help them learn that process, even if they don’t ultimately agree with our own conclusions.
I understand and agree with this particular post even though I disagree with some of your other presentations. Also, I still can’t figure out the extent of the absolutes’ territory. No matter. Right now I am hung up on method which is the process you speak of and which I think is the most logical. Frankly, I like to view the mysteries of life as both - and This is why I prefer to let others do the talking on this type of thread.

Blessings,
granny

Isaiah 55: 6-9
 
You keep repeating that mantra and that I don’t make sense and that I’m not hearing your pearls of wisdom. Guess who feels the same? Sorry but I don’t have enough time today to try to disentangle our mutual failure to communicate so we can move on. Apologies, I’ll try to come back to it later.
No, I don’t repeat mantras. You keep making the same errors and ignoring my arguments against them. This isn’t about how you feel. It’s about the facts of what you have said and what I have said, and if you’re too lazy to ‘disentangle’ what that is, you should just admit it and stop pretending that you’re actually presenting an argument on par with mine that we just happen to disagree about. I have clearly explained why you are wrong. If you don’t want to bother to understand and respond to that explanation, you should stop pretending that you have anything rational to say on this subject. Sorry, but that’s just the way it is.
 
If you’ll go back and re-read my post you will notice that I said the natural law confuses nature with purpose, not you. You either do not read other’s posts, or you immediately spin them into strawmen. 🙂
Originally Posted by JDaniel
I know it seems that I have slipped God into this definition, but, if I have, I have not done so without merit. Everything that the creatures of the earth do is done from each creature’s nature and for each’s purpose. Another way to say it is, every creature that is made is made with a nature and for a purpose. To deny this is to utter nonsense.
Originally Posted by inocente
Can’t fault you on your use of a natural law argument, but will question its notion that we have a known purpose, as it confuses purpose with nature. A spider’s nature is to consume insects, but that’s not its purpose any more than our purpose is to consume a beer.
I’ll let the readers decide.😉
Spiders don’t have a purpose. You might say their purpose is to survive, because they have an instinct to survive,
Well . . . do they have a purpose, or not? 🤷
but they also have an instinct to spin webs.
So, is this their purpose?

One might also say, they have an instinct to walk on eight legs. Could that be their purpose? And, they have an instinct to breathe. Maybe that’s their purpose?
You make the choice yourself, because evolution is purposeless.
If, as you insist, evolution is purposeless, then nothing has a purpose?
Human nature is about the common traits and behaviors that all humans share.
Such as . . .
We, like every other creature on the planet have no purpose, because I’ll say it again, evolution is purposeless. We make things to serve our purposes
Wait, I’m lost. Do humans have purposes, or not?
just as spiders spin webs to serve theirs, but that doesn’t mean we or spiders have a purpose, because we originated from a purposeless process.
Arrgh! Please allow me to finish pulling my hair out!

Look: I know you live in Spain, but, it seems that you do speak English. Right? Is there anything that I’ve said that needs translation?
You may say that the purpose of our lives is to avoid death
I’m sorry: but, I thought you just said that humans have no purpose?:eek:
because we all want to survive, or you can choose from a list that includes relating to God or to Krishna, or live long and prosper, or be happy don’t worry, or look after each other, etc. But in every case you are inventing your own purpose, because one more time we originate from a purposeless process.
Again, I’m sorry. I cannot accept any of those as purposes: you have told me there are no purposes. Sorry. 😊
Natural law like every system of morality has to make assumptions to get anywhere, but they are still assumptions.
You mean, like getting to the store?
Morality is about personal and cultural values.
And, your proof?
Good moral standards help both us and our tribe flourish, ultimately aiding our survival, which is probably why we have a conscience in the first place.
And, your proof?
“Now, if you come back to me and it is clear to me that you did not re-read my previous post, etc.” - methinks the season of goodwill toward men may be a little late this year :(.
Not at all. I’m just exasperated (and, incredulous)!. :eek:

God bless,
jd
 
From JDaniel post 235 reply to Inocente. Material quoted is from Inocente.
Morality is about personal and cultural values
And, your proof?
Good moral standards help both us and our tribe flourish, ultimately aiding our survival, which is probably why we have a conscience in the first place
.
And, your proof?

As a reader. The above quotes are examples of moral relativism.

First quote: “Morality is about personal and cultural values.”
The proof which comes to mind is Humanism.

Second quote: “Good moral standards help both us and our tribe flourish, ultimately aiding our survival, which is probably why we have a conscience in the first place.”
The proof which comes to mind is Utilitarianism, possibly an updated version.

Since I am in the process of defending the Catholic doctrine that there are two, sole, parents of the human species, lovingly known as Adam and Eve, I will reply to the following from my personal perspective.
Human nature is about the common traits and behaviors that all humans share.
This is correct because it addresses the unity of humanity which can only flow from two progenitors.
Regarding “common traits and behaviors” there are two ways to approach them.

Subjectively, one can look at one’s own ancestral, cultural and geographic experiences to find the traits and behaviors which would coincide with current high aspirations. In my old neighborhood there was this saying: Every family tree has a branch from which a horse thief hung. Depending on the emotions regarding this saying or the reality of the neighborhood, one, along with like individuals, could form a morality system relative to the chosen traits and behaviors which the here and now community finds beneficial.

Objectively, one can look at human nature itself as it is. In other words, one can strip away ancestral, cultural and geographic experiences and old neighborhood sayings to determine what is human nature per se. In itself, human nature unites the material and spiritual worlds. Human nature is an unique unification of spirit/matter; rational/corporeal; body and soul. This is exactly what all humans share and what gives dignity to each and every person.

The difficult question which keeps recurring is - Can human nature be totally explained by natural science without the aid of philosophy? Because of the yes and no answers, many opt to take the easy way out and choose moral relativism.

Blessings,
granny

“The shepherds sing; and shall I silent be?”
from the poem “Christmas” by George Herbert

The “Twelve Days of Christmas” are meant to be celebrated.
 
*

“Morality” and “spirit” are non-physical* ideas*

. As ideas, they exist only in human discourse. They are, of course, very important ideas (I am not questioning or doubting their importance).
How do you know they exist only in human discourse? If other rational beings exist they will have many ideas which are the same as ours because they correspond to reality. It is extremely unlikely that we are the only rational beings in this vast universe - without even taking the Supreme Being into account.I say that that morality only exists in human discourse because, out of the, say, one million examples of where it exists, all one million of them are as expressions in human discourse. That is pretty persuasive empirical evidence.
You might keep telling me that my mother is an alien, but until you can demonstrate this, I am going to continue to accept the overwhelming physical evidence that she is human–despite her quirkiness!

If you want to claim that “morality” is an object (rather than an idea), then, please, show us that object.
  1. Why are morality and spirit very important ideas?
  2. Would other rational beings have any rules of conduct similar to ours?
  3. Do any expressions in human discourse refer to objective reality?
  4. Is morality primarily concerned with personal relations or physical objects?
  5. What makes you think physical reality is the sole reality?
 
  1. Why are morality and spirit very important ideas?
Because cultures have reflected on them for nearly all recorded history.
  1. Would other rational beings have any rules of conduct similar to ours?
Sure, why not? Research the question and find out. This is an empirical question.
  1. Do any expressions in human discourse refer to objective reality?
Of course: “There is a tree in my yard.”
  1. Is morality primarily concerned with personal relations or physical objects?
Human morality primarily concerns human behaviors. Some of these are about personal relations. Some involve inanimate objects. I don’t see how to assess which dominates.
  1. What makes you think physical reality is the sole reality?
Paucity of evidence to the contrary. Which is already what I stated clearly, so I don’t know why this was asked again.
 
Code:
                      *1. Why are morality and spirit very important ideas?*
That alone doesn’t suffice.
2

. Would other rational beings have any rules of conduct similar to ours?
Sure, why not? Research the question and find out. This is an empirical question.

An unscientific attitude!
  1. Do any expressions in human discourse refer to objective reality?
Of course: “There is a tree in my yard.”

Is that all you can muster in the way of important expressions?
  1. Is morality primarily concerned with personal relations or physical objects
?
Human morality primarily concerns human behaviors. Some of these are about personal relations. Some involve inanimate objects. I don’t see how to assess which dominates.

So you don’t believe personal activity and relations are more significant?
  1. What makes you think physical reality is the sole reality?
Paucity of evidence to the contrary.

So your intentions, thoughts and decisions count for nothing?

http://forums.catholic-questions.org/newreply.php?do=newreply&p=7391117
 
That alone doesn’t suffice.
Code:
                                             An unscientific attitude!
Is that all you can muster in the way of important expressions?
So you don’t believe personal activity and relations are more significant?
So your intentions, thoughts and decisions count for nothing?

http://forums.catholic-questions.org/newreply.php?do=newreply&p=7391117
You are now off the topic. You keep shifting the focus; the game is tedious. I answered your questions. I don’t even care about persuading you; that is not why I am here. You are really simply starting to ask about what is irrelevant to throw up noise.

If you would like to make a general point, I would be glad to respond.
 
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