(December 10, 2010 at 10:12 pm)theVOID Wrote: I'm entirely self educated on the matter, I don't see what that is other than a red hearing.
It's an explanation. You mentioned I was 200 years behind. That may be because I haven't read the works of those who built on the trail that Bentham may have explored.
Quote:Because in DA God is necessarily good not through choice or conscious effort (he is also the source of all value) and all acts that are consistent with the nature of this God are necessarily good. You may think of it as being "that which is consistent with God necessarily has the greatest positive value from conflicting acts".
The God in DA is less "personal" and more "mechanical" but that seems to be a bullet many theistic ethicists are willing to bite.
I ran into this argument in my video exchanges with "Theologica" when he was trying to argue the superiority of theistic ethics. Beyond the problems of the Biblical god acting in truly deplorable fashion (unless you're willing to justify rape, genocide and slavery when Yahweh orders it), it's a meaningless tautology. "We know that Yahweh is good." How? "Because Yahweh is good."
On the other hand, if you say that God is the arbiter of right and wrong, then this is not objective morality. This is subjective morality that the theist has deferred to another being.
"GodWillsIt" does nothing to advance our understanding of morality.
Quote:But if someone reacted negative to being less than the center of attention then that would be just as 'foundational' as your own reaction. We might as well say "that which does not upset the balance between blue and green is good" or any other arbitrary condition.
If it is all your opinion/feelings regarding certain categories of acts that you have chosen yourself then you're just saying "I like" which makes you are a Nihilist, at least in any practical sense.
But all of my rules have to do with the way we treat others, not my own arbitrary tastes for color or whatever. Integrity, respect for the rights of others and responsibility all relate to treating others the way we would want to be treated.
Atheist Forums Hall of Shame:
"The trinity can be equated to having your cake and eating it too."
... -Lucent, trying to defend the Trinity concept
"(Yahweh's) actions are good because (Yahweh) is the ultimate standard of goodness. That’s not begging the question"
... -Statler Waldorf, Christian apologist
"The trinity can be equated to having your cake and eating it too."
... -Lucent, trying to defend the Trinity concept
"(Yahweh's) actions are good because (Yahweh) is the ultimate standard of goodness. That’s not begging the question"
... -Statler Waldorf, Christian apologist
