On Moral Authorities

[robvalue]

1) Does disagreement mean that there is no universal goal?

Pretty much, yes. Beside circular statements like "try to do good things", I feel I have nothing in common with someone who blows themselves up, killing other people, because Allah wants them to. What would you suggest?

2) Persuade them how? If morality is culturally dependent, then the only way to persuade a different culture or people from a different culture is to persuade them that your cultural goal is better. But better for what? Your culture?

Well yes, I'm not suggesting I just walk into another culture and expect them to all agree with me. People act certain ways for reasons. I don't subscribe to my culture, I have my own morality. I try and influence everyone, in my culture or not, towards my way of thinking. And I do this by making reasoned arguments as to (a) why my goals are important, and (b) how I go about things are a good way of achieving them. Sometimes I change peoples' minds, I have done in the past. Sometimes I fail. But it's all anyone can do, make their case.

3) What if the acts themselves poorly bring about the reasons for which we act? Can't we say those are "good/bad" acts? Hitting a nail with a feather is bad for efficient home-building. Hitting a nail with a hammer is better. The reason is the same. The acts are different. <= This is a morally neutral example to illustrate the idea.

I don't understand what you're getting at. The reasons for which we act? Yes, there are good/bad acts with respect to certain goals. But until we've agreed the goals, we can't say what is good and what isn't. I do a lot of wanking, because I consider it's harmless. Some people think it's immoral, because it runs contrary to some goal or other they have for their morality. I think shooting innocent people is immoral, but an Islamic extremist thinks it's extremely moral. We act the way we do due to our emotions, ultimately. They guide us. But our emotions depend on what we believe, and what we consider important, which can be heavily influence by culture.

If you're talking about some sort of circular "act the way we are designed to act" business, then I reject this as nothing to do with deciding and improving morality, although it is very important in explaining why we act morally in the first place. Studying it and developing it on an individual level are totally different.