(LONG) "I Don't Know" as a Good Answer in Ethics

[Simon Moon]

            Lawrence Krauss, when postulating various theories concerning what might have happened before the big bang will readily admit that cosmologists have no certain answer on the matter. Richard Dawkins, though boasting a comprehensive knowledge of evolutionary science, will admit that he doesn’t know how life formed from non-life. It is to its credit that science is so humble concerning what it doesn’t know. If only theists showed a modicum of this true modesty!
 
...           
            But philosophical ethics possesses many virtues that a religion-based ethics lacks: honesty, integrity, reasonableness, and (most importantly) humility. You see, while ethicists from different camps squabble over the importance of happiness or autonomy, religion callously asserts that making graven images is one of the ten most immoral things a person can do—all while neglecting to condemn slavery, or the rape of slaves, or genocide... the list goes on. 

You pay lip service to ethicists being humble enough to not claim true knowledge...then you imply that you know that slavery, rape of slaves, genocide, and a list of other items are indeed immoral.

Well...

It's not freaking rocket science.

All one has to do is start with some pretty simple precepts, that I think you would agree with.

I understand that we all live in the same physical universe, with (more or less) extremely similar bodies and brains, subject to the same physical laws.

I also understand, that, for my own well being, life is preferable to death, health is preferable to disease, comfort is preferable to pain, freedom is preferable to slavery, opportunities to flourish are preferable to those that do not allow flourishing. Pretty straightforward so far, right?

Since the vast majority of my fellow humans want well being for themselves and their loved ones, it is then very easy to extrapolate from the above, that it is best if I treat others the same way I want to be treated, in order to maximise their well being (or minimise the oposite). And it is also best for everyone else that wants these things, to live in societies that maximise well being, and minimises the oposite.

There a few other ways to think about it. All one has to do is ask oneself, "what would a society be like if everyone did the thing I am about to do? Would it be a better society, or worse?".

You know how you can tell why slavery, rape of slaves, genocide, etc are immoral? Ask the slaves, or those that are he target of genocide how they feel about it.

Or better yet, if you are unable to feel empathy, ask yourself, "how would I feel if I was a slave or a target of genocide?".