Subjective Morality?

[bennyboy]

The more important question is-- what beliefs can be said to be true, and how would we know?

Both great questions, but both meaningless unless our beliefs can sometimes be true, so that we can present such an example.  If our beliefs are never true...then we can provide no example of a true belief or how we would know it was one.  

Do you think it's true that you think your question is a more important question?  Is that a true statement of your own beliefs?  How do you know?

I don't know. That's why I consider all beliefs in context-- a philosophical position, for example. Always implied is this: GIVEN X, then I believe Y.

My context is defined by the following philosophical positions (maybe a few more that I'm not aware of):
-other people are real
-the word "subjective" is a meaningful description
-the difference between morality and other ideas is that it discusses what should be done or believed
-"Should" requires goals, which serve as the context for moral actions and beliefs. It's another level of GIVEN X, then Y, but now it's SHOULD Y.

I'll give an example. Given that unnecessary human suffering is wrong, then rape is wrong; having established that moral truth by definition, we can now objectively establish in what cases someone has been raped, and to what degree the rape has caused unnecessary human suffering. Given that property ownership is a thing which should be protected, then thievery is wrong. Having established that moral truth by definition, we can objectively determine (through checking ID numbers etc.) whether thievery has occurred.

But where do the Prime Givens come from? Is there something outside human agency which dictates them? In my view, there is not, unless you either include the idea of God, or discard the concept of subjective agency.