RE: Finally an atheist proper, with views and questions
June 2, 2024 at 3:42 pm
(This post was last modified: June 2, 2024 at 3:48 pm by The Grand Nudger.)
Ish - he's content to state that a gods existence isn't a precondition for moral knowledge but still feels compelled to make claims about gods existence and the nature of the moral knowledge which might speak to transactional subjectivity, but does not accurately reflect moral objectivity. I think he does show how there may be a convenient confluence of the two - if you just so happen to be the sort of agent (or god) that an objective theory of value holds we have a moral obligation to over-praise.
As far as euphyro, I believe he attempts to resolve it with something so hilarious in it's self imposed inanity that I couldn't come up with a better way to criticize the position than to simply state it. He believes that a god can only ever command us to do what we would already be obligated to do - that a gods specific moral authority is an issue of what day to worship it. Our duty to such a commandment, as above, not being based on the specific content of the command or it's goodness by any metric but upon a general duty to over praise. Humoring the old man.
(at the bottom of the well, I agree with him on this - while I don't think it's morally obligatory to humor the old man I do think it is or at least can be a good or nice thing to do, and that I do have a moral duty to do good or nice things in general.)
As far as euphyro, I believe he attempts to resolve it with something so hilarious in it's self imposed inanity that I couldn't come up with a better way to criticize the position than to simply state it. He believes that a god can only ever command us to do what we would already be obligated to do - that a gods specific moral authority is an issue of what day to worship it. Our duty to such a commandment, as above, not being based on the specific content of the command or it's goodness by any metric but upon a general duty to over praise. Humoring the old man.
(at the bottom of the well, I agree with him on this - while I don't think it's morally obligatory to humor the old man I do think it is or at least can be a good or nice thing to do, and that I do have a moral duty to do good or nice things in general.)
I am the Infantry. I am my country’s strength in war, her deterrent in peace. I am the heart of the fight… wherever, whenever. I carry America’s faith and honor against her enemies. I am the Queen of Battle. I am what my country expects me to be, the best trained Soldier in the world. In the race for victory, I am swift, determined, and courageous, armed with a fierce will to win. Never will I fail my country’s trust. Always I fight on…through the foe, to the objective, to triumph overall. If necessary, I will fight to my death. By my steadfast courage, I have won more than 200 years of freedom. I yield not to weakness, to hunger, to cowardice, to fatigue, to superior odds, For I am mentally tough, physically strong, and morally straight. I forsake not, my country, my mission, my comrades, my sacred duty. I am relentless. I am always there, now and forever. I AM THE INFANTRY! FOLLOW ME!
