RE: The difference between ethical atheism and nihlism is that ethical atheists have more faith
March 1, 2013 at 3:51 pm
(March 1, 2013 at 3:22 pm)Annik Wrote: Most atheists (if they do chose a specific philosophy) will pick from nihilism or existentialism (or some mixture). I identify with existentialism.
Also, are you assuming that morals are universal. They are very much NOT. It's a cultural thing and humans are very cultural. There is no "assigned worth". In fact, most people only think humans are so great because we are humans (and we think we're sooooo smart and unique). Dolphins show signs of communication (although we're not sure if they have actual language), they have names (that they give to each other and identify with), culture, their own sense of dolphin-y morality (such as murdering pedophiles) and they are self-aware. What makes humans better than dolphins?
You are repeating the main point of the post. Exactly, what makes people more important than dolphins? Or ants, for that matter? Why should human civilization exist at all, why not be a primitivist? Why not believe that one race is superior to another, or create a nationalistic morality?
The most important question in the world is how to be a good person. You are not really getting to the bottom of the issue. Nothing that you have written scratches the surface of the debates surrounding moral skepticism. Because you have a nicer sounding name for moral skepticism, called existentialism, does not answer the question. What makes people more important than dolphins. Or in another way: How do you know that Jewish people aren't inferior to whites? Why shouldn't one group enslave another group?
