RE: Hello, Anyone interested in a debate?
May 24, 2015 at 10:51 pm
(This post was last modified: May 24, 2015 at 10:54 pm by bennyboy.)
Wait a minute. If morality is objectively defined, then who or what defines it, and how are we to know if such a definition exists, or if we have found it? It's starting to have the same problems as the God idea. And to me, there is a likely reason why this is so: both morality and the God idea are made up by people to represent abstract ideas which do NOT represent an objective reality.
We can trying looking at it in terms of goals. A "right" action is one which serves a good goal. So what goals do we have? 1) instinctive goals, like survival, sex, and protection of others; 2) created goals, like getting rich or visiting Nepal; 3) universal goals, like contributing to God's efforts to sustain the universe or something.
The problem with the latter is that if they exist, they are inscrutible to me-- and I'm certainly not going to take any other human's words as representative of something so important as the will of God. Therefore, the most sensible approach I can take is to assume that if the only goals available to me are those of instinct and ambition or interest, then it is right that I follow those goals. Following a divine plan is, at least to me, like agreeing that the Emperor has beautiful new clothes-- it would be either a lie or a confession of insanity.
We can trying looking at it in terms of goals. A "right" action is one which serves a good goal. So what goals do we have? 1) instinctive goals, like survival, sex, and protection of others; 2) created goals, like getting rich or visiting Nepal; 3) universal goals, like contributing to God's efforts to sustain the universe or something.
The problem with the latter is that if they exist, they are inscrutible to me-- and I'm certainly not going to take any other human's words as representative of something so important as the will of God. Therefore, the most sensible approach I can take is to assume that if the only goals available to me are those of instinct and ambition or interest, then it is right that I follow those goals. Following a divine plan is, at least to me, like agreeing that the Emperor has beautiful new clothes-- it would be either a lie or a confession of insanity.
