On Moral Authorities

[Angrboda]

Sorry if I misunderstood. Are you saying human happiness is just one proposed goal then? [1]

I agree it is a good goal, but it is incredibly vague and qualifying it is very hard. I don't think it can be objectified in any way. [2]

1) No worries. I just appreciate your willingness to seek common understanding! I am saying that human happiness (understood in the classical sense of human fullness/perfection/fulfillment) IS the universal goal of every human. It is what we are all trying to achieve, according to how we subjectively understand it. In other words, whatever any individual's goal turns out to be, it is THEIR interpretation of human fullness. It is the most abstract and general "end" for which all human actions are done. Think less "pleasure" and more "the meaning of life".

This seems like a semantic sleight of hand. Happiness and fulfillment are not the same thing. While humans may value fulfillment, it's not clear whether this valuation depends on something intrinsic to fulfillment, or whether fulfillment is desirable because of the absence of stress and anxiety in the state of fulfillment, and in states leading to it. My theory of human behavior does not recognize a place in decision making for any "desire for fulfillment." We have an aversion to states that are not fulfilling, but it's less clear whether we are motivated by the feelings which accompany fulfillment. Regardless, fulfillment doesn't equal happiness, which is another commonly presumed 'goal' which doesn't seem to motivate our moment-to-moment decisions.