MattTheSkywalker said:
samoth said:
I never understood how these threads get so long, or how some people can hold such close-minded and bigoted opinions. Just like religious threads.
You're doing the same thing from a different perspective. But let's pretend you're not, just to keep the thread interesting.
Biggotry is being close-minded to other's opinions, or to the whole. I disagree that my statements were such.
MattTheSkywalker said:
samoth said:
Morals -- what is "right" -- is dictated by the society.
No, it's not. "Society" as an entity does not accrue any special abilities or rights or responsibilities - it is just a collection of individuals. Surely you'd agree that individuals in groups large and small are capable of being completely wrongheaded, incorrect and just plain stupid. Societies of massive brutality have existed; brutality was what the society dictated, and the members did not disappoint. At no point was it right merely because it was the dictate of society. At that point, you're essentially arguing either (1) might makes right or (2) conformity is good. Either is laughable.
Society might dictate what is required for continued acceptance, but at no point does that imply right-ness.
lol, a thorough discussion/argument of ethics, moral, and society covers a good half of the subject of philosophy. I'm in no condition to do this without quite a bit of time and research referencing, eg., Mill's or Kant's numerous works. But I will agree that it is a subject that can be argued well from several sides.
In brief, I'll offer this: do we have free will? If so, there exists the coice of what is moral. From there I would use arguments involving society, but you seem to question the definition of society. So I wiki'd "society" to look at the definitions, and still disagree with you under the broad definition.
What you seem to be implying by "At no point was it right merely because it was the dictate of society" is some sort of moral absolutism, which is exactly what I am arguing against primarily upon the premise of free will.
So, like I was saying before, morals - society - free will, this is what this thread and OP are about, not animals, or furs, or hamburgers. Those discussions, while interesting, do nothing to analyze or maek an attempt to resolve the issue at hand. EF ain't really much a board for those topics, though, with an average post length of probably a dozen words, lol.
MattTheSkywalker said:
samoth said:
There does not exist any universal moral "right" or "wrong". People argue this stuff like it's a unique or special issue, eg. the topic of this thread, but in reality it's a quite broad category in philosophy that's been argued for millenia.
You're essentially saying "everything is relative". But if you believe that, then relativism is actually an absolute...so everything is not relative.
Petitio principii, I wouldn't expect that from you.
MattTheSkywalker said:
samoth said:
The dedicated protester is just as "right" as the fur-wearing meat eater.
By definiton, then, just as wrong.
Agreed. That's correct. That's the point I'm trying to get across.
