Re: What could make morality objective?
Posted: Wed Feb 26, 2020 6:18 am
I agree with Point 3 in general.Peter Holmes wrote: ↑Tue Feb 25, 2020 12:15 pmHow about this for point 3? -Veritas Aequitas wrote: ↑Tue Feb 25, 2020 11:03 amYes, the above is about right.Peter Holmes wrote: ↑Tue Feb 25, 2020 9:03 am Thanks for explaining your idea, once again. Perhaps I can summarise it.
1 We must adopt a code of absolute moral rules, but only as an ideal guide, and never to be imposed on anyone.
2 Those rules must be based on evidence and reached through critical thinking - not authority, least of all a supposed divine authority.
3 Individuals must adapt the rules flexibly to cope with specific moral dilemmas, such as the need to kill in extreme self-defence.
Is that about right? Would you want to change any of it, or add anything?
One more critical point,
4. While individuals has to adapt and be flexible due to their human_ness, they must nevertheless be mindful of the absolute moral rules at all times and strive to improve themselves [from within] on a continual basis to be as close as possible to the impossible ideals.
There is no stress and pressure to achieve the impossible ideals but what is expected is a trend of increasing moral competency towards the impossible ideals [as in 1].
The more complex issue is how to achieve point 4 progressively.
3 While individuals must always strive to follow the moral rules - to get closer to the ideal - they can adapt them flexibly to cope with specific moral dilemmas, such as the need to kill in extreme self-defence.
Does that cover your critical point? If not,please re-word it.
And one question for now. Why do you say the moral rules represent an impossible goal? That seems to me an unnecessarily pessimistic caveat. Does being human mean we can never achieve the moral ideal? The rules have to be evidence-based and rational, so there's no reason why impossibility has to be built-in.
Individuals must strive towards the absolute moral laws at all costs. At the same time individuals must also strive to develop the competency to have the ability to adhere to the absolute moral laws.
But because the inherent human nature of individuals at present are vulnerable to weakness, they are not expected to achieve what is expected from the absolute moral laws.
As such individuals must be mindful of the requirement of the absolute moral laws and very mindful of the necessary actions they are about to take that is deviating from the ideal.
Therefore if they have to kill another human, they will have to think 100 times before they do it and should be mindful they are deviating from the ideal with exceptions where instant reaction is needed.
After the deed, the individual must reflect to determine what sort of corrective actions can be taken to avoid the repeat of such a deviation from the ideal.
Most Absolute moral rules are ideal in theory but not in practice.
Examples of absolute moral rules are applied to killing, torture, raping, murder, corruption, lying, genocides, stealing, and the whole range of evil acts.
Certain targets may be achieved within specific period and circumstances but not possible in the absolute time sense.
Note the "Normal Distribution" principles, with human nature of 7 billion + there are always some minute percentile of deviants. At present, it is stated, generally 1% of humans are psychopaths [most prone to evil acts]. i.e. that 70 million!
The human brain has 100 billion neurons each with up to 10,000 synapse connectors, you can imaging the number of combination and permutations of their connections. As such, this complexity is vulnerable to defective connections that enable certain evil prone people.
Its the complexity of human nature that to achieve the ideal of 'good' human behavior is an impossible goal at all times.
However the ideal target is necessary to act as fixed goal to manage the variance efficiently between the ideal and actual in seeking continuous improvement towards the impossible-to-achieve-ideal.
Another point is once we can establish and justify the absolute moral law [fact] from empirical evidence and with the highest reason, then, like a scientific fact, it is objective and independent of the individuals' opinion.