Philosophy Now Forum

prof wrote: ↑Sun Feb 11, 2018 8:49 pm Here is a fact about human nature: our brains
are prewired to seek out what is in our self-interest.
The problem is that we often don’t know what
actually is in our self-interest. For example, we fail
to gain the benefits that cooperation would yield for
us. Allow me to explain.

Science informs us that we survived as a
species (instead of becoming extinct as so many,
many other species have) because we learned to
cooperate on projects that we could not handle
alone. We set a goal to erect a bridge across a river
or to build a residence and we realized that the
project was too big to do by ourselves so we
enlisted the cooperation of others and we got it
done. There are benefits to cooperation. Many of
us are not aware of these benefits; we thus often do
things that are not in our true self-interest. It is a
moral truth that today we need more cooperation on
worthwhile goals that enhance the quality of human
life.

Ethics is concerned with how to live a good life,
how to be a good person, how to live the optimal
life, how to live well as we provide a quality life
for all. When we engage in self-defeating and counter-
productive behavior we are doing things that are no
t in our self-interest. In this new approach to Ethics
self-defeating behavior may be described as
conduct that rates a low degree on the morality
scale; or a low rank on a social happiness index.

Examples of such conduct would be violence,
ruthless exploitation (such as
holding slaves, or murder, or rape, , or even
disregarding worker safety standards.) Cheating
others, baiting and switching, engaging in angry
quarreling, polluting the planet which we all
inhabit, these are also forms of unethical conduct.

Ethics is concerned with harmonious human
relationships, and how to achieve them. There are
axioms in that body of useful knowledge named
“Ethics,” and logical deductions can be made from
those basic assumptions, those axioms. In the theory
governing ethics one learns about Ethical Fallacies,
which are mistakes in thinking with regard to moral
topics and moral practice.

What are the basic assumptions? Some values
are more valuable than others. How can we tell the
better from the worse? It has been shown by a
logical demonstration, a proof, that one
individual, having individuality, seen as ‘unique,’
is worth more than all the things in this world, and that one
material thing is worth more than all the babble, the
theories and systems and ideologies; a person is
worth more than a thing, and a thing is worth more
than a number. As we know, a thing can rust out
and be discarded; and a number can be erased.
Human life, though, is valuable, uncountably
valuable. That’s why it is wrong to murder or rape.,
or to connive and exploit, to enslave and deceive.

Those who understand these relationships can
be said to “know their values.” Once you know
your Ethics you will put people first. Then far be
low you will rank materialism and ostentatious
consumption. And you will also realize that
systems, dogmas, opinions rather than facts and
evidence, isms, labels, and stereotypes have the
lowest positive value to us.

For more information, further detzails, see: http://www.myqol.com/wadeharvey/PDFs/LI ... ourish.pdf

-1- wrote: ↑Mon Feb 12, 2018 8:08 am

prof wrote: ↑Sun Feb 11, 2018 8:49 pm H

Examples ... violence,
ruthless exploitation (such as
holding slaves, or murder, or rape, or even
disregarding worker safety standards.) Cheating
others, baiting and switching, engaging in angry
quarreling, polluting the planet which we all
inhabit, these are also forms of unethical conduct.

Ethics is concerned with harmonious human
relationships, and how to achieve them.

What are the basic assumptions? Some values
are more valuable than others.

... one individual, having individuality, seen as ‘unique,’
is worth more than all the things in this world, and that one
material thing is worth more than all the babble, the
theories and systems and ideologies; a person is
worth more than a thing, and a thing is worth more
than a number. As we know, a thing can rust out
and be discarded; and a number can be erased.
Human life, though, is valuable, uncountably
valuable. That’s why it is wrong to murder or rape.,
or to connive and exploit, to enslave and deceive.

Those who understand these relationships can
be said to “know their values.” Once you know
your Ethics you will put people first. Then far be
low you will rank materialism and ostentatious
consumption. And you will also realize that
systems, dogmas, opinions rather than facts and
evidence, isms, labels, and stereotypes have the
lowest positive value to us.

For more information, further detzails, see: http://www.myqol.com/wadeharvey/PDFs/LI ... ourish.pdf

It's all fine and dandy. However, consider the situation where good values will contradict other good values, or when lowest positive values supersede higher positive values.

Take, for instance, material possessions and greed. It is ranked, by the article's author, as the lowest positive value.
This is false. See quote above.

Yet, without possession and greed, much of civilization never would have advanced.
This is an example of an opinion stated with offering evidence. It is unproveable. There is no way to falsify this claim. It ranks lowest among the values spoken of in the o.p.

Possession and greed are the single most valuable and conducive motivating forces that built a society in which everyone is valued, has a good life, and can feel safe.
There is nothing wrong with personal possessions. Greed, however, is a compulsive disorder, akin to saving old newspapers and magazines until they stack up to the ceiling. In the case of greed, one always 'needs' more and more money, or financial status.

Take, for another instance, the value of human life. It is the most valuable, uncountably valuable, asset to humanity as a whole.
This is true by the very definition of Ethics in the new paradigm proposed - the Hartman/Katz Theory of The Moral Sense. If a human life isn't valuable to humans, then what is??

On the other hand, too many valuable human beings, as has become the case, will destroy the environment even against their own conscious will. They will deplete non-renewable resources, eliminate ecosystems, and kill off species by hunting them and/or reducing their natural habitat area to below levels for sustainability. All because we are valuable to the nth degree.
This doesn't have to happen. Small is beautiful. Decentralize. Be an environmentalist. Make use of known technologies. Some experts argue that North America can easily support 100 million people without any environmental damage, if it is done right. See the recent book The Wizard and the Prophet.

Moral absolutism is impossible. Moral relativism, in which you not only dogmatically decide what is moral and what is not, but decide that on the bases of what good it is to WHOM, and why.
I agree with this.

prof wrote: ↑Wed Feb 14, 2018 10:47 am
You will have a richer life if in your value priorities you put people first, things next, and dogma as well as unfounded opinions last.

You will have a richer life if in your value priorities you put people first, things next, and dogma as well as unfounded opinions last.

Take, for another instance, the value of human life. It is the most valuable, uncountably valuable, asset to humanity as a whole.

This is true by the very definition of Ethics in the new paradigm proposed - the Hartman/Katz Theory of The Moral Sense. If a human life isn't valuable to humans, then what is??

This doesn't have to happen. Small is beautiful. Decentralize. Be an environmentalist. Make use of known technologies. Some experts argue that North America can easily support 100 million people without any environmental damage, if it is done right. See the recent book The Wizard and the Prophet.

Belinda wrote: ↑Wed Feb 14, 2018 5:19 pm I disagree with Prof that human life is the top value is a self evident truth. No socially -engendered truth is self evident, except possibly mathematical axioms and the self evidence of those is debateable too.

-1- wrote: ↑Mon Feb 12, 2018 8:08 am ... So the more humans, the more valuable the world becomes. This is what the article tells us.

It's all fine and dandy. However, consider the situation where good values will contradict other good values, or when lowest positive values supersede higher positive values.

Take, for instance, material possessions and greed. It is ranked, by the article's author, as the lowest positive value. Yet, without possession and greed, much of civilization never would have advanced. Possession and greed are the single most valuable and conducive motivating forces that built a society in which everyone is valued, has a good life, and can feel safe.

Belinda wrote: ↑Thu Feb 15, 2018 10:03 am -1- wrote:

It's all fine and dandy. However, consider the situation where good values will contradict other good values, or when lowest positive values supersede higher positive values.

Take, for instance, material possessions and greed. It is ranked, by the article's author, as the lowest positive value. Yet, without possession and greed, much of civilization never would have advanced. Possession and greed are the single most valuable and conducive motivating forces that built a society in which everyone is valued, has a good life, and can feel safe.

Aren't you confusing trade and mutually beneficial competition with exploitation?

prof wrote: ↑Thu Feb 15, 2018 2:38 am ...Continuing with the theme in the original post:

Indifference to one another has zero value, while cruelty, sadism, personal corruption, and psychopathy have negative value; they are dis-values. Sociopaths commit disvalues. We don’t need more sociopaths. Selfishness is the opposite of behaving ethically, of living the moral life – the god life. It is worth less than zero. In this way we can tell better from worse.

Moral principles are not rules or commands; they are not absolutes. Instead, they are guidelines to living a trouble-free life, a smooth balanced harmonious life – an honest life, a life of humility and serenity, of peace of mind and peace in the world – a life of justice. The world is not fair but each of us can engage in fair-dealing: we can resolve not to cheat our fellow-man, not to cut corners, not to have fun at the expense of others, not to ‘put people down.’ It helps to know our Ethics.

Therefore I shall present some of the initial basic axioms. Picture this: If you think you are alone on an island then all you need to be concerned about are the Laws of Nature …you don’t want to hurt yourself. If however it turns out that you encounter another individual on that island the laws of human nature come into play.

Those who have enough cognitive assets (enough sense) will be respectful, show some consideration, radiate good will, seek the benefits of cooperation, encourage sharing. {To do otherwise is to risk making an enemy who will fight you over the resources available on the island.}

Due to your awareness of Ethics, in as many ways as you can you will want to make everyone concerned, all parties, a mutual winner. You will be careful to avoid selfishness. You will do random acts of kindness and express deliberate feelings of compassion and empathy. You will strive for clear, accurate, adult communication. You will neither act superior nor play the victim. Furthermore you’ll be mindful that your biases can become liabilities. One has an ethical liability when one confronts another and shows disrespect.

Here are some axioms of Ethics and some implications that follow from them. You enter the field of Ethics when you regard an individual, or a group of them, as deep, complex, as having a story to tell. When a situation arises where there is interaction with another person you, as a result of understanding Ethics, seek to add value to that situation; you give that person your attention, you show that you care. For Ethics is about caring and sharing, and offering a helping hand to those less fortunate, or to those in need.

Axiom 1 is: make things morally better. This implies “Make yourself better!” This suggests self-improvement. It is worthwhile to pursue self-development, and moral growth.

Axiom 2 is: We have a moral obligation to be good and to be happy. To be good, morally, is to have a good character. An entire division of Ethics is devoted to this subject, and more will be said about this later.

Morality, as it is defined in this new way of looking at Ethics, means: being true to yourself. This implies authenticity, integrity, and honesty. It further implies living up to what you believe and not having double standards, one for yourself and one for others. It includes having high ideals (moral principles) and having your conduct correspond with those ideals. Some of us will do this consciously at first, until we make a habit of it, and some of us do it already intuitively.

Morality is a matter of degree and a person who knows his or her ethics will want to gain a high degree of morality. It is an increasing correspondence with an improving self-image.

All parts of Ethics (the systematic body of knowledge) and all its terms, once it is more-fully developed, shall fit together in a pattern – perhaps like the numbers in the solution of a Sudoku puzzle. Once it gets on the right track logic will enable it to find the balanced pattern, the web of life and human relationships.

With this new knowledge put into practice our relations with one another will markedly improve. There will be less heated quarrels, more anger management, more harmony, and more peace of mind. Families will know how to be functional rather than dysfunctional. Members of the family will defer to one another, will show respect.

Comments? Questions?

prof wrote: ↑Wed Feb 14, 2018 11:21 pm When we discuss human beings, we are talking about infinitely-deep and complex organisms. Hence it is appropriate to use Transfinite Mathematics to analyze the data.


Let it be understood that in my sense of values it is worse to do more harm rather than less harm.