|
 Originally Posted by MadMojoMonkey
All of them. Morality and ethics relies on how individuals feel about various potential actions and outcomes. There is no objective right or wrong. Only what it preferred and what it not.
I agree that there are grey areas, but I'd argue that in majority of cases there are quite clear objective verifiable rights and wrongs.
 Originally Posted by MadMojoMonkey
E.g. we like to believe that murder is wrong, and punishable. However, state-sanctioned life-taking (of fellow humans) is OK, so long as enough of us (12 on a jury) agree that it's OK to take the life, or 1 special guy (POTUS) says it's OK to go "over there" and kill a whole bunch of people.
Ok let's try. First, a crime has taken place and we need to decide what to do with the offender. Does killing the suspect 1) produce less suffering and 2) produce more happiness than not killing him? Killing him may give some small sense of justice and resolution for the loved ones of the victim (if there is one), but produce incredible suffering for the suspect. I would say this is a great example where morals of some people are completely out of whack, and it would be somewhat trivial to demonstrate it.
In the war scenario, again, will starting a war minimize suffering (of humans, or life on the planet, not just some arbitrary bunch of people) and maximize happiness? I can't think of many scenarios where this would be the case. Another great example where a more accurate moral compass would be needed.
If it wasn't all shades of gray, then there wouldn't be any reason for continued debate after all these millennia of study.
 Originally Posted by MadMojoMonkey
You're kind of making my point. There is no objectively "right" moral framework which can be incontrovertibly demonstrated to be superior to others.
The whole point of ethics is that it is a muddy affair where no single decision is going to increase happiness and/or reduce misery for all parties involved. (Not that we've yet demonstrated that this is a morally upright goal of our decisions.)
You're giving me way too much credit. Just because I can't come up with one on the spot doesn't mean it can't be done.
|