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Politics : Sharks in the Septic Tank
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To: one_less who wrote (70626)6/30/2003 3:30:31 PM
From: Solon  Read Replies (1) of 82486
 
"although neither of us is likely to ever admit it"

Admitting has nothing to do with it. A difference of opinion is not an accusation. I always acknowledge agreement where it seems important to the clarity of the discussion.

"Anyway, when speaking of moral absolutes I am limiting myself to the realm of ideals in principle"

But there are no ideals in principle. All people develop separate values on the basis of their own thinking and feeling.

Here is an example. You are dying. You have a key to a car. Your daughter is by your side. There is a map in the car which identifies a hidden cache of food that will save one person from starvation. There is a man 100 yards from camp. He is also starving. He might be a "bad" man. He is wearing hand-cuffs. You can only help one of them or neither. What "ideal moral principle" guides your decision?

What if the man is me; and what if I wear Holy robes; and what if I am accompanied by my daughter? What is your "ideal moral principle"? It is great to assert that you "believe" there are "ideals in principle". But what is the basis of your belief. What are these ideal principles, and WHY?

Surely you can list dictionary terms and cite popular treatises on philosophy that tell how our culture agrees on certain things. But WE write the dictionaries and books. God does not write these books. So whereas we might define greed as "bad", this is simply an opinion we have codified into definition. Prior to language, "greed" wasn't even a word. Some people think that eating extra and then burping is an honour to the host.
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